G8Alternatives spokespeople arrested by snatch squads in Princes St

imc Eire | 06.07.2005 15:05

Happened about 3pm.

Police walking with the march.

Old local getting hassle for wearing black.

Samba band starting up.

G8A discussions with Police, bus driver

Arrest

Buses eventually leave

About 700 or so people who were meant to go to Gleneagles did not end up going - for what exact reason this was unclear. About 200 other people were waiting to leave on four coaches, but could not, possibly due to Police traffic restrictions. The main body of G8Alternatives people instead marched West down Princes Street, then turned around and marched back East. The march was corralled by Police all the way, and the demonstrators are not (and probably wont) attempting to push the line. Up near 'The Mound', the march was stopped by the Police, and four 'spokespeople' from G8A stepped forward to discuss what was happening with the buses. The Police accompanied them up to the buses, then when they were walking to the last bus, the Police jumped in and snatched/arrested them. Not for any particular reason as far as I could see.

As of 3:30, the march was still in Princes Street, surrounded by Police. Mood was noisy but peaceful. Very little chance of confrontation IMO. A small samba band had started up outside the Police cordon, but they were not allowed join the main body of protestors. The four buses finally left the scene, to rounds of applause from bystanders.

imc Eire

Comments

Hide the following 13 comments

good effort, keep trying

06.07.2005 15:36

"Old local getting hassle for wearing black."

It's one thing to publish a photograph, but to put a misleading caption on it is very bad journalistic practice. You do not know exactly what the police's motivation was, you just made an assumption. If that is your method for reporting the news, you will never be more than a propagandist.

I happen to know the "old local" in the picture. Though recently he has kerbed his alcoholism and taken up selling the Big Issue, he has been involved in activism in the past and this could just as easily be the reason for his special attention from the rozzers. Was his face covered up before the copper got hold of him? It looks like it from the photo. I must say, I don't understand why anyone would need to hide their face if they are not doing anything wrong.

Some not bad photos.

beev

"Old local getting hassle for wearing black."

06.07.2005 16:36

Pic 2: "Old local getting hassle for wearing black."

Your clearly moulded from the same Alastair Campbell mould.

Funnily enough there's many people every day of the week througout the year wear black in Edinburgh....without being bundled into the back of a police van.

Young Local Who Never Gets Hassle For Wearing Black

Hidden faces

06.07.2005 16:43

I agree with Beev. I don't understand why anyone would need to hide their face if they are not doing anything wrong.

Perhaps he or she could take a look at the last photograph in

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/316069.html and tell us who has hidden their face.

A Local

Aliaster Campbell?

06.07.2005 16:44

Nah! He is Campbell...

Lenny The Bruce

COINTELPRO

06.07.2005 16:58

"I must say, I don't understand why anyone would need to hide their face if they are not doing anything wrong."

Which is another way of saying you have nothing but good faith in the intentions of violent state institutions, despite the abundant evidence to the contrary. That's kinda cute.

Skippy

Never Underestimate/Discount Police Tactics

06.07.2005 18:27

A sad pattern which has developed at these meetings are the mass arrests which are used to clear the streets, and limit the visibility of the Demos. Most often, these are illegal actions on the part of the police, and all charges against demonstrators are dropped.

The Elite has gotten what it wanted; The streets are cleared, and the Opposition silenced, or at the very least, quieted.

If this is the case, the legal action is a must. If we continue to allow this criminal behaviour to go unpunished, this will only embolden the perpetrators.

Jordan

Hiding face

06.07.2005 18:34

It is also the civil liberty aspect. If someone has not done anything wrong then why should anyone have the right to see your face? I know it's better to be open and honest, but having your picture taken and having it processed through god knows what system when you haven't broken the law, that's oppressive and worrying. You don't get the right to have it destroyed, how do we know this data isn't handed to the FBI or other fascist organisations?

Alastair

#

06.07.2005 19:55

the helmets worn by the line of cops in the first picture look suspiciously like City Of London. they're certainly not Scottish.

re covered faces.... maybe i should publish my e-mail adress in case m|5 and G[HQ want to know who i'm talking to about what. with pattern recognition technology developed to the level that it is we should be concerned about privacy issues. anyone applied for a new british passport recently? your face is already on the big computer. some people are very naive about this.........
phone taps more than quadrupled since tony blair came to power.... do what you can to resist the intellegence state......

hsbc:imf

Your Missing The Obvious

06.07.2005 23:17

In case you weren't actually in Edinburgh today - it pissed with rain - sometimes poured - sometimes spat - but never went away for long.

If I had a hood I would have used it as the designer had intended it - to keep ma heid dry . . .sometimes you cant see the wood for the smoke. . .

Still I didn't realise the Black bloc were so desperate :)

DemiRainGod

exaggeration watch

07.07.2005 12:34

"violent state institutions"

You should try living in Sudan!

beev

Not as bad isn't okay

07.07.2005 13:12

Just because police repression is worse elsewhere (which I don't doubt) doesn't mean that what happens here is okay.

So obvious really that I can't believe I'm having to point it out.

BS spotter

I was on one of the 4 buses not allowed to leave for hours

07.07.2005 15:38

I was on one of these buses and saw the violent arrest of 2 peaceful protesters;one of whom was one of the organisers of the transport to the Gleneagles demo.When about 20 police stormed in to arrest him they trapped us on the bus in effect holding us as prisoners.

fred

Legal Support - for who?

08.07.2005 18:04

I was one of the many who had a ticket to Gleneagles and could not get on the bus so therefore joined the protest in princes street.

When the four coaches finally departed the police turned their aggresion on the protesters left behind. i was beated down several times along with many others and narrowly escaped arrest - thanks to having some sussed activists locked on to me. After the situation had calmed down a little I made several calls to the various telephone numbers on the g8Alternatives legal support leaflet to report arrests i had seen and to report cops numbers who had behaved violently. phones rang but no one answered - I presume they were dealing with other calls. however i did leave my number on all voicemail services and requested assistance and asked if someone could call me back as i had info. nobody ever returned my calls. i was not alone here and the only conclusion myself and many others had was that the g8alternatives legal team was only interested in thoes that took the buses to gleneagles - anyone who didn't go was obviously on their own.

pete b