FRFI Supporter Admonished!

The case against Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! activist and Glasgow Defence Campaign supporter Dominic O'Hara, who was found guilty of a framed up charge of police assault on 11 April 2011, was finally brought to an end on Thursday 10 November. After observing a six month 'good behaviour' report, during which he has been repeatedly harassed by officers and despite the sly attempt by the Procurator Fiscal to level illegitimate charges at him on 13 October, the comrade was admonished by the judge with no further sentence. He now faces another trial in December for police assault charges made up in January.

The previous case against Dominic relates to the 9 December 2010 student led anti-cuts protest in Glasgow City Centre in which FRFI supporters played a leading role. For this and their previous work challenging political policing in Govanhill they were targeted. Of the two FRFI and GDC supporters arrested that day, out of the hundreds of people who were present, the other Joey Simons is currently on trial. The Glasgow Defence Campaign will be holding courts protests on the dates below. We will continue to stand by the comrades and urge all progressive people to do so too.

This is not a fight for the future of individuals, it is one for the future of all those who will come up against political policing and courts as resistance to the cuts increases.

Stand Up! Speak Out! Attend the court protests!

Court protests – no to political policing!

Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 December, 9.45am gather outside court

Glasgow District Court

St.Andrews St  

Trongate (off Saltmarket)

Trial of FRFI supporter Joey Simons

Monday 19 December, 9.45am gather outside court

Glasgow District Court

(Same address as above)

Trial of FRFI supporter Dominic O'Hara

The vengeance of the state: Glasgow activist imprisoned in London

The Glasgow Defence Campaign would like to send its solidarity to Glasgow activist Omar Ibrahim, who was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment in HMP Wandsworth on Friday 4 November for his role in the massive demonstrations in London on 26 March. This is the true vengeance of the British state, determined to crush all those who dare dissent from the politics of austerity and obscene inequality. We salute Omar's political defence at his trial and his public statements calling for the struggle to continue. Any movement against the onslaught of the capitalist class will only be as strong as its defence of those criminalised and imprisoned in the course of the struggle.  We reproduce below a piece written by Omar which appeared on The Guardian website on Sunday. The GDC urges all its supporters to send letters and cards to the following address:

Omar Ibrahim

A0253CH

HMP Wandsworth

Heathfield Road

SW183HS

Is locking people up the way we want to deal with dissent?

Having just been imprisoned for 18 months after being arrested at the TUC march, I worry about the fate of future protesters

Omar Ibrahim

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/nov/06/protest-prison-dissent-legal-system/print

By the time you read this, I'll be in jail. I have hurt no one, offended no one, threatened nobody, and yet I am in prison for 18 months.

I was charged – as so many protesters in recent months have been – with violent disorder, a serious offence that carries with it a likely prison sentence in English courts. My crime? Throwing a joke-shop smoke bomb that I found on the pavement in the direction of Top Shop during the TUC protest on 26 March. Silly? Yes. Serious? No, not least because my throwing shoulder has been dislocated more than 40 times as a result of epilepsy.

Nevertheless, despite my personal circumstances, I was convicted 11-1 of violent disorder by an all-white jury at Kingston crown court. The judge who heard my case, Nicholas Price QC, will also preside over many of the forthcoming trials of protesters in the forthcoming months.

We should all be worried: my heavy sentence, the first of protesters from recent marches to plead not guilty, is indicative of the way in which the English police, courts and government are heavily criminalising those who step out of line, however proximate that line has become.

A similar charge in Scotland, where I'm from, would usually carry with it community service or a fine. The English judiciary are clearly pursuing a highly specific, heavily politicised, notion of justice when it comes to protest.

The crown wishes my case to be seen as one of a mob of hooligans who broke off from the TUC demonstration against the cuts to charge around London, causing chaos and destruction.

I saw instead a carnival of protest, full of colour, noise and rebellion which wished to highlight those that are at fault in this economic crisis.

I went on the 26 March protest to challenge men like Philip Green. When I look at my case in context I see a system where the relations between the state and the individual have been twisted to such an extent that they have now passed breaking point.

