FAC goes to SNP conference, gets intimidated and one FACer complains to the Police Service of Scotland!

Following the events of 12th April which are detailed in an earlier post, I have decided, with the backing of FAC, to formally complain to the Police Service of Scotland about what happened to us that day.  I have also written to my MSP to complain and I would encourage others who were there that day to do likewise.  One of the local supporters has also complained formally about his treatment that day and we hope to bring you updates about the resolution of that complaint.

We also thought it would be useful to post updates of the process so that people who are considering complaining to the Police can see how the process works and hopefully encourage people to make complaints and keep the system as clean as it possibly can be.

There are a number of ways you can go about this and they are detailed in a helpful booklet produced by the Police themselves and which can be found at:

http://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/138327/147514/complaints-about-the-police-guide?view=Standard

I decided to make my initial contact through the following Contact link on the PSS site:

http://www.scotland.police.uk/assets/pdf/138327/147514/complaints-about-the-police-guide?view=Standard

I gave them the details they needed and typed in the substance of my complaint, which was:

I would like to lodge a complaint against the PSS for the following reason:

1.  A coach departing from George Square, Glasgow and collecting other passengers on Edinburgh Road, Baillieston on which I was travelling on 12th April 2014 which was bound for Aberdeen to protest outside of the SNP Spring Conference was subject to surveillance by an unmarked police car for no good reason.  This was intimidating, unnecessary and a breach of my right of assembly.

2.  On arrival in Aberdeen I, and the other 18 members of our protest group, were issued with a Section 12 Notice under the Public Order Act.  This was unwarranted, disproportionate, intimidating, excessive, unnecessary and a breach of my right of assembly and an attempt to prevent us from excercising our rights to peacefully protest.  This action also potentially led to a slur on my character as onlookers could reasonably think that I was a threat to public order when that is not the case and there is no evidence to suggest that it is the case.

3.  A police car positioned itself directly in front of our coach as we left the conference area and the officer stated that he had been given instructions to escort us out of the city of Aberdeen.  Despite our objection, the car did escort us for a short distance.  This was unwarranted, intimidating, unnecessary, a waste of public resources, and an attempt to further intimidate me (and others) and discourage us from exercising our right of peaceful assembly, freedom of speech and freedom to protest peacefully.

I pressed Send and I now await a response.  I will keep you posted on this blog!