Edinburgh Evening News
09/07/05

Protesters banned from city re-arrested trying to leave

NICOLA STOW 
CRIME REPORTER 

ANTI-G8 protesters banned from entering Edinburgh under special bail
conditions were re-arrested before they had a chance to leave the city. The
four men were arrested during the G8 demonstrations on Wednesday, and were
granted bail at various courts in Scotland on Thursday. 
But yesterday, they appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with
breaching bail conditions. Those conditions included a ban on them entering
the Edinburgh City Council area until after midnight tomorrow. 
But the four men - Nikos Dimitropoulos, 22, from London, William Nicholas,
21, from Sussex, Donald Nicolson, 26, from Glasgow and Sandor Dus, 34, -
were all arrested in Edinburgh on Thursday evening. 
Their defence agents said their clients had merely been trying to get home
by car, train and plane when they were arrested at various locations in the
city centre. 
Lawyers said their clients had been put in an impossible situation and that
police had been "overzealous" in arresting them. 
One of the protesters was arrested just yards from Edinburgh Sheriff Court. 
Nicolson, the Scottish Socialist Party's Youth Organiser, and Dimitropoulos
had originally appeared in Edinburgh; Nicholas in Falkirk; and Dus in
Stirling. 
Trial on the alleged breach of bail in each case was set for October. They
all pleaded not guilty to the breach of bail conditions. 
Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, who represented Nicolson, Dus and Nicholas,
told the court that his client Nicolson had been waiting for a lift from SSP
MSP Rosie Kane in Chambers Street when he was arrested. 
"The situation with public transport out of Edinburgh [on Thursday] was
pandemonium after the bomb blasts in London. 
"I find it impossible to see how people are able to leave Edinburgh if the
bail restrictions say they are not allowed in Edinburgh. It seems they are
getting arrested by overzealous police officers." 
Sheriff Isabella McColl granted each accused bail. Nicolson left the court
immediately to travel to Glasgow by car. Nicholas was given two hours to
catch a train to London; Dimitropoulos, two hours to leave the city en route
to London; and Dus until 9pm to catch a flight to Cardiff. 
Sheriff McColl said that, in each case, she believed the accused had been
acting in "good faith".

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