Sending people to prison avoids any attempt at explanation for why people are angry with the current government, and solves nothing for those who are sent to jail. Judge Price dismissed the fact that I had recently been offered the chance to start a new job as irrelevant to my case – but if employment is hard to come by now, just imagine how much harder it will be once we get out for the hundreds of us – students, protesters, rioters – charged with serious public order offences.

One wonders if Judge Price has any idea how difficult it is to secure a firm contract of employment in this economic climate. Banks get bailouts, corporations avoid tax and parliamentarians fiddle expenses, while investment bankers pray for the recession to cut deeper for long-term rewards. For everyone else, there's unemployment, anxiety, prison.

My main concerns while I am in prison will be my parents, my elder brother and sisters, who will spend the time I am away sick with worry. I will worry too about my nephews and nieces. I am anxious about my inability to comfort my family beyond a phone call or prison visit, but I am also worried about what my sentence means for future protesters and anyone else who has the misfortune to come up against the police and the courts.

Following the student protests, the massive trade union marches, the alleged pre-arrests before the royal wedding and this summer's civil unrest, we are seeing a rapid and massive expansion of the category of those people the state deems fit to incarcerate. I am being sent to jail on the most spurious of charges, just as many others are too. I am not asking you to feel sorry for me – I am asking you to think seriously about the kind of government and legal system that believes the only way to deal with dissent is to put it behind bars.

Omar Ibrahim has not been paid for this article.

·                                 © 2011 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.

Crown resurrect charges against Glasgow antifascist

Fourteen moths after a BNP stall in Glasgow city centre was broken up by a mobilisation of dozens of anti-racists and passers-by, the Crown are eventually bringing to court charges against an anti-fascist who they are alleging was a ringleader on the day. Having initially been arrested on November 22 last year, a pretext for a city-centre banning order just two days before the first major student anti-fees demonstration in Glasgow, a court date in December was then dropped. However, just weeks before the charges would've expired this month, they were resurrected with a new court date set for Thursday 17 November.

Following the incident, on Saturday 18 September last year, the six BNP activists who had been manning the stall made a formal complaint to Strathclyde Police. An investigation by the Gangs Taskforce, operating from Baird Street Police Station, was then launched, resulting in the identification and arrest of one suspect. Meanwhile, the BNP launched an online campaign of intimidation and harassment, with the fascist blogosphere and messageboards such as Stormfront going to great lengths to identify anti-fascists who had been present, with details of family members, home addresses and so on being publicised, and retaliatory threats being made against left-wing meetings.

As it stands, the charges are of Breach of the Peace - inciting a 'disorderly crowd that swore, shouted, assaulted BNP members and overturned a table' - and of Theft. The latter charge relates to a BNP banner that was abandoned on Buchanan Street following the incident. Anti-fascists, ensuring that no BNP material was left lying on the street, put the stall's scattered remains inside a litter bin, including the 'Bring Our Troops Home' banner which had adorned the front of the table. This was removed from the bin later on and taken home by an anti-fascist -  the accused later featured in a photograph circulated on the internet, which has led to the 'theft' charge.

In choosing to resurrect these charges nearly fourteen months later, the state has made a political decision to side with the fascist thugs of the BNP. The charges rely purely on the testimony of the BNP witnesses, and a BNP-made video of the accused using a mobile phone, supposedly evidence of 'arranging' the later overturning of the stall. 

Ironically, little now remains of the Scottish BNP, which has suffered numerous splits over the past few years. Of the BNP witnesses, several have since joined the National Front, including Mike Coyle who contested May's Scottish elections under this banner. Former national organiser, Aberdeen-based Gary Raikes has left to join 'Britain First', while former Glasgow stalwart Charlie Baillie is contesting the Glasgow Hillhead council by-election as the 'Britannica Party' later this month. The BNP's Scottish website, including numerous articles posted about this case, is no longer online. With the far-right fractured and in disarray, in remains to be seen whether they can come together in the same witness stand in this case.

