A new initiative has been launched by the Campaign Against Criminalising Communities (CAMPACC) to assess the impact of detention under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000.[1]
CAMPACC has become concerned about the use of Schedule 7 of TACT 2000 which allows people arriving or leaving the UK to be stopped and questioned and held for up to nine hours to determine whether they are a terrorist. CAMPACC states that: ‘Anecdotal evidence suggests that these powers are used to harass human rights activists that work in “suspect communities” and secondly, ordinary members of those communities are being stopped purely on the basis of racial or religious profiling.’
The aim of the new project is to find out who is being stopped, why they are being stopped and what questions they are being asked. CAMPACC hopes to publish a comprehensive report into the use of this power. It is trying to trace people who have been stopped under Schedule 7 and are willing to speak about their experiences.
CAMPACC has been campaigning against anti-terrorism laws since the introduction of the Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT 2000), and believes that ‘these extraordinary laws’ create ‘suspect communities’. It works with both community and national organisations to highlight the damaging effect of the laws on individuals, communities and our civil liberties.
Find out more about the project or how you can assist CAMPACC with the Schedule 7 Project by contacting: Estella Schmid: estella24@tiscali.co.uk or Lochlinn Parker: lochlinnparker@yahoo.co.uk.