News from todays blockade of the G8
international |
summit mobilisations |
news report 
Wednesday July 06, 2005 08:58
by Andrew
With the G8 blockade now underway I suggest adding whatever news we can get here.
7.25 GMT
SkY News showing pictures of confrontations on the roads leading to the G8 and in one of the nearby towns. Fighting going on between protesters and riot police with riot police using vans, batons and pepper spray and protesters with sticks and missiles.
Protesters have broken into a number of quite small groups in order to block these roads and delay the arrivial of the G8 support staff at Gleneagles.
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by Andrew - Anarkismo Wednesday, Jul 6 2005, 8:04am
BBC Radio4 reporting significant fighting inSterling town as protesters try to get past the police road blocs erected last night.
8.06 GMT
by Andrew - Anarkismo Wednesday, Jul 6 2005, 8:08am
GMTV reporting police trying to re-open roads and worried there may be an attempt to shut rail line
From BBC news website 7.53 GMT
by Andrew - Anarkismo Wednesday, Jul 6 2005, 8:16am
Stirling 'cut off' by G8 protest
Trouble flared when protesters moved from the eco-camp Protesters and police are involved in stand-offs in Stirling as the G8 summit at Gleneagles gets under way. Central Scotland Police say trouble flared after people began moving from an eco-campsite near Stirling towards the Gleneagles area.
Eyewitness Mark Wallace said there was "a major battle".
The centre of Stirling has been closed, as has the M9 at the Granada services after it was blocked by protesters. Police are warning of travel problems.
The M9 is the main route from Edinburgh to Gleneagles. Protesters had promised to block all roads leading to the summit venue.
Two people were arrested following clashes as police officers were attacked with missiles.
In Stirling you would see the same kind of stand-off position that we saw in Edinburgh on Monday Peter Wilson Chief constable
In a statement, the force said: "There have been isolated incidents of violence in which police officers have come under attack from a minority element.
"Some missiles have been thrown at officers and two people have been arrested for violent behaviour.
"The movement from the camp is causing considerable disruption around the Stirling area. The disruption is likely to last throughout the day."
BBC low level disturbancs
by Andrew - Anarkismo Wednesday, Jul 6 2005, 8:21am
BBC News reporting that there are also large number of non violent protests going on with blockades of the roads. Some as close as nearest town Autherader (sp?). Footage shows protesters charging onto roads and sitting in lines across them. Other footage show barricade being built
Sterling train station also reported closed
Footage showed quite a number of arrests in progress and lines of riot police on residential estates.
According to BBC scotland, the police have called on the organisers of the G8 alternatives march to call off their protest in light of the trouble this morning. Their spokesperson is meeting with the police in the next hour.
Text has just come through that there has been at least one Irish Dissent person arrested. Identity known but not being published here until we know if they want it to be.
March to go ahead after talks between organisers and police.
Irish person detained, not arrested (at the moment). Police would not say on what legal basis person was been held.
1115: Tayside Police announce the protest march at Auchterader has been cancelled. This is also being reported on sky news.
BBC: Police call off G8 protest march http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4653545.stm From PA The violence sparked road closures across south Perthshire and Central Scotland. There are currently around 1,500 protesters in Auchterarder who had been planning to march at midday. Chief Supt Iain MacLeod, speaking at a press conference in the town, said officers were in discussions with march organisers to see if the event could be rescheduled. A Tayside Police spokeswoman said: ``It is not going ahead on the grounds of public safety and because of the disruption to the road network in the area and the level of criminal activity taking place. ``We are asking people not to turn up for the march as we would not want to see peaceful protesters caught up with the anarchist elements in the march. ``It could be an option to reschedule the march at a later stage following consultation with G8 Alternatives.''
11:38 According to G8 Alternatives spokeperson Mike Arnott, the announcement that the march has been cancelled is the result of a unilateral decision by the police. As far as G8 Alternatives is concerned, the march is going ahead as planned.
....sounds like trouble
Yours truly was prevented from getting anywhere near my destination with my camera, had to turn around and go home with my tail between my legs. More on that some other time. Right now the Police are everywhere in Edinburgh where people are gathering. There are reports of being people corralled at the bus stops and departure locations... I doubt that march is going to happen, unless the G8A people try to break through Police lines.
"..I doubt that march is going to happen, unless the G8A people try to break through Police lines."
You haven't lost your sense of humour.
Confirmed: 11:38
According to G8 Alternatives spokeperson Mike Arnott, the announcement that the march has been cancelled is the result of a unilateral decision by the police. As far as G8 Alternatives is concerned, the march is going ahead as planned.
Reporter: So are you happy that the socialist workers seem to have taken over everything here. G8A spokesperson: Oh no, it's not the SWP. It's a broad group....
