▁to ▁stop ▁children ' s ▁books ▁being ▁label led ▁as ▁" for ▁girls " ▁or ▁" for ▁boys ", ▁saying : ▁" I ' m ▁against ▁anything , ▁from ▁age - r anging ▁to ▁p inking ▁and ▁blue ing , ▁whose ▁effect ▁is ▁to ▁shut ▁the ▁door ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of ▁children ▁who ▁might ▁enjoy ▁coming ▁in . ▁No ▁publish er ▁should ▁announ ce ▁on ▁the ▁cover ▁of ▁any ▁book ▁the ▁sort ▁of ▁readers ▁the ▁book ▁would ▁prefer . ▁Let ▁the ▁readers ▁decide ▁for ▁themselves ." ▁ ▁Civil ▁libert ies ▁P ull man ▁has ▁a ▁strong ▁commit ment ▁to ▁traditional ▁British ▁civil ▁libert ies ▁and ▁is ▁noted ▁for ▁his ▁criticism ▁of ▁growing ▁state ▁authority ▁and ▁government ▁enc ro achment ▁into ▁every day ▁life . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁he ▁was ▁the ▁ke yn ote ▁speaker ▁at ▁the ▁Convention ▁on ▁Modern ▁Liber ty ▁in ▁London ▁and ▁wrote ▁an ▁extended ▁piece ▁in ▁The ▁Times ▁condem ning ▁the ▁Labour ▁government ▁for ▁its ▁attacks ▁on ▁basic ▁civil ▁rights . ▁Later , ▁he ▁and ▁other ▁authors ▁threatened ▁to ▁stop ▁visit ing ▁schools ▁in ▁protest ▁at ▁new ▁laws ▁requiring ▁them ▁to ▁be ▁v ett ed ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁young sters — though ▁officials ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁laws ▁had ▁been ▁mis inter pre ted . ▁ ▁Public ▁j ury ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁P ull man ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁lead ▁campaign ers ▁signing ▁a ▁declaration ▁that ▁called ▁for ▁a ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 - strong ▁" public ▁j ury