Edinburgh yesterday saw the latest in a series of failed prosecutions of G8 cases when G. E. was acquitted of some of the most serious trumped-up charges so far. The antiquated law of “mobbing and rioting” was rolled out on this occasion, with the accusation that G. had been involved in police assault and incitement to riot. The charge carries with it a maximum 5-year prison sentence.
Despite the huge numbers of police wielding camcorders and cameras at the time of the alleged offence, the police could produce no visual evidence of his alleged “assaults”. In fact, one allegation that he had “struck a police officer on the head”, was withdrawn by the prosecution moments before the jury left to consider its verdict. So the prosecution virtually acknowledged that at least one of their charges had been fabricated without evidence. G. produced his own photographic and video evidence which showed that he was not involved in any violence at the demonstration. The main prosecution evidence rested on the reports of two unfortunate “plods” who couldn’t really decide between themselves whether G was or was not wearing a black woolly hat and black top that he never owned anyway ! (Note the emphasis on BLACK, peeple). They were also strangely unable to produce in court the police officer who had been so riotously assaulted.
So once again the “smash and grab” tactics of Scotland’s G8 policing have been exposed. If it were not for the huge emotional and financial strain placed on the accused as well as the enormous costs involved (the jury trial lasted FOUR full days), the legal gerrymanderings after the G8 in Scotland might be considered one enormous joke. But it’s no longer funny, folks, it’s just sick!