Images from Anti-G8 activities in Edinburgh

There are a lot of good pictures appearing in British press already on Monday 4.July. Scotland indymedia hasn't quite caught up yet, but it looks like things are happening. Hopefully no one is going to get hurt.

by Sorn
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Note that I live in Edinburgh, have no special liking for the police and believe in freedom of speech. This is my personal account of the Rose st riot Monday 4 July 2005

I was on the corner of Princes' st and St David street about 6pm. The stand off between police and demonstrators was pretty uneventful when my brother and I heard a local ned saying that he was off to see the fighting in Rose street. We follow suit and walked into Rose street just at the Abbotsford pub and Marks & Spencer. We managed to climb up onto a window ledge and had a great view of the proceedings.

At 100 yards down Rose st was about 45 riot dressed police split into 3 rows. Behind the this was a row of about 10 mounted riot police. Behind them was clear all the was back to the next block. In front of the plastic shield of the police was about 400 people stretching back to the entrance to Rose st. The public was made of observers 70% press 10%, mask wearing anarchist 3% and 17% local neds. The anarchists identified themselves to me by way of whipping up an atmosphere. Individuals shouting slogans such as "I see welfare-you see warfare" and "We own the streets" which in return got the crowd whipped up into an excited state. Although there was no actual physical contact the mood was definitely charged and something was expected to kick off soon.

The foot police started to bang their shields creating noise and suddenly charged the crowd for about 10 feet followed up by the mounted. They then stopped. The crowd surged back and realising that the charge was only a tiny advancement recovered to their original actions of shouting and baiting the police. The mood became more excited, glass and plastic bottles were thrown. I did not see more that two or three in the air at any one time and their launches were uncoordinated and sporadic. After another 5 minutes passed the police charged again and took another 10 feet with the horses following up as before. By this time a lot more spectators had arrived and were standing across St David's street watching the scene.

At this point I still hadn't seen any injuries and no police brutality. A young guy appear from the north lane on Rose st from behind the Abbotsford pub with a steel supermarket trolley used for transporting milk in the back of lorries. It was full of empty plastic crates. A huge cheer went up and next more trolleys appear, about 5 in total. The plastic crate were snatched up and thrown at the police line with corresponding cheers from the crowd. It seemed a bit surreal and I realised this was a point of no return. This was definitely getting violent and had nothing to do with G8, poverty or capitalism it just seemed like an excuse for trouble. The trolleys were wheeled into the police front line as a barricade. Another charge took place and the police took about the next 20 feet of Rose st.

The demonstrators again surged back and then forward again. My brother and I move position onto the phone boxes on the east side or St David's st. Again another perfect view point. The demonstrators continued to goad the police but without effect. The area of Rose street left between the Abottsford pub and the T junction at St David's street, where we were, is only about 50 feet. Most spectators were on St David's st and only the active demonstrators and press remained in Rose st.

Everyone was waiting about for something to escalate and it did. Someone from just in front of the police line, dug up a brick from the herring bone bricked pavement, and through it at the police who deflected it with their shield. A huge cry and cheer went up. Then another brick and another came raining down on the police front three rows and also onto the mounted police behind. However, the police just stood and took it. The crowd jostled for position as this was ultimately what they had wanted to see.

What looked like an anarchist (sallow skinned, scruffy, dressed in black) walked up to the Police line facing them and stood there, arms held out to the side as if crucified. Then a brick was thrown, missing its target and hit the demonstrator on the shoulder. Everything was dangerous and appeared out of control aswell as riveting and exciting. The police took this for about 5 minutes and then charged the crowd who instantly recoiled. The police recovered the rest of Rose st and pushed everyone onto St David's st.

So far I still hadn't seen any police contact. No beatings, punches, snatch squad, tear gas anything. All the police had done was progressively take Rose street and push the demonstrators back by way of mini charges.

I became conscious of my escape routes and notice that the police line I saw on Princes' street had moved up in parrell to the police line on Rose st, therefore effectively closing off heading south. I noticed a protester had got hold of a police riot shield and was holding it aloft to great cheers and laughter from the crowd. It got passed about as a trophy but no one really wanted it as it was the sure way to get lifted on your way home after a riot. The stones, bottles and bricks continued but to a much lesser extent, running out of ammo probably. Again no one appeared hurt on either side. Then the police line across Princes' st wheeled round to close off the south side of St David's street, this was my time to shift. We jumped from our telephone box and briskly walked up to St Andrews sq. and crossed to the railings at the park. At this point the police on Rose st charged round towards St Andrews sq. with the crowd running ahead. Some reached us and jumped into the park but most turned right at the sq. and headed towards Tile's pub on the corner of St Andrews sq. and St Andrews st. Just then 2 helicopters appeared overhead and screaming sirens heralded the riot police reserves who appeared from Queen st, about 10 transit vans full of riot police and a detachment of about twenty charging mounted. They turned right onto St Andrews sq and then left onto the south side of the sq. I crossed onto St David's st with the intention of heading down Queen st.

A group of riot police emptied out of the vans and sealed off the southwest corner of the sq. and the remainder swept round the sq. towards the bus station and consequently round the north west corner. The mounted turned left from Queen st and sealed off the north est corner of the sq.

I was standing on the north east corner of Queen st. I saw people running around inside the park with nowhere to go and the riot police surrounding it so as to pen them in. The transit vans were empty with doors open, sirens whailing and blockading the road. I estimate 150 police were now in the square cordoning off the side streets and penning in groups of spectators, neds, press, shoppers, folk waiting at bus stops and anarchists wherever the got caught up in the police lines.

I then walked down queen street and left the scene.

It appears in retrospect that the police on Rose st were waiting on the reserves to get in position and hence the level of abuse they tolerated. For the 40 minutes I was watching it at first hand from two excellent view points I didn't see any police harassment or brutality or retaliation other than the mini charges on Rose st. I didn't see anyone injured on either side and didn't see any heavy handiness on the police other than the intimidating sight of full riot gear with shields and mounted horsemen. To me it seemed that the small group of anarchists whipped up of the local ned element of the group and then excitement/adrenaline took over. When the violence started it was unnecessary as no one was penned in and no one was being arrested. No window were being smashed and no shops were looted.

by iain
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re: canning st

protestors were let out one by one IF they allowed themselves to be photographed and have their name, