Report on Police 'Torture' following arrest at G8

by Frontliner Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:49

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit Press Release: 09/07/05

SSP demands an enquiry into G8 policing

The Scottish Socialist Party today demanded an enquiry into the policing of G8 protests across Scotland, in particular of the role that police forces from outside Scotland had played.

The SSP accused police of deliberately attempting to sabotage the demonstration at Auchterarder on Wednesday 6th July by announcing that it had been cancelled, resulting in nearly a thousand people taking to the streets of Edinburgh instead of making their way to Gleneagles. The SSP also accused police of preventing friends and family of those appearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court of attending the hearings without any authority to do so.

SSP MSP for Central Scotland Carolyn Leckie said today; "There must now be an enquiry into the policing of G8 protests across Scotland. "The conduct of the police must be examined, in particular the role of forces that came from outside Scotland who appeared to act in a completely uncontrolled manner on a number of occasions. "Did police officers cover their numbers to prevent complaints being made about their behaviour? "By what authority did police prevent friends and family of those appearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court attending the hearings? "The police must also be called to account for events in Edinburgh on Wednesday which they precipitated by falsely announcing that the Auchterarder demonstration had been cancelled. "It looks to us very much like the announcement by the police that the Auchterarder demonstration was cancelled was a deliberate attempt to sabotage an event which the police had given permission for. "The style of policing adopted by officers on the streets of Scotland over the past week appears to have been deliberately provocative and heavy handed with a cavalier attitude to basic civil liberties."

Further detail: Buses going to the demonstration at Auchterarder were stopped by police who then refused to identify a senior officer with whom the bus organisers could communicate with, telling people on the buses that anarchists were attacking buses with scaffolding poles and that an overturned bus was blocking the way. SSP members and MSP's repeatedly came into contact with police officers with their numbers covered up or missing altogether. Officers repeatedly refused to identify themselves and would not identify a senior officer. This happened all over Scotland, in Edinburgh and at the protestor's eco-camp in Stirling. Colin Fox MSP and SSP national convenor has already written to the Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson complaining in the strongest possible terms about the practice. When protesters tried to lodge official complaints about the actions of officers, the police would not take the complaint without the numbers of the officers involved.

The activities of Metropolitan Police officers in Edinburgh in particular were highlighted by the SSP. From Monday 4th July onwards Metropolitan Police officers and those from other forces outside Scotland behaved in an entirely disproportionate way to what had begun as peaceful protests around the 'Carnival For Full Enjoyment'. From Monday morning groups of officers were stopping all young people in the street, demanding ID, searching them and then filming them. Police hemmed in protestors along with media representatives in Canning Street for close on 4 hours, refusing to let them leave or to gain access to toilets or water on a day of scorching sunshine. Riot police were then deployed in Canning Street when there had been little more than pushing and shoving at the police line hemming in the demonstrators. Later in the day on the Monday police tactics brought about a situation in which violence escalated when Edinburgh locals were confronted with riot police rampaging through Princes Street Gardens and riot police on horses moved through crowds of bystanders.

SSP Youth Organiser Donnie Nicolson was arrested by police while attempting to negotiate with them in Edinburgh on Wednesday following the cancellation of buses to Auchterarder when police officers boarded the buses, falsely saying that the demonstration had been cancelled. After his release from court on Thursday Donnie was immediately targeted by members of the Metropolitan Police and re-arrested. The SSP contacted Lothian and Borders Police on Thursday night expressing concern that any of our members attending court the following day would be targeted by police and on Friday officers from Lothian and Borders ensured the safety of our members in Chambers Street.

by anon Mon Jul 11, 2005 00:11

First off, Zombie is probably either a policeman himself or has an authortarian fetish and loves being obedient.

The reaction of the police is deplorable but I think it also reflects their attitude on the issues around the G8 thing on poverty and climate change. Basically they don't give a damn and they know this is the view of their masters all the way up the chain. They know that their position and authority depends on the status quo and they are not in the slightest bit interested in peace or justice for that matter. And so like the powerful whom they are protecting from the public they are inhuman thugs. And it is so institutionlized amongst them that even the women cops have become as bad as the males.

by micheailin o'cinnsealach Sun Jul 10, 2005 22:36 saoirse32 at fastmail dot fm

He was standing in a cow field, for god's sake, not bombing a bus. And the point is that even if he were to have been arrested for some gross illegal act, the police have a moral and civic duty to treat those in their custody in a legal, ethical and humane way, which we all know does not always happen--this being one of those times.

Zombie, depending upon the whim or attitude of the officer stopping you, if there are no restraints upon police actions, it could easily have happened to you or perhaps someone you care about if you had been stopped at an inopportune moment. You need to climb down off your high horse.

by Zombie Sun Jul 10, 2005 21:58

Simple lesson. obey the law. I was in stirling over the g8 week visiting relatives.I was driving my own Irish registered vehicle (travelled by ferry) and was stopped driving back from glasgow on the tuesday night by a very polite and well mannered policeman. After answering his few brief general questions I received an apology for the delay and was on my way.