London: Good Friday procession cancelled for 'safety reasons'

St Mary Magdalene's Church, Willesden Green

A Good Friday procession,which has taken place for many years in Willesden, northwest London, has been cancelled this this year, because the police and borough council decided it was 'too dangerous'.

A note on the website of St Mary Magdalene's Catholic Church said: "We were told we could use the footpaths. However, relegating several hundred of us to the crowded, narrow pavement would not enable us to have our usual banners, music, atmosphere etc... we made repeated pleas to all concerned, but to no avail.

Up to about 2004, Police used to steward the 400 yard stretch of road on which the procession walked. For the next four years up to 2008, the parish stewarded it themselves. In the 2009 and 2010 there was no procession. This year the parish decided to hold one again, and in February, submitted their usual 'Notification of Public Procession' to the Police, whereupon they were told that they would not be able to walk on the road, and there would be no police escort. The parish asked for a meeting with the police, but this wasn't possible. Instead they were told: “Without a policing presence,...for safety reasons the pavement is the only real option”

On 14 March, the Police told them: “if you wished to march on the road, you would need to apply for a Traffic Management Order from the council” costing '£3,000' (This cost suggestion turns out to be a mistake).

`On 30 March the parish wrote to local councillors to ask for flexibility. "They apparently pass this on to the Council Traffic Manager who confirms to the councillors, copying us in, that it is too late to get a Traffic Management Order (“about five weeks” are necessary) and therefore we cannot use the road."

By 15 April the church had still not even received an acknowledgement from any of the councillors.

A note on the website says: "Despite some press reports we have never intended to 'defy' the order, and the Council did not 'ban' the march. But they, and the police, have made it virtually impossible to stage the march, except as a damp squib. We are very grateful for all the excellent things these great institutions do for us here in multi cultural Brent. Yet in this case they seem to have subtly highlighted something important, and worrying, about our culture.

"For the question remains: what has happened between 2008 and 2011? Up to 2008, from our point of view, causing us hassle never seemed to be dreamt of. We were acknowledged as Christians wanting, on their big day, briefly to use the public highway in a manageable manner. Now it is a major issue. This is surely not a conspiracy – just a subtle change of attitude. Perhaps it is an aspect of what Pope Benedict lamented, in his profound and acclaimed words to representatives of British society in Westminster Hall, last September:

“I cannot but voice my concern at the increasing marginalisation of religion, particularly of Christianity ... [relegating it] to the purely private sphere.”

Source: www.stmarymag.org.uk/