Might be a bit more than the SWP:
Supporters of G8 Alternatives include:
Aberdeen Trades Union Council, Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Centre for Human Ecology, Concept North East, Dundee AUT, Dundee Trades Union Council, East Lanarkshire EIS, Edinburgh CND, Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition, EIS-FELA, Ethical Company Organisation, Freequal(conscious clubbers), Friends of the Earth Scotland, Glasgow Campaign to Welcome Refugees,Glasgow University AUT, Globalise Resistance Scotland, GOOSHING, Grampian Senior Citizens Forum, Iraq Occupation Focus, Justice Not Vengeance, Muslim Association of Britain, NIPSA Branch 8, NUJ Glasgow, NUT, Palestine Solidarity Campaign-Scotland, PCS Scottish committee, PCS Appeals Service- National Branch, PCS DWP Fife, Plymouth Trades Council, Scotland Against Criminalising Communities, Scottish CND, Scottish Human Rights Centre, Scottish Socialist Party, Scottish Socialist Youth, Socialist Workers Student Society, Spinwatch, Stirling University, Anti-War Group, Stirling University AUT, Stop the War Coalition, TGWU 7/151 Branch, TGWU ACTS 7/38/178, TGWU Glasgow District, UNISON Aberdeen City, UNISON Glasgow City, UNISON Scotland, WDM Scotland, YWCA Scotland
Additional supporters of Gleneagles demos: STUC, AMICUS, FBU Scotland, Islamic Relief
Individuals in Support Include:
John Pilger, Filmmaker & Journalist, Noam Chomsky, Aamer Anwar - Scottish human rights lawyer, Rose Gentle (mother of soldier killed in Iraq), Lindsey German, Convenor Stop the War Coalition, Colin Leys, Editor Social Register, Ken Macleod, Science fiction author, Leo Panitch, Editor Social Register, Mark Thomas, Comedian and activist, Dick Gaughan, Folk singer, Hilda Meers, Author & Poet
Call in Report:12:25pm....
Lock-on occurred on a road that leads to Gleneagles.
The Lock-on to a car lasted for a total of 5 hours resulting in 6 people being arrested - including one from ireland
In talking to people on the scene the action is seen as a success.
More happening in future.
Interview with 3 people just returned to the camp from the blocades about what went on - quality is quite poor - interviews seperated by tone
12.25 March in Auchterarder is allowed to go ahead, g8alternatives statement says due to public pressure
This just in
"X get's lifted on one of the blockades this morning for
'wearing a Zapatista T-shirt'.
You might think that I'm losing the plot or making it up, as that's what I'd think if I didn't get a phone call from himself stating the same thing."
He's now released
Does anyone have any idea of how many protestors are there? I know you would only be guessing.
If only it was a million. I should not have come home on Sunday night. Next time we must at least double our numbers. Good luck and brilliant work to everyone who is there. Non-Violent Resistance!
Update from the Legal team, 13:40:
More then 400 people are detained/arrested. People are taken to Falkirk and to Dundee.
14.05 Auchterarder Park.
The G8 Alternatives march has just taken off from Auchterarder Park, after a rally. At this moment it is reported that there are about 3000-5000 people. The Rinky Dink soundsystem is playing, lots of people are dancing. The Infernal Noise Brigade is on the other side of the park with approximately 500 people around them. The atmosphere is good, local people are waving and cheering at the crowd. A large group of people have left the A9 after some blockades and are walking north towards Gleneagles. Various other groups are now making their way towards the Gleneagles Hotel.
BBC Radio 5 reporting that "hundreds and hundreds" have broken off the march, crossed a wall and started to make their way along the fence. Police horses on other side.
Update 15:30
The police constructed a pen using temporary barriers on Princes Street. There is a large group in the pen. Police have start arresting people in a violent way within the pen. The atmosphere is getting more grim, people are getting angry and locals outside the pen are shouting "outrage" and "disgrace". People also shouting "whose streets... our streets". There are appr. 250 to 300 people in the pen. There is another group near the mound.
Thousands of peaceful protesters have converged on Auchterarder, near Gleneagles Hotel, which is hosting the three-day summit. The march was earlier cancelled and the rescheduled by police who feared threats to public safety.
The campaigners set off at exactly 2.15pm towards the luxury Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire - more than two hours later than expected.
Police earlier attempted to cancel the march after trouble flared in Stirling early this morning where thousands of protesters were camping.
But following talks with organisers, officers agreed to let the procession go ahead. After a short rally at a park in the nearby village of Auchterarder, around 4,000 marchers made their way to the perimeter fence where they hoped to make their voices heard.
Many of the marchers were holding banners, chanting and were accompanied by beating drums. Thousands of police have been drafted in from around the UK amid fears of trouble and officers wearing riot gear were on standby.
At the head of the march were human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar, Scottish Socialist Party leader Colin Fox, Rose Gentle, whose son Gordon was killed in Iraq, and G8 Alternatives organiser Gill Hubbard.
Mr Fox said earlier: "The police don't have the authority to cancel this march.
"Our will to march has been felt for a year and we had a commitment from the police.
"We have our own rights to protest and that is what we will do even if it is hours and hours behind schedule.
"I think it was an idiotic decision for the police to tell people that this is what they were going to do."
A member of the Scottish Parliament, Ms Frances Curran told ireland.com "organisers refused to back down under police pressure and regard this demonstration as a democratic right".
