Thursday 25 August 2011

Anti Cuts activist sentenced at Sheriff Court

A Scottish Socialist Youth activist was sentenced today at Glasgow Sheriff Court for 'culpable and reckless conduct' during the events that followed the violent police eviction of the Free Hetherington occupation at Glasgow university on 22 March 2011. He entered a guilty plea and was fined £250 with the judge going on to question his reasons for protesting, dismissing the claim that there is youth unemployment in Scotland as 'rubbish' and pressuring the activist to think about his career prospects before protesting again.

He confirms what the GDC have argued all along - that the right to free speech and protest in Britain comes with the prospect of criminal charges. The choice is clear: abandon dissent in the hope a career in this rotten system awaits you or stand up against the cuts and imperialist war and face criminalization for doing so.

The GDC pledges it full support to the comrade who has been singled out for his progressive work against the cuts and once again reminds supporters not to give in to pressure from solicitors to plead guilty to criminal charges. At the very least, we must make the Crown office work if they wish to purse their campaign of criminalising politics.

Justice Not Careers!
Oppose The Cuts! 
No to Criminalization! 

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