The ‘Glasgow
Against Atos 2’ will stand trial in Glasgow Sheriff Court on Tuesday 1
October on charges of using a megaphone illegally and then attempting to
prevent and resist police arrest. Both Dominic O’Hara and Danny McGarrell were
arrested on 22 February 2013 during a ‘Glasgow Against Atos’ campaign protest
on Gordon Street in the city centre. Crowds gathered to watch and condemn the
police violence, which was used to disrupt the peaceful and democratic spirit
of the protest, as the two were handcuffed and led away. The shocking scenes in
the heart of the city centre were a measure of the confidence of the Glasgow
police to blatantly attack the right of free speech. Throughout the protest
they had stalked, harassed and attempted to provoke demonstrators using the
megaphone to oppose the welfare warfare being waged on the sick and disabled.
GDC spokesperson Miriam Kelly stated after the
arrests: ‘today we saw another example of Strathclyde Police (now Police
Scotland) taking the law into their own hands. While Atos and their employers
the Department for Work and Pensions are free to destroy the lives of the
people most in need of care and support, it is the people who bravely stand
against this who are beaten down and criminalised. We say if the police are
truly interested in fighting crime they have arrested the wrong people. It is
Atos and the politicians who constructed the work capability assessment that
should be standing trial.’
The Glasgow Defence Campaign has been active
opposing political policing and supporting its victims for over three years.
Throughout this time it has been supporters of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!
(FRFI), one of the founding members of the campaign, who have faced a
consistent pattern of police harassment, arrests and charges. That both Dominic
and Danny were members of this organisation at the time of their arrest cannot
be over looked. Evidence from our police harassment log, which includes
undercover police officers unsuccessfully attempting to recruit Danny as a
police informant, shows that the police will stop at no lengths to prevent and
destroy opposition to the cuts. We must all stand together for the sake of
everyone’s rights!
Join us on the picket to say ‘no harassment, no
arrests, defend the right to protest!’.
Picket For Free Speech! Drop the charges now!
Tuesday 1 October, 9.15am
Glasgow Sheriff Court
1 Carlton Place
See original report from arrest
Report from previous court protest
We recommend Guardian journalists Rob Evans
and Paul Lewis new book Undercover: The true Story of Britain’s Police. Copies of
the book are available from the GDC priced £13 with free postage and can be
obtained by donation via our paypal button. Otherwise call 07734348065 or
email glasgowdefence@gmail.com
See report of the launch of the book in
Glasgow
