Information stalls
Information (info) stalls are a common way of:
- educating the public about your campaign,
- raising funds and your profile,
- and recruiting new people into the campaign.
Info stalls might have literature, leaflets, and petitions to sign, displays and photos and campaign products to sell.
Depending on the local council, you may or may not need to get a permit (permission) to have a stall on public property.
If you don’t get a permit, you should decide before you set up what you will do if council officers or police ask you to leave/ move on.
While the coercive powers of council officers are very limited (in most cases they will have to call the police to enforceTo make people obey (a law, the terms of an agreement, etc). Also: enforceability. More their directions), they may have the power to issue fines or infringement notices, if your stall breaches local regulations.
You can find out from your local council what local lawsLaws made and enforced by municipal councils within their boundaries. Previously called by-laws. More apply in the area where you want to establish a stall and, if necessary, decide whether to apply for a permit.
If the stall is to be held on privately owned property, such as a shopping mall, then permission or a permit from the owner is normally required.
The trend of public space becoming ‘privatised’ makes doing things like info stalls increasingly difficult.
Failure to obtain the permission of private owners, and failure to leave when requested to do so, may result in your being charged with trespassWrongful entry onto or interference with a property without the permission of the lawful owner or occupier. More.
Also see Common Charges and offences used against activists, and Marches and rallies regarding the process for seeking permissions.