Solidarity from political prisoners to the GDC and FRFI!

The Glasgow Defence Campaign and Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! are privileged to have received messages of solidarity from some of the many political prisoners incarcerated for their struggle against injustice and the British state. 

We reproduce below a message from more than forty Irish republican political prisoners currently incarcerated in Portlaoise Gaol, Ireland for their continuing opposition to Britain's occupation of their country. The prisoners have been involved in ongoing protests against barbaric conditions in the gaols and against criminalisation. 

We also include a letter from Ravi Gill, an antifascist prisoner, framed-up and imprisoned on the ridiculous charge of 'Conspiracy to Commit Violent Disorder' earlier this year. This related to an incident in London in March 2009, which resulted in the politically-motivated arrest of 23 antifascists. More information here. Send letters to Ravi Gill, A5770CE, HMP Wayland, Norfolk, IP25 6RL.

We issue our full solidarity to all those imprisoned and their struggles, and are committed to forging further unity between all those opposing criminalisation. Venceremos!

Trial of FRFI supporter finally underway!

The trial of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! supporter Joey Simons finally got underway today at Glasgow District Court, fully ten months after his targetted arrest on a student demonstration on 9 December alongside another FRFI supporter, Dominic O'Hara. The Glasgow Defence Campaign again provided support and bodies at the court, alongside friends and family members. The police and prosecution were left in doubt that their campaign of political intimidation, perjury and violence against socialists and anti-cuts activists will not be met with silence.

The trial of Joey Simons continues on 5 and 6 December. A full report of the day's events in court will follow shortly. Suffice to say that Constable David Hay (A80) - seen by over 33,000 people (unsuccessfully) harassing an FRFI supporter in May of this year - will not have enjoyed his day in court!

Fans Against Criminalisation protest in Glasgow

The Glasgow Defence Campaign will be supporting tomorrow's protest called by Fans Against Criminalisation (FAC) - assembling 12noon in George Square for a rally at 12.30pm. We welcome the growing opposition to the increasing criminalisation of football fans, political activists and people willing to stand up for their rights. In 2006, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (Glasgow) organised a successful campaign to oppose censorship and defend the right to distribute and display radical political literature and material at Celtic Park, including a ban on the image of Che Guevara. We urge our friends and supporters to join tomorrow's demonstration

We reproduce a statement from FAC below:

“Fans Against Criminalisation is a campaign group founded by five fan organisations (Green Brigade, Celtic Trust, Celtic Supporters Association, Affiliation of Celtic Supporters, Association of Irish Celtic Supporters Clubs). The campaign was formed on the back of the Green Brigade’s well-received protest at the Inverness game and after many previous discussions between the organisations about the Bill. We decided to come together to campaign against the Bill.

“Our objective is to ‘Kill the Bill’, the first part which deals with ‘offensive behaviour at football’ anyway. We have no problem with the government trying to tackle societal problems like sectarianism but these are not football’s problems alone and where sectarian crimes are committed then existing laws can be used to arrest and prosecute offenders. The new law goes far beyond sectarianism and captures anything that may offend or may cause disorder. This is only applied to football fans and it is ludicrous given that there is little or no disorder in Scottish football grounds and that routine aspects of football rivalry and tribalism will now be criminal offences. Government ministers have said fans who do anything from blessing yourself to singing a national anthem could fall foul of the proposes new law.

“The Government has shown little interest in fans’ views on the Bill. F.A.C. will be campaigning vigorously over the coming weeks and months and will be making our views heard. If the Bill passes then we will continue to protest against it, and challenge it legally and politically. The Celtic support is a very powerful potential constituency and the Scottish Government should be mindful of that.

“The rally is the starting point for the campaign. We need Celtic fans to get along and show their support for the campaign and add weight to our voice. We’ve asked people to assemble at 12.00 and the demo will start at 12.30 with speakers from the campaign. There’s no headline acts – Saturday is simply a time for ordinary Celtic fans to come together and unite against the Bill; a time to come together and send a message to the politicians that we will fight them all the way. Everyone should be doing their best to get along to George Square on Saturday and say no to the Bill.”

