Scottish Parliament GRR debate

[dementedma]

An amendment to the GRR suggesting convicted sex offenders can not get a GR certificate has been voted down by Greens and SNP. A woman in the public gallery shouts " Shame on you" and now the entire gallery has been cleared, with all women made to leave under threat of arrest!
What the fuck has happened to freedom of speech?

Freedom of speech has never meant freedom to shout out in any parliamentary context OP.

The vote is indeed shameful but freedom of speech is irrelevant here.

The person who shouted is not the only one forced to leave. Others who were watching silently have also been thrown out.

Yes I believe they have the right to clear the public gallery if they deem it necessary OP.

I doubt that being able to attend parliament is a right enshrined in law.

What an absolute shitshow.

Imagine voting to protect sex offenders, knowing that it could potentially harm women and girls? Imagine being someone who does that?

www.parliament.scot/about/how-parliament-works/parliament-rules-and-guidance/standing-orders/chapter-15-openness-and-accessibility

The Parliament can ask the person who they consider to be not following the Visitor's Code of Conduct (www.parliament.scot/visit/plan-your-visit) to leave. In this case, this would presumably come under shouting out in the gallery.

I can't find anything which relates to clearing the public gallery for those who have followed the Code of Conduct or stopping those who haven't done anything wrong from returning.

The government are shitting themselves about this - they wanted it to go through under the radar, like it did in Ireland and other countries. They are trying to crush any dissent in order to inch it over the finish line, it's like something out of 1984!

And apparently a particularly unpleasant TRA shouted 'shut up' at the person who shouted 'shame on you'. Would love to know if he's been let back in.

It certainly tells us something about those MSPs' priorities.

I’m glad people were let back in to the viewing gallery. I can understand their disgust at the MSPs voting down an amendment to stop sex offenders exploiting self-ID, prioritising rapists over the privacy, dignity and safety of women and children in Scotland. Shame on the whole of the Scottish Parliament.

'This is one way to avoid answering the question: why do you support sex offenders over vulnerable women?'

twitter.com/ForWomenScot/status/1605287705822515200?s=20&t=xh6eQLwib7uZ1ualRTvhAQ

Wow. They voted against it just so they didn’t have to spend a bit longer working through the complexities of this legislation.

Off to Parliament I go..