A heckler was ejected from the Labour Party conference today. Mr Walter Wolfgang (aged 82) was thrown out of the conference by Labour Party heavies, after shouting at the Foreign Secretary.
According to the BBC News, "police used powers under the Terrorism Act to prevent Mr Wolfgang's re-entry". Many critics had always feared that the Terrorism Act would be used for other purposes besides terrorism. Here we see the Act apparently being used to suppress heckling. If there was a covert purpose to the legislation, surely it has been exposed by this action?
[updated to add] Robin Wilton writes: "Whatever the intent of the Act, a shameful episode like this reveals the danger of framing legislation in ways which make such abuses possible."
Or was it a case of mistaken identity? Perhaps the police thought they were dealing with Mr Walter Wolfgang Droege, whose name appears on various international databases. Yes that must be it.
Related post: Delayed Reaction (August 2006)
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