Nicky Wishart was recently pulled out of his class at school to be questioned by anti-terror police.

Nicky, aged 12, a pupil at Bartholomew School, Eynsham, Oxfordshire, organised a picket of David Cameron’s office through Facebook to highlight the plight of his youth centre, which is due to close in March next year due to budget cuts.

The protest, which was due to take place on Friday, had attracted over 130 people on Facebook, most of whom are children who use youth centres in Cameron’s constituency, Witney.

Wishart said that after the school was contacted by anti-terrorist officers, he was taken out of his English class on Tuesday afternoon and interviewed by a Thames Valley officer at the school in the presence of his head of year. During the interview, Wishart says that the officer told him that if any public disorder took place at the event he would be held responsible and arrested.

So how does one interpret this?? Surveillance society – monitoring protest groups on Facebook… police using coercive measures to put off children from expressing their right to protest.

Nick should have cited the UN convention on the rights of the child to them –

Article 12 (Respect for the views of the child): When adults are making decisions that affect children, children have the right to say what they think should happen and have their opinions taken into account.

Article 13 (Freedom of expression):Children have the right to get and share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or others. In exercising the right to freedom of expression, children have the responsibility to also respect the rights, freedoms and reputations of others. The freedom of expression includes the right to share information in any way they choose, including by talking, drawing or writing.

 Incidentally, I checked out the Facebook group – which is now closed