TERRORISM ACT STOP AND SEARCH POWERS

Tayside Police Chief Constable John Vine has confirmed that police are looking at using the controversial Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. The powers enable police to carry out arbritary stop and searches without having any reason, and have previously been widely used against anti-war and anti-arms protestors, rather than the terrorists they are intended to challenge.

Confirming the Section 44 powers are being considered, Vine said: "We are examining how they work and how they might apply to the G8 summit in Scotland. If the circumstances merit an application to the Home Secretary then this will be considered."

He stressed that Section 44 was there to allow the police to take a "proportionate approach when judged necessary to assist in the prevention of acts of terrorism".

John Scott, chairman of the Scottish Human Rights Centre, said "The use of these measures should be used only when absolutely necessary but it appears that this is being considered to make sure that the politicians aren’t offended or troubled by the protests"

"It’s as if the right to protest peacefully and the right to freedom of expression doesn’t mean anything any more in this country, when if fact it’s a basic right. This is the sledgehammer to crack the nut."

David Conway, a spokesman for Trident Ploughshares, said "We have a long history of doing peaceful demonstrations with the right atmosphere and we would be very concerned at any attempt to diminish our right to protest."

Aamer Anwar, a human rights lawyer, said the proposal was outrageous and urged the executive to prevent the use of the act.

Osama Saeed, of the Muslim Association of Scotland, said the measures "look like a campaign to smear legitimate protest groups".

A Home Office spokesman said the use of the Terrorism Act was an operational matter for the police, and could not confirm a request had been made to use it at Gleneagles.

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DETENTION CENTRES

Authorities are looking at setting up G8 Detention Centres amidst fears that the normal holding cells will be unable to cope with the number of planned arrests. St Leonard’s Police Station, Edinburgh's main holding station, has only 40 cells, and so authorities are examining the possibility of using the former RAF base site at Turnhouse, situated at Edinburgh Airport, as a "holding Facility" to detain G8 protestors. Used for some cargo operations the former base site was a considered by the Home Office in 2002 for an "accommodation centre" up to 750 Asylum seekers. Other sites are also believed to be under consideration, including the construction of a pre-fabricated detention centre.

NB Following the Genoa G8 protests of 2001, the Bolzaneto police detention centre became infamous when it emerged that hundreds of protestors were mis-treated and tortured there. Currently in Italy up towards 50 senior police officers and prison guards are being tried for the shocking human rights violations.

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POLICING

Around 10,000 police officers are expected to be on duty and all police leave has been cancelled in the first two weeks of July. Many of the police will be housed at the student halls of residence at Stirling and Edinburgh universities. Hundreds of Metropolitan Police officers, experienced in public order will also be drafted in. Additional police are currently being trained for riots at a disused Law Hospital in Lanarkshire.

Following reports that authorities are investigating borrowing Water Cannon from Belgium and that Plastic Bullet Baton Rounds would be authorised for use, Ian Woodhead, secretary of the Lothian and Borders Police Federation, said that aside from shields, helmets, batons and CS spray, public order officers would have "back up from other options". However he went on to say, "I can only describe it as ‘other options’ at this time. I wold not want it publicised what we have in our back pocket."

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SPECIAL COURT PROVISIONS

Sheriff Courts in Edinburgh to be cleared by scrapping all scheduled trials for the first two weeks of July, also freeing up police officers who may have been required to give evidence.

The eight courts will be reserved to hear G8 custody cases, and can operate from 9am-9pm each day.

The Sheriff Principal, the city’s senior judge, has passed a directive authorising the court to sit on Saturdays, on July 2 and 9. The sitting on Saturday 2nd will enable the courts to be cleared ahead of the Make Poverty History demonstration on Sunday 3rd and the following demonstrations on monday 4th.

Procurator Fiscals will be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Interpreters are being drafted in to Edinburgh’s courts to deal with foreign arrests, along with a number of duty defence solicitors.

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