Monday 10 October 2011

No Let Up In Political Courts!

Following the adjournment of the trial of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) and Glasgow Defence Campaign (GDC) supporter Dominic O’Hara on Friday 7 October he now faces sentencing for another framed charge – also police assault – which he was convicted of on 11 April 2011. The outstanding charge relates to an anti-cuts protest on 29 January 2011 and the latter conviction and sentencing to a student protest on 9 December 2010; both were in Glasgow City Centre. The word of Strathclyde police officers is the only supporting evidence that an assault took place in each case.

With corruption exposed to the highest levels of the police in recent months we ask on what basis can the word of officers be trusted as ‘credible and reliable’ as they were by Judge Alan Finlay in April when Dominic was found guilty? The answer is on no basis! Police are renowned in the legal profession and amongst the general public for their corruption and dishonesty when it comes to convicting defendants and victims (dead or alive) for charges that depend on their word. The recent murder of Mark Duggan in London, which sparked unrest across England, and the fabricated lies that followed it, claiming that he shot at officers, is evidence that police lie and kill with enthusiasm and a long list of victims of police killings and cover ups can be added to this list – Blair Peach, Joy Gardner, James Ashley, Harry Stanley, Jean Charles de Menezes, Ian Tomlinson, Smiley Culture to name but a few…No officers convicted despite a treasure trove of evidence against them.

Dominic is committed to the fight in defence of living standards and democratic rights. For this reason he has been targeted by Strathclyde police alongside other FRFI, Scottish Socialist Party and Free Hetherington occupation supporters. We ask that all people opposed to the cuts and political policing attend his sentencing this Thursday 13 October, 2pm, to show solidarity but equally to display our opposition to the ongoing attack on living standards and criminalisation of protest.
 
Join the court protest!

Glasgow District Court, 1.30 - 2pm
St Andrews St (off Saltmarket)
Bring banners opposing the cuts and political policing and courts!

Where there is injustice there will be resistance!
We demand the truth and the dropping of all charges now!

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