On Saturday Open Rights Group joined the London Stop ACTA protest, which drew several hundred people to a freezing central London.

It was part of a display of discontent that stretched from Portugal through Germany to Finland and Romania and across the globe to Canada, the United States and Australia. There's a comprehensive map of the protests at the Access website here.

We were there handing out t-shirts and leaflets (you can get a pdf here), with people heading off after the demonstration to spread the word. 

The message across the demonstrations was clear. ACTA is an insult to democracy and a threat to the Internet as a tool to enhance freedom of expression, privacy, and innovation. Its vagaries and imbalances put the interests and power of businesses over those of citizens.

The European Parliament has a chance to reject the agreement and stand up for those they represent. Now is the time to convince Members of the European Parliament of this. Have a look at our Stop ACTA page for more on how you can help. The short version is: get in touch with your MEPs.

Photo credit: © Maciek Musialek, http://www.flickr.com/photos/gamemod/