Armed police raid Kurdish tent at Occupy LSX

We reproduce below a statement from Fitwatch on last night's armed raid on the Kurdish tent at Occupy LSX by the Metropolitan police. The Glasgow Defence Campaign issues its full solidarity to the Kurdish community and its proud tradition of working-class and anti-imperialist struggle, consistently criminalised by the British state as a result. We call on the Occupations to stand fully with those attacked, and to prepare for the inevitable attempts to evict and divide the ongoing fight against global inequality.

FITWATCH: ARMED POLICE RAID KURDISH TENT AT OCCUPY LSX

28

Last night, the Kurdish tent at the OccupyLSX camp was raided by armed police following an alleged tip off of a gun being present. They searched the tent for over half an hour unsurprisingly finding nothing.

The Kurdish community has long been criminalised, and labelled as terrorists for their attempts to oppose and draw attention to the repression they face in Turkey, and this is another attempt to frighten and intimidate the Kurdish community coming just a month after the Halkevi Turkish and Kurdish Community Centre in Hackney was raided. However, given the Kurdish community is used to standing up to thugs with guns they are not easily intimidated.

However, the fact armed police were sent to raid the tent of Kurds supporting OccupyLSX is extremely worrying, and must be opposed. To the more cynically minded this could be seen as an attempt to split support for and amongst protesters, and we hope the Kurdish protesters are receiving full support and solidarity from those at OccupyLSX.

Another day, another delay: political courts and cops yet again

On 13 October, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! supporter Dominic O´Hara appeared once again in front of a judge at Glasgow District Court, the latest in a long line of court appearances for FRFI activists over the past year of political harassment, arrests and trials. Fifteen supporters held a protest outside the court, standing with the banner of the Glasgow Defence Campaign (Don´t panic – organise!) and distributing leaflets to the many working class people coming and going through the revolving doors of sham Scottish justice.

To illustrate the GDC´s point, after a leaflet found its way into the hands of a Strathclyde police officer, back-up was radioed in, a police van shortly arrived, the contents of the leaflet discussed and by the time supporters left the court the police van, a police car with its lights flashing and upwards of six officers were on the street outside. Such are the dangers of peaceful protest in Glasgow!

Inside the courtroom itself, packed out by GDC supporters, the political targeting continued. As the defence solicitor began to address Judge Christie and ask for Dominic to be admonished after nine months on bail since being arrested on a student protest in December, the Procurator Fiscal (prosecutor) interrupted. A piece of paper was suddenly produced claiming that the defendant had committed a breach of the peace in April, while on bail. This outrageous fabrication was a clear attempt to secure a more serious sentence against an activist the police and the Crown would love to see remanded in custody.

In reality, Dominic, two other FRFI activists and two young students were subjected to targeted house raids and arrests by Strathclyde police after Dominic was found guilty of a framed-up charge of police assault on 11 April. The pretext for this was a supposed breach of the peace at a Vodafone shop during the December protests for which Dominic had already stood trial. In a clear breach of the Human Rights Act, all those arrested were only released on an “undertaking” that they did not enter the city centre or “assemble with two or more people for the purposes of a demonstration”. After the GDC organised a militant demonstration against political policing, all charges were dropped.

The disruptive tactics of the Fiscal resulted in sentencing again being deferred for another four weeks, prolonging a process which has already dragged on for almost one year. The entire justice system is designed to wear out and demoralise those who have the temerity to fight back and maintain their innocence – above all those charged for advancing working-class politics. Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! and the Glasgow Defence Campaign will continue providing solidarity to all those targeted for organising in defence of the people and ensuring that there will be no business as usual for the suited and uniformed servants of the British ruling class.

Court protests – no to political policing!

Monday 31 October, 10am

Glasgow District Court

Trial of FRFI supporter

Monday 10 November

Glasgow District Court

Sentencing of FRFI supporter

Monday 19 December

Glasgow District Court

Trial of FRFI supporter

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!

