GDC supporter deals with police harassment as protesters confront political leaders

On Tuesday 3 May, supporters of the Save the Accord Centre campaign, Citizens United, Margaret Jaconelli and the Glasgow Defence Campaign gathered to confront the leaders of Scotland's main political parties. A final hustings debate, before the election on the 5 May, was being held in the Glasgow Piping Centre and was broadcast live on STV.

Despite being kept outside the building by security staff the crowd of 50+ made sure that their voices were heard chanting 'Glasgow Labour council, Shame on you!', 'Save the Accord, Save the Accord, Save the Accord right now!' and other popular slogans.

The mainstream press were forced to take account of the campaigners noisy presence and so too were the party leaders - Gray (Labour), Goldie (Tories), Scott (Liberals) and Salmond (SNP) - as people demanded answers and assurances off them that the Accord Centre in Dalmarnock would not be closed to make way for a road and car park for the 2014 commonwealth games.

One campaigner commented that 'commonwealth shame' is a more appropriate title for the event. With the poorest and most vulnerable groups in society, such as the elderly, disabled and young, having the services which they require to live a decent life ripped away from them this is a title which cannot be disputed.

As the demonstration dispersed Dominic O'Hara - a supporter of the Glasgow Defence Campaign - was harassed by officers who claimed that he was banned from entering Glasgow city centre. This relates to bail conditions which were informally imposed on a fourteen year old and formally held on two seventeen year olds and two other anti cuts campaigners two weeks ago when all five were spontaneously arrested by Strathclyde police for participating in a peaceful protest on the 9 December 2010 against education cuts. Charges against all five were dropped on 21 April and the restrictive bail conditions were lifted.

PC David Markey (A413), Constable Hay (A80) and Sergeant Wilson (A548) were the offending officers.

The GDC salutes the people who came out yesterday to express their opposition to the cuts and the ‘commonwealth shame’. It will be normal Glaswegians that will be sacrificed for the interests of the rich and corrupt and so it will have to be normal Glaswegians that take a stand against these people and their army known as Strathclyde police.

No to political policing!

Fight the cuts!

Save The Accord Right Now!

Glasgow Defence Campaign

Contact us with any details of police harassment – see our Police Harassment Log at

http://glasgowdefencecampaign.blogspot.com/ or contact glasgowdefence@yahoo.co.uk

Update to police harassment log - don't trust the police!

Wednesday 20 April

Just after 6pm, two uniformed male police officers chapped again at the door of the 14 year-old FRFI supporter who was arrested last Tuesday. The police once again questioned him without an adult present. To justify this harassment, the officers stated that their visit was to remind the minor of his court appearance the following day. They also claimed that as the minor did not enter into a conversation with them that he had an "attitude problem". When asked for their details they quickly turned away and retreated.

At exactly midnight, two uniformed officers (badge numbers G529 and G582) turn up to the home of another FRFI supporter who was arrested on Thursday 14 April and also due to appear in court on Thursday 21 April at 10.30am. They tell the FRFI supporter that he now doesn’t need to go to court and that his undertaking (bail conditions) has been lifted. When questioned, they say they don’t know anything further. There is no paperwork given confirming the need to no longer appear in court. This is highly suspect police behaviour. 

The GDC urges people not to trust the police on matters such as this and to attend any scheduled court appearances.

Stewart Street again...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activists from Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! and supporters of the Glasgow Defence Campaign held a "Speak out against the Cuts!" event at the Royal Bank of Scotland on Gordon St in Glasgow City Centre on Saturday 2 April. A loudspeaker, banners, petitions, leaflets and newspapers were used to draw attention to the £7.7 million payout recently given to Chief Executive Stephen Hester. At 2.30pm, PC Stephen McAllister and WPC Manpreet Jassal of Stewart Street police office arrived on bike and approached activists, demanding personal details of an organsier. No crime had been committed and so the officers’ demand was challenged and refused. This was deemed 'obstructive' by the officers who said that they would have to call their supervisors. Anti-cuts activists demanded the right to organise and received support from the public. Two more officers were drafted in before all four were forced to clear off having failed to intimidate those on the event.

More police harassment in Glasgow

The GDC has today learned of further harassment endured by supporters of Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! in Glasgow on 31 March 2011. The two were stopped in a car on George Square at 12.15pm upon leaving a demonstration outside Glasgow City Chambers in solidarity with the workers, service users and supporters of the Dalmornock Accord centre in the city’s East End. A heavy police presence was in place for those condemning the Labour city council’s appalling decision to demolish the centre in order to build an access road for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. The council is refusing to fund a replacement, citing the ‘economic climate’, while handing over millions to private developers and land speculators.

The two FRFI supporters were detained by eight officers from Strathclyde Police and questioned in the back of a police van marked SF58 KPY. Some of the officers are Crown witnesses in an ongoing criminal prosecution case against one the activists for participating on the anti cuts protests in Glasgow on 9 December 2010. The GDC regards the questions as an unlawful attempt to interfere with witnesses and a report of the incident has been lodged with our legal advisors.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind Strathclyde police that they can only demand the identity details of people suspected of committing or witnessing an alleged offence. This was a point that the officers (All A-Division) 128, 115, 192, 116, 123, 486, 472, 319 seem to be unaware of. When asked on what legal basis details were being requested against one FRFI supporter, the response was aggressive – stating that the offence was not providing details when requested. This is simply not the law. We would suggest some form of elementary police practice training for the officers involved in this latest instance. The same supporter was threatened ‘with the jail’ for an apparent breach of the peace in the back of the police van, for simply asking reasonable questions.

The GDC now regard officers from Stewart Street as out of control. The detention and questioning took place in the middle of the day in the centre of Glasgow without lawful basis. The pretence for this was to ascertain whether one of the FRFI supporters was ‘allowed to be’ in the city centre, despite the bail condition requiring him to stay out of the city centre being overturned over three months ago, and officers from Stewart Street being fully aware of this.

It is primarily officers from Stewart Street who have been involved in the ongoing harassment and political policing the GDC has logged on this page. One can only wonder about the conduct of these officers with other people, vulnerable or otherwise, and how they behave out of the public eye and behind closed doors.

The GDC is urging people to remain vigilant when attending demonstrations, and in particular leaving demonstrations, given the increased police activity described here. We remind everyone it is not a crime to oppose cuts, it’s not a crime to protest, it’s not a crime to engage in public assembly, it’s not a crime to speak out against injustice, these are our rights and they must be defended; they are under attack. It’s time resistance was built.

Glasgow Defence Campaign

PRO 1 April 2011