A former Tory Party consultant and founder of political party Justice for Men and Boys, Mike Buchanan, has been fined £6,000 for protesting against male circumcision after he blocked traffic in Parliament Square.
Mike Buchanan was arrested in June 2016 after he stood in front of cards holding a placard.
The men’s and boys’ rights campaigner, 61, claimed circumcision of young boys is a ‘crime against children and babies’ when performed on those who are too young to consent.
He was convicted of obstructing the public highway in October 2016 but went to the High Court, claiming it was not ‘unreasonable’ for him to have protested in the middle of the road.
Senior judge, Lord Justice Hickinbottom, said Buchanan had been perfectly legitimately protesting on the pavement.
But he had then walked alone into the road and stood in front of cars as they tried to pass at the end of the working day.
He said: ‘Standing there clearly put him at risk of serious injury – and he understood that risk, and was determined to take it – but it also put others at risk of injury or risked damage to property.’
‘It notably put at risk not only the drivers of vehicles attempting to negotiate Parliament Square, but those who might have attempted to “rescue” or remove him, such as police officers.’
Buchanan told the judge: ‘It was an attempt to bring attention to the mutilation of male genitals, which is a crime.’
‘The justice system just will not protect these young minors. It is absolutely scandalous that it refuses to do so.
‘It forces people to do things they wouldn’t wish to do otherwise.’
Mr Buchanan was a consultant for the Tories until 2009, and stood as a Parliamentary candidate in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, in 2015 for the Justice for Men and Boys party but only polled 153 votes.
Lord Justice Hickinbottom said: ‘In my judgment, the crown court was not only entitled, but right to conclude that his use of the highway was unreasonable and thus an obstruction.
‘His conduct made arrest inevitable. It was certainly his intention to disrupt the traffic and he was aware he might be arrested.’
The judges upheld Mr Buchanan’s conviction for obstructing the highway and added another £2,424 to his court bill, which now totals £6,027.
Source, here.