Court update: Another trial adjourned, 7 October latest

The trial of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! and Glasgow Defence Campaign supporter Dominic O'Hara has once again been adjourned today. Dominic faces charges relating to an anti-cuts protest in Glasgow city centre on 29 January 2011, where upon leaving the protest he was arrested in a vigilante style operation by Strathclyde Police and detained for 54 hours prior to his court appearance on a framed up charge of police assault.    

Crown prosecutors have been repeatedly asked by Dominic’s defence team for the official procedure of Strathclyde police in to the practice known as 'kettling’, a form of indiscriminate crowd control and detention, but have failed to disclose the policy. Today the crown claimed that no CCTV existed of the alleged assault (despite it being in the heart of the city centre with CCTV cameras in the proximity) and opposed the defence motion to adjourn wishing to proceed to trial immediately. This was thrown out, and new dates were set for trial.    

The GDC have lodged our concerns with our legal advisors and are clear that the reason that no CCTV has been found of the assault is because one did not take place! We are positive that CCTV footage will exist to show this to be true. As we saw on the 11 April 2011 when Dominic was found guilty of a framed charge of police assault the cops word in the non-jury Glasgow District Court is 'credible and reliable' whilst anyone who disputes their claims is deemed to be a ‘liar’.    

Political charges in political courts must be fought with a political defence! We say to the Crown drop the made up charges now and Strathclyde Police hands off protest!    

The new dates are:  

Intermediate diet: 
Tuesday 29 November 2pm, Court 5     

Trial Diet: 
Monday 19 December 10am, Court 6     

Both in: 
Glasgow District Court (also known as the Justice of the Peace Court) 
St. Andrews St (off Saltmarket)

STUC March 1 October: What Did We Learn?

Saturday's ‘People First’ march organised by the Scottish Trades Union Congress once again saw the bullies of Strathclyde police harass, intimidate and detain protestors. This is nothing new. The real lessons and significance of the day’s events lay in the people’s response to this political policing. 

From the start our No Cuts, Full Stop! contingent, organised by supporters of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! (FRFI) and the Glasgow Defence Campaign, called for the defence of democratic rights and was subject to surveillance. Our open megaphone event in Glasgow Green was used to publicise the upcoming trials and sentencing of our supporters, highlight the complicity of the Labour Party in implementing the cuts and show the need for anti-imperialist politics in any movement opposing austerity in Britain. Officers were assigned to stare at us.  After the arrival of a heavily policed student feeder march the main event began.

Stalked by officers – one, PC Prentice, who was involved in the framed conviction of an FRFI and GDC supporter in April – on either side and with lively youth from the Coalition of Resistance (COR) behind us we set off. With chants calling for an end to political policing and Glasgow’s Labour City Council we passed the City Chambers and George Square. Regrettably the COR failed to take up either of the chants and confined their rhetoric to purely anti ConDem government slogans. Despite an incursion by officers into the march at this point no skirmishes broke out and the march remained peaceful.

The further the march moved up St. Vincent street the tighter the police closed ranks on protestors. People were warned for speaking out against political policing and COR supporters were taken to the side of the march and told to keep their contingent under control. It became clear that officers were intent on provoking a response from protestors in order to arrest people and thus shut down any criticism of their repressive role after they manhandled a 14 year old girl for “not moving in”.

Aware of the underlying aim of the police our contingent resisted provocation but defended our right to free speech and carried on our chants against the cuts and political policing. The "antagonistic chant" – ‘Strathclyde Police Hands Off Protest!’ - was a thorn in the officers sides and so led by Inspector Alan Bowater  - Badge no. G 20 - of Aikenhead Road Police Station they decided to take the law into their own hands and detain one of our supporters outside Cranstonhill Police Station, 945, Argyle St. This was not the first time our comrade Dominic O’Hara has been targeted on anti-cuts protests and neither is it the first time we have crossed paths with Inspector Bowater. On Saturday 13 August 2011 Bowater and his cronies from Cathcart police station attempted to shut down an FRFI anti cuts stall in Govanhill. He demanded details of an organiser despite having no legal basis for doing so (see harassment log). Under threat of arrest a selected FRFI steward gave his details but made no further compromises ensuring that the stall went ahead.

