All out for 1 March!

For every pork chop, there is a frying pan.

The Glasgow Defence Campaign are urging everyone concerned with attacks on the right to protest to attend to Glasgow District Court tomorrow, 1 March from 9.30am onwards. Legal representatives of the campaign will be making the first legal challenge in Scotland against the police tactic of kettling peaceful protesters.

Miriam Kelly for the Glasgow Defence Campaign stated, ‘We will be attending the court not only in act of solidarity with Dominic O’Hara, and to remind those who choose to persecute anti cuts activists that they will never be alone, but also in order to raise our opposition to the police practice of kettling which we believe to have no legal basis in Scotland.’

The legal debate is set to take place throughout the day, on the question of proportionality of the tactic which was used on 29^th January 2011, where a peaceful protest against the cuts was met with police attacks on the right to assembly and association which led to instances of individual protesters being assaulted by the police. Following the protest, Dominic O’Hara left the demonstration along with other supporters of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! where he was snatched by a group of around 8 police officers and assaulted, suffering various injuries. Dominic was himself charged with assaulting a police officer, and kept for the next 60 hours in police custody before his eventual release from Glasgow Sheriff Court – in defiance of a crown office motion to seek his remand. Supporters of the Glasgow Defence Campaign who attended the court calling on his release and enquiring of his welfare were met with a heavy police presence, harassment throughout the day – and some faced exclusion from the court.

Defend FRFI supporter Dominic O’Hara and unite against police kettling!

Assemble: Thursday 1st March, 9.30am outside

Glasgow District Court

21 St. Andrews Street (just off Saltmarket)

Trongate

G1 5NA