Tightening the screw: police-state cracks down on anti-war protests
Eyewitness correspondent Tom Graham reports from the frontline on the
streets of Glasgow

SATURDAY 22 MARCH 2003 marks a sad day in the history of Glasgow. It was a day that started off so well, but ended so badly. In fact nearly
tragically.
Marching from George Square around the city centre, traffic was brought
to a halt as an estimated 15,000 thronged the streets to join the Stop
the War Coalition’s call for an end to hostilities.
Attended by people from all walks of life, ranging from pensioners to
students, a massive rally then followed in the shadow of the City Chambers.
Key-note speakers included the city’s Muslim MP Mohammad Sarwar, Canon Kenyon Wright and Scottish Socialist MSP Tommy Sheridan. All universally lambasted the recent pre-emptive strikes by coalition forces and thethreat to civilians that has seen the streets of Baghdad turned into a
firestorm.
OVERKILL
Recent demonstrations in the City have seen sit-down protests on the
city’s motorway and commuter routes and activists draw attention to blood
spilt on the streets of Iraq through the highly innovative use of red paint!
However, fears of a police crackdown following massive disruption to
commuter traffic proved well-founded in a police presence on the day of
the march on the streets of Glasgow not seen by many in living memory.
With global demonstrations growing more strident, leading to recent
deaths, an estimated 1200 police officers were drafted in, in what many
commentators see as “overkill”, which saw the City Halls bizarrely
converted into a make-shift jail as a contingency measure.
In addition, many officers were seen in possession of CS canisters,
with teams of officers managing Tear Gas launchers. The Riot Video
Surveillance Unit were also seen in attendance.
A spokesman for Strathclyde Police has of course denied many
eyewitnesses claims, maintaining the halls were only being used for
“feeding and toileting of officers”.
Located in Glasgow’s Candleriggs, ironically the City Halls is where
the acclaimed social campaigner John MacLean is commemorated – once
imprisoned for one year - who fought for human rights and free speech
there at the turn of the century.
PEACEFUL
Much of the advertising for the day’s event promised a day of “civil
disobedience”, and it is thought that this and the more active nature of
recent protests led to the police precautions.
The official march and rally passed peacefully though, with speakers
gaining rapturous applause.
An “unofficial” march arranged to mark the end of the event saw
families and Saturday shoppers left bemused as a massive crowd,
diminished over the afternoon of the event but still 2000 strong, making
their way along the city’s St Vincent Street towards Charing Cross.
ANGER
The earlier conviviality of the day’s event was soon replaced by anger
though, as the crowd, unable to continue marching, were cut in two by
police road blocks.
Trapped by police standing three deep and supported by officers and
horses from the forces mounted cavalry brigade, protesters moods soon
turned to outrage as the march was brought to a standstill.
Hemmed in between the Holland and Elmbank Street sections of
Sauchiehall Street, marchers, local shoppers and residents alike reacted
with fury as movement out of the street was blocked for nearly two hours.
In angry scenes, families with children who happened to be in the area,
along with pedestrians and marchers alike, were informed they would not
be allowed to leave the street.
Those who attempted to were blocked by a human wall of both police and
horses. Many who tried to do so were nearly killed by horses panicking
amidst the scrum.
BRUTALITY
Amongst those caught up in events was Scottish National Party MSP Fiona
McLeod who has called for a public inquiry.
Also present was author AL Kennedy who lambasted police tactics at the
event, as being calculated to create “a violent confrontation; their
behaviour was antagonistic.”
Fiona McLeod MSP is currently awaiting a written response from the
Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police, although there were growing calls
this week for a fuller-scale investigation into police brutality at
Saturday’s anti-war rally in Glasgow.
Eventually the police negotiated a peaceful dispersal of the crowd.
There were few arrests.
With anti-war protests set to continue this Saturday in Edinburgh, in a
statement today police have officially announced their growing
determination to suppress and quell the tide of demonstrations in
Scotland, in particular to minimise traffic disruption.
Time will tell who the winner will be. One things for sure, the
foundation stones of our inalienable human right in Scotland to peaceful
protest have sure got a lot shakier.