In similar fashion Bowater questioned and demanded details off Dominic without naming an offence he had committed. Note he was overheard telling his officers not to arrest the FRFI steward who had successfully stood up to him on the 13 August in Govanhill  - he wanted easier prey. His revenge on the GDC was cut short however as the marchers decided it was their turn to close ranks on the cops! The bullies now felt what a kettle was like from the inside! They did not like it and were forced by the determination of the marchers to free the innocent comrade and back down in a humiliating retreat. People power 2 – Bowater and Strathclyde police - 0!

As we anticipated would happen officers once again led by Bowater trailed behind our contingent and attempted to encircle us in Kelvingrove Park at the end of the march. In fear of being picked off and arrested, as happened to Dominic on 29 January 2011 after leaving a protest with a small group, we raised the alarm and made the rest of the marchers aware of what was going on, including human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar and STUC Assistant Secretary, Dave Moxham, (Moxham gave us no support and dangerously advised people to leave Kelvingrove park individually! Such characters do not face political policing at present and so cannot be relied upon for advice on how to confront it or even for support against it).

Once again in the spirit of solidarity individual supporters of COR and a few others helped to form a group of witnesses to leave the area with FRFI and GDC supporters who experienced no further problems. COR supporters were also questioned in the park at the end after the march but the GDC does not have the details of what was said. If anyone knows please send details to glasgowdefence@yahoo.co.uk and we can publicise.

Although the victory was ours on Saturday we must not be complacent. Despite various humiliations and botched operations (Free Hetherington eviction 22 March, Strathclyde University arrests 2 June…) the cops appear to be getting bolder in clamping down on dissent. Therefore we must learn the political and practical lessons from Saturday for future protests. (1) Maximum unity, solidarity and communication is required between progressive people and groups in the event that police attempt to isolate and arrest someone/people before, during or after a protest or march (2) Do not be provoked into action justifying your arrest but firmly and calmly defend your right to free speech and demand the support of others in this fight (3) Take the badge numbers, names and stations of offending officers you wish to report to the GDC or lawyers. See GDC legal briefing for further details of dealing with cops.

As was stated at an FRFI meeting on 1^st September 2009 titled ‘economic recession and police repression’;

‘The right to organise political protest is being rapidly eroded. Marches are banned as they were in Scotland during the Irish hunger strike in the 1980s. Left-wing newspaper sellers are harassed and arrested. Street meetings are attacked. Marches, especially those involving black youth, are attacked by the police. The courts are used to remand 'troublesome' people for months on end, to deny legal aid to those attacked by police, to pass punitive sentences against those daring to oppose police repression. As yet this repression is concentrated against the small forces of opposition. But as soon as these forces grow then so too will this openly political policing.’

Lets get organised for the battles ahead!

Court protests against political policing!

Trial of FRFI supporters Dominic O'Hara and Joey Simons

Friday 7 and Monday 31 October, from 9.30am

Outside Glasgow District Court,

St. Andrews Street, Glasgow (just off Saltmarket)

Sentencing of FRFI supporter Dominic O'Hara will take place on Thursday 13 October, 2pm, at the same court. This is for a framed up charge and conviction of police assault relating to the 9 December 2011student protest in Glasgow City Centre. Supporters will be gathered outside the court from 1.40pm.

Strathclyde Police - Back Off!

The Glasgow Defence Campaign condemns the open political policing that was employed on yesterday’s Scottish Trades Union Council march from Glasgow Green to Kelvingrove Park. Throughout the march people were harassed and stalked by lines of officer’s intent on provoking a response from the peaceful protestors. Coalition of Resistance supporters were taken aside by officers and warned to behave, IRSP Alba and John Brady Society followers were questioned for flying a Starry Plough flag  and a Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! and Glasgow Defence Campaign supporter, who has been targeted on previous protests, was manhandled by officers off the march for condemning political policing as the march passed Cranstonhill Police Station, 945, Argyle St. 

The following video captures the scenes as the arrest took place only for him to be de-arrested due to the popular will of the protestors.  

The GDC sends its solidarity to the people who left the march and successfully secured our supporters release. As the targeted comrade said after re-joining the march 'a victory for one is a victory for all!'

A full report of the day’s events is to follow so please subscribe to and spread the word about our blog. If anyone experienced political policing on yesterday’s march send the details to glasgowdefence@yahoo.co.uk and we can publicise the incidents.

The times they are ‘a’ changing,

Don't Panic - Organise!

Victory for Democratic Rights as HSBC 3 Exonerated!

Posted below is the victory statement of the HSBC 3 Defence Campaign in Newcastle where political charges and convictions against three Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! supporters have been successfully overturned. The Glasgow Defence Campaign would like to send them our solidarity and applaud their consistent work against the cuts and the attack on democratic rights which has led to this victory against political policing! They did not win justice by sitting on their hands!

Their Victory is Ours! See http://defencecampaign.wordpress.com/

Join Court protests in Glasgow!

Trial of Anti Cuts Activists

Friday 7 and Monday 31 October, from 9.30am

Glasgow District Court, St. Andrews Street,

Glasgow (just off Saltmarket)

 

Sentencing of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! supporter

Thursday 13 October, from 1.30pm

same Court as above

Posted on September 29, 2011 by HSBC 3 Defence Campaign 

The convictions of Mark Pearson and Patrick Reay – who were arrested for protesting against public sector cuts and tax dodging banks and companies in December 2010 – were overturned yesterday after a two day appeal at Newcastle Crown Court. The success of the appeal is a victory for the democratic right to protest in Newcastle and shows that it is always worthwhile challenging political policing.

Picket of Newcastle Crown Court on 28th September

Stop Political Policing!

The arrests and charges of the HSBC 3 were politically motivated, designed to intimidate protesters, and restrict future protests against the cuts and austerity measures. As John Pilger said in his solidarity statement, ‘The arrests of Patrick, Mark and Toby starkly represent the most disturbing trend in Britain — the rise of an openly political police… At worst, the police can kill with impunity, it seems, and increasingly they arrest and prosecute arbitrarily those whose dissent which marks the line between democracy and a state of fear and compliance’. 

In recent years many activists have been arrested on trumped-up charges, including the Gaza solidarity demonstrations in early 2009, the student protests in December 2010/ January 2011 and the August 2011 uprisings. Many people were encouraged by duty solicitors to plead guilty or accept a caution, on the basis that they would avoid a criminal record or receive a reduced sentence. This may seem like a better option in the short term but it erodes political rights for all of us, allowing protest to be criminalised.

Defend One, Defend All, Defend the HSBC 3!

The HSBC 3 Defence Campaign has shown that it is possible to fight charges on a political basis, thereby defending both individual activists and future demonstrators. The HSBC 3 refused to accept any guilt for their legitimate actions as protesters. Even after Mark and Patrick were unfairly convicted at the magistrate’s court and fined a total of £760, they were able to appeal the convictions because of the support of the campaign.

Many thanks to all those people who supported the HSBC 3 defence campaign. In particular the court witnesses, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! / Revolutionary Communist Group who organised demonstrations and court pickets, members of the North East Anarchists Group and the Anti-Cuts Network who organised several benefit gigs, everybody who took part in those events or helped publicise them, Unite Newcastle Central Branch who made a financial contribution, and the many people who showed their solidarity from the court’s public gallery during the trial. The HSBC 3 Defence Campaign has always been clear on the need for political action on the streets alongside a legal defence in the courts. As with the police, the fundamental role of Britain’s courts is the defence of private property – they cannot be trusted to defend working class people.

The defence of democratic rights is the defence of working class living standards. As the fight against austerity continues, we need to be ready for more defence campaigns. The example of the HSBC 3 Defence Campaign should be celebrated and followed.