At the anti-war actions back in march, the police was arresting protesters, often for no apparent reason, as a means of crowd control and intimitaion politics, which was urgently needed by the government to suppress the major opposition in the public opinion against the war- or better said the invasion of Iraq to rob it of its natural resources, install a stabilised western-friendly puppet regime as Saddam Hussein as former CIA backed dictator- no wonder they can't find him- was getting a bit uncomfortable for the US and British Public relations, as well as dumping their waste of depleted uranium there and getting major contracts to US and British multinational corporations to contract for rebuilding Iraq, boosting their home economies and share prices not only of oil companies, and further widening their influence in the middle east.
Although many charges against the protesters were dropped and many criminal proceedings suspended and finished without result, some individuals are particularly picked on as examples for justifying the often restrictive police practise, suspending human and democratic rights during this unjustified (propaghanda) war, lots of the mainstream media were willingly complying and benefitting from, often enough adapting their editorial line without giving room for contorversy nor for divident, nor critical voices about the war.
Well,that was a mistake.
The people in Britain, and also here in Scotland woke up and took to the streets like never before, found their confidence in their own abilties and intelligence rightly so much more convincing as plagiarised student projects presented by elitist, alienated politicians, who don't have to sell their sons to a lured in heroified adventure-masked mutilation-and-slaughter high-tech facility, invading foreign countries in glorified "Die-hard" tourism for commercial greed, fighting a war to build more roads here and to give up railways and public transport here even more.

Simon was arrested on 22nd of march at the Anti-War portests in Edinburgh, wearing a Balaclava and a flag resembling the picture below. Undercover, plain cloths police officers jumped in to arrest him, fellow protesters intervened,leading to conflicts and friction. Horses were brought him, but many protesters were let go by the police due to crowd pressure.
School students motivated many of the protesters to have a solidarity picket at the police station for the arrested.
Report:  http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/04/61843.html
The following picket at the police stations was the biggest Edinburgh has seen in a long time, with the crowd breaking through police lines to get there.

This day was one of the most memorable in the anti-war demonstrations.


See:
Feature:  http://indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/scotland/2003/06/273354.html
Pictures:  http://chapelhill.indymedia.org/news/2003/03/3324.php
Audio interview from the day:  http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/03/58719.html
Prisoner solidarity report in front of the picket of the police station:  http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/03/58820.html
Up to the arrests, it seemed like one of the usual anti-war demos.
Starting with speakers at the Parliament Square, a die-in at the Scottish parliament and a short visit to the American embassy with even more speakers.
Back to Princess Stzreeet to the West End, where speakers of one of the various subgroups of "?" Socialist "?" where trying to prsuade the crowd, that they would do any better as representative in parliaments, if they would be voted.

Now, in July the court case is coming up on the 26th of july.

Solidarity actions were taking place yesterday in front of the police station, called by Mark Thomas, the comedian, supported by Mark Ballard, member of the Scottish parliament and another well-known politician.
Read here about Mark Thomas  http://www.mtcp.co.uk/news.php?id=20 solidarity campaign with Simon.
Like the mass-wave in of postcards with the same design such as the flag at the 4th of april, yesterday saw the follow-up actions by Simons supporters ready to hand themselves in for displaying the same design in public, which was denied by police.

more information and audio reports to follow later.
Also present was the free-style samba band which is not pictured, but supported the event with a good mooded noise.