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.
[ends]

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