The
Glasgow Defence Campaign condemns Police Scotland for its ongoing interference
with democratic rights to protest and organise in solidarity with Palestine. This
week’s intimidation and harassment of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI)
and Palestine supporters is described below.
On
Thursday 24 June, 14.20hrs, “Keith McLennan - Police Scotland liaison
officer for Palestine protests”, using the contact number publicised on
Facebook, phoned FRFI.
In very
diplomatic and fluffy language he asked if FRFI supporters could help the
police “facilitate protest” by giving them notice beforehand of “how many
people and plans for protest...so we are able to facilitate Palestine protest
within the bounds of what’s allowed”. This would “save yellow uniformed police
turning up and not knowing what’s planned...really appreciate you taking the
call...is there scope to give us a call next Monday or Tuesday?”
‘McLennan’
left a number for supporters to contact him on “whenever” news of Palestine
protests came through. Worryingly he stated that this system for contacting the
police “had been working relatively well in recent months for other groups”
giving the example of a recent Palestine protest in Glasgow. He also asked for
information about ‘Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!’ and the meeting they were
holding that night ‘How to organise solidarity with Palestine?’
This
meeting was visited by two uniformed Police Scotland officers – male A695 (stationed
in Govanhill) and woman G19 (Drumchapel) to “see how the meeting was going” and
if any future plans for Palestine protest had been agreed.
 |
| Police Scotland, posing as 'Liaison' officers soon returned to their aggressive selves. The GDC suggests a return to Tulliallan for some more role play training. |
Finally FRFI’s
protest stall, on 26 July on Argyle Street, in defence of Palestine and socialist
Cuba was harassed by two police liaison officers; male G16 Inspector Forbes (stationed
at Cathcart) and female B 1371. They joked that the protest was not where it
had been publicised and unsuccessfully tried to intimidate supporters who
calmly informed them they would not be intimidated. As one supporter stated
over the megaphone
“Why are the police so scared about people in
this country supporting Palestine? Because the Palestinian people, poor and
oppressed, are fighting back. The British ruling class fear that resistance
could spread!”
Friends of
Palestine within Britain should expect to be harassed by the police as they
defend the British imperialist state (Tory and Labour alike) which is a
political, financial and military partner of Apartheid Israel. However this
does not mean we should accept the harassment. We must organise and remain
vigilant; do not talk to or cooperate with police liaison officers before,
during or after meetings and protests. These softly spoken blue uniformed
officers are agents deployed to gain intelligence which their distrusted yellow
uniforms will not get them. We have every right to ignore them and withhold our
personal details unless they can tell you an offence they suspect you of
committing or witnessing.
Miriam Kelly,
Glasgow Defence Campaign.
Glasgow, Scotland, 28 July 2014
Aye comrades, after 4 months of campaigning outside the Dundee burro with Dundee Against Welfare Sanctions and no police contact at all apart from a policewoman on a bike who stopped twice, we thought that the switch was about to flicked on and harassment/ intelligence gathering stepped up. We have a rat of a city ambassador in the town who was overheard, after trying to shut down a Palestine solidarity stall, talking to police and moaning that we should not have any rights! Today he came by and took a photo of our DAWS stall at the Wellgate Job Centre/ burroo. Within minutes we had a shopping mall security guard down telling us to take our posters of the burroo outside walls. We protested verbally that we had been campaigning for months with no problems. He left us alone but minutes later a cop car sat and checked out the protest. Then we joined the Emergency Protest on Gaza just round the corner and soon we had the 'nice, friendly' liaison police on us. We are most of us all well brought up and difficult to ignore a cheery hiya from a cop but remember this, in a few seconds he could be pushing your face into the pavement and literally trampling all over your rights- our rights! If they are nice cops they really ought to blow the police issued whistle on their bullying, murdering, framing colleagues and handing in the resignation letter. Remember Hillsborough, Remember Mark Duggan, Remember the families fighting for justice for the thousand dead in police custody and not a copper behind bars!
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