By Christopher Rails E: CAMPAIGN for Nuclear Disarmament is taking legal action against the Metropolitan police Commissioner, in an attempt to get the banning order on marches, imposed on April 25. declared illegal. Mgr Bruce Kent, CND's general secretary, claimed the police have overstepped their powers. The Public Order Act, he said, allowed police to ban
different classes of demormtration, which would include anything likely to threaten public order, such as racial violence. It did not extend to a blanket ban. -"Even May Day marches and the Brownies are affected," he said. Ilarriet Harman of the National Council for Civil Liberties will he acting as solicitor in the action.
A Clarctian Nlissionary serving nil a parish in Hayes. Middlesex, refused to fill in his census form as a protest against the Government•s nuclear weapons policy. Fr Tony Bartlett wrote to the Universe to explain his action. "I believe that urgent forms of protest are now necessary to seek to dispel this darkness," he said. This week he told the Catholic Herald there had been no comeback from the Government or from his superiors: "Most people have agreed with me," he said. This left the Government in "a cleft stick." he added. "If they don't summons Inc. they will have made an exception they don't like to admit. If they do, it will draw attention to my argument."
If he did receive a summons, the local Justice and Peace group had promised to support him by raising the money to pay the fine.
Fr Peter Wareing, Claret ian Provincial Superior said: "This is a line Fr Bartlett is taking as an individual. and he has a right to do that."
A Justice and Peace Commission pamphlet on nuclear disarmament, intended for discussion by the Bishops' Conference at their Low Week meeting, was not ready and will have to he presented in November.