Do Embassies have the right to tell people NOT to park, stand or loiter in front, on the street?

Question

The foreign embassy near where I live, I will not state which country it is embassy of, put up a sign saying that people are not allowed to stop, stand, or park in front of the building. Surely, this area is a public space, and thus beyond the juridisiction of the embassy? As it is, this embassy has such power that taxis do not stop in front of the building, if I stand with my back to the building, looking in my bag to get out my mobile phone, the guard watches me with his gun at the ready. What is this about? Such paranoia is not good.

If they have the right, I would like to know the reasons.

Thanks.

Answer 1

If they don't have to live by our laws when they are in our country then as long as you are not impeding their business you can do whatever you want.  You're on American soil, they're on their own.

Answer 2

For reasons of security they have to do this. It is the same for every embassy in every country.

PS There are many examples of embassies and consulates being targeted by car bombs and suicide bombers from outside the periphery of the gates....

Answer 3

there is a real threat out there from crazy extremists against embassies in other countries! who is to say that a car bomb wont be parked outside? also, a man walking up with a gun will be shot or stopped on approach, you cant see a man getting his gun ready outside in his car where he can possibly shoot the security guard. it is needed i think, ive had calls to the american embassy in ireland where lunatics claiming to have guns are trying to get in

Answer 4

An embassy has no authority outside embassy property.

When you contacted your local police what did they tell you?

Answer 5

Some countries think they can say and do whatever the heck they want - no matter whose country they're in. Some countries are just international bullies  and will accuse you of a terrorist plot  if you spend too much time looking through your bag in front of their emabassy

Answer 6

As long as you're on the public highway, and doing nothing illegal, you should be OK. If the security personnel politely ask you to move along is that really a problem?

When does waiting for someone become loitering, when does parking become obstructing the highway? That's for the police to decide.

If you're that concerned, check with your local council highways dept, they should be able to confirm if these restrictions have been legally applied for and are therefore enforcable.

Answer 7

How do you know how far the property line for the land that embassy sits on extend to?  The property that embassy or consulate's office sits is considered a foreign soil even if it exists in the United States.  

Plus, the world we live in with the armed conflict escalating, they must eliminate all the possibilities of violence.  Such measures are standard, authorized by the US government, for all foreign government offices without sufficient buffer zone.

As to they are not letting YOU stand in front of their embassy, tell me what terrorists and criminals look like and what they have done to some of the embassys.

Answer 8

actually, they do. if you don't believe it...or don't like it...check State Department regulations concerning foreign embassies. And by the way, like it or not, despite the fact that the buildings are situated in a particular country, the ground they occupy (and therefore the building they're in) are legally considered foreign soil, and is soverign to the nation the embassy represents.

Answer 9

It all depends which country your in I suppose and how much infulence the Embassy has over the local authorities.

But I think in London, they wouldn't get away with that sort of thing.  However, once you step on Embassy soil, your will be treated as if you were in that country.

Sounds as if its an USA embassy somewhere, probably in London.

Don't you just love it that the Americans on Yahoo! Answer assume everyone who writes on this site is an American!  And that its always the other countries who do impolite things like this.

Answer 10

The reason they do this is obvious to anybody with half a brain.

Answer 11

When they start paying their parking fines, congestion charges and all the other penalties we have to put up with then they are entitled to do what they want to. In the meantime if they think the area they have the embassy in is a security risk then they can move to a bunker somewhere obscure.

Answer 12

True, the embassy's boundaries are supposed to be up to their gates only BUT as a courtesy AND for security reasons the host country has ALLOWED them to enforce precautionary measures that they deem necessary to protect their embassy. Just like what you said they are doing.

This is "quid pro quo", meaning the US embassies around the world are allowed to do this too. Did you know that the US embassy in some countries have built anti-tank barricades disguised as concrete flower boxes (planters) to deter suicide car bombers? The "outside security guards" (inclusive of a swat team) are the local police of that country who guard the perimeter 24 X 7 and make sure traffic never stops in front of the embassy.**

Answer 13

By treaty agreement the embassies are sovereign soil of that country and are accorded rather large leeway in maintaining a 'safe' zone around there land. Is paranoia 'real' when the threat actually exist? These are hard times in which we live. There might be more people alive if the USA had adopted policies like this in some countries, BTW.

Answer 14

They do NOT have the right but there is nothing you can do about it

Answer 15

if the sign said  whatever every one suppose respect  but  if there is people  whom belongs to the soprano family or Friends  they make the law  and no one can do anything about it