Dozens of protesters clashed with police in Scotland earlier and blocked roads in the nearby town of Stirling. The violence prompted police to cancel the protest near the hotel.
About 200 hooded activists smashed car windows and fought with riot police in the nearby town of Stirling while others set up impromptu barricades on the roads around the heavily guarded complex hosting the summit.
Police made 60 arrests as anti-capitalist, anarchist and environmentalist groups sought to capture the protest limelight that has until now been occupied by thousands of campaigners pressing for an end to poverty in Africa.
A spokesman for Central Scotland Police said "isolated incidents" had taken place since the early hours.
It was the second outbreak of serious violence since protesters started gathering in Scotland ahead of the G8 summit at Gleneagles, which begins today.
from http://www.g8radio.net/
17:29
security breach at gleneagles fence
3-5000 people reached outer security at gleneagles.
SWP stewards tell protestors to turn back to have 3rd rally of day elsewhere
SWP Stewards leaving protestors alone with police
200 occupy field next to gleneagles
chinook helicopter swooping protesters and flashing lights
Protestors 'fucking scared'
100 military forces in fields
17:35
sit down protest at field past barricade
have been cleared away by police and dogs and mounted police
and are thus being reported across the world. In many countries where debt relief is a national issue, and hunger, exploitation, Aids, water policy &c are to the fore, the protest scenes in Scotland are an active vindication of protests which were held this morning.
States such as Malaysia, Indonesia, south America.
It would appear there are countless who if they could get the visa to attend, would go through the fence as well.
Full timeline of G8 events near Gleneagles here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/07/316574.html
Gleneagles fence busters have moved away and are going back to campsites. Main G8A demo are getting back on coaches in Auchterarder. Things are calming down. Overall it seems like blockades were patchy with effectiveness but people were happy & impressed some managed to get so close to the fence. The reports of the military Chinooks coming in here to the centre sounded a bit mental. I guess when the Army start touching down then things became a bit more serious.
about 30 cops getting out of heli's, not quite the army but the mixing of military and civilion policing is never good.
18:38 people have broken through gleneagles fence and lit a fire under police watchtower. no arrests yet [indy editor: looking for further confirmation of fire story]
The Clown army were battoned earlier today, after the penny finally dropped and Police realised they weren't really clowns and had been taking the piss for the past week.
It was only a matter of time, when well away from public view and intrusive media cameras, Police officers, let their guard down, ran amok and beat the defenceless Clowns senseless after enduring nearly a week of the Clown army kicking them in the shins, squirting them with water from trick flowers etc.
Off camera, Police cunstable I.doasi'mtold, confessed it felt good, to crack Clown skulls open and watch them bleed, he added, ' to be honest, they were upstaging us and making us a laughing stock'.
cleear tv pictures of section of double fence was removed by protester at famous tower but didn't see any protestors running for the hotel :? ned seen grunting and banging large battery on at tower
People were worried about you paul and you will not answer your phone.
strange
06.07.2005 17:43
the BBC announced on news 24
that police had sent 'reinforcements'
this happened then
about 3 minutes later the chinook landed
someone at the beeb has had a peek at the gameplan...
interesting footage from the beeb, also
with a fat cameraman being trampled and ten helped up!
and as the fence is broken by the tower
no one went through....
saw the US flag burning too...
and someone smashing something against the side of
a hut
weird pictures
paul c
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SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit Press
SSP Youth Organiser Arrested
The Scottish Socialist Party tonight announced that the party's Youth Organiser Donnie Nicolson (26) and two other members of the SSP, Nick Eardley (17) and John Wight (30) were arrested in Edinburgh on Wednesday 6th July.
Tonight the SSP accused the police of being solely responsible for the events in Edinburgh after falsely informing coach drivers that the demonstration in Auchterarder was cancelled in a clear attempt to prevent protestors attending.
The SSP members were arrested following impromptu demonstrations that took place in the streets of the capital after police officers boarded buses and announced that the demonstration in Auchterarder was cancelled. A Superintendent from Lothian and Borders boarded buses from Edinburgh and announced that anarchists were attacking buses going to Auchterarder with scaffolding poles. This was completely untrue.
Eye witnesses have said that two of the three arrested, Nick Eardley and John Wight, had been involved in negotiations that involved the police, Edinburgh council leader Donald Anderson and the protestors. Donnie Nicolson was targeted later by a police snatch squad.
The three will be appearing at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, Chambers Street on Thursday 7th July from 2pm.
Colin Fox, SSP national convenor and party justice spokesperson said; "The events in Edinburgh on Wednesday were solely the responsibility of the police. "Why did they tell demonstrators and coach drivers that the demonstration in Auchterarder was cancelled ? "It was this deliberate attempt to stop people attending the demonstration that the police had agreed only days ago that resulted in the protests in Edinburgh. "If the police had not intervened in this way the 600 - 1,000 people who took to the streets of Edinburgh would have been safely on their way to Auchterarder. "There must now be an inquiry into the policing of the G8 protests across Scotland. "The deployment of large numbers of police officers with shields and wielding batons from forces that Scots would never normally come into contact with has been extremely provocative and has resulted in unnecessary violence."
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