The Section 4 meeting is only meant to be about logistics, where the police and municipal officials can raise legitimate concerns about the safety of the protest.

If there are any concerns, there must be a discussion between all the people at the meeting to negotiate a safe way forward (e.g. by making a change to the planned route of the march, or start time). There must be a fair discussion involving everyone – but many protest organisers complain that it is a one-sided process.

One tactic that protest organisers have adopted is to go to the Section 4 meeting in a large delegation to give each other support and make sure the authorities don’t intimidate or pressure the convenors.