So, today I got up at the ungodly weekend hour of seven thirty in order to get myself ready and into Manchester for the Manchester "parallel" Convention on Modern Liberty. In case you haven't noticed this (perhaps because the BBC News seems to think it's a technology issue), here's a medley of people talking about it and why it's important:

There were, apparently, 88 people requested tickets and there were more than that in the room for the first sessions - which was annoying as, the room was too small. Unfortunately, technical problems meant we missed Shami Chakrabati's opening speech and I'm waiting for the videos to appear on the website (Videos will be going up slowly) and the first part of the first plenary (this is up).

We did get a link/projector/sound all working in time to hear some of the first plenary. I made note of a few phrases and ideas I liked (and hope that I've attributed them correctly in my Notes - for one, certainly, either me or the BBC is wrong).

First up, Ken MacDonald suggested that it is time for us to remind the government that we, as adults, are willing to accept risk - it's what makes life life. Dominic Grieve then added the important point that quality of life and security are not the same thing.

Moving on to other questions, Helena Kennedy reminded us all that "you cannot vacuum seal terrorism laws". She cited the problems of abuses of justice in Northern Ireland but I believe that both stop and search and RIPA show much more relevant and modern examples. I think it was Helena who then went on to pronounce that with current laws, "we're all suspects now".

"We're all suspects now" - if that hasn't scared you, you need to wake up!

After the plenary webcast we went on to local workshops. At this point I wanted to be three people (not, as suggested on my twitter stream, "tired people") in order to go to all three workshops. I ended up going to the No2ID "Database State" workshop. The afternoon I ended up at the Consenting Adults Action Network's session on sexual freedom and the slippery slope. Of wider relevance from that session was CAAN's advice from Peter Tatchell - The public don't know what's going on; your job it to go out and tell them.

Back to the main room for more webcast sessions from London. Philip Pullman had a short speech on the virtues that make a great nation. He finished with the statement "We are better people than our government think we are. We are a better nation".

The second plenary (which didn't have Cory Doctorow as our programme suggested 8-( ) had a wonderful quote from Brian Eno that I felt I had to share - "Education should be where our children are taught to swim in liberty". I think swimming in liberty is a wonderful image and one we should be promoting as better than drowning in false security.

EDIT: Also important to point out the the Lib Dems have released their vision of a Freedom Bill for comment. I've got it on my to-do list 8-)

David Davis then took to the stage for a short speech. His speech contained a large rebuttal of Jack Straw's assertion that we are not yet in a police state. He asked when are we in a police state and gave a list of recent events and laws which may point to it before ending with the somewhat obvious "When we do know it's a police state, it will be too late".

So, what can we do to retain our civil liberties? Learn, educate, inform, discuss, write to your MP, your MEP, your local council, protest, get involved.

In particular, the current threat is to the Data Protection Act. Section 152 of the Coroners and Justice Bill will allow the government to take any data collected anywhere for any purpose and use it for whatever purpose they want without any consent, or knowledge, from you. Write to your MP. Do it now. Refuse consent and urge them to vote against that section.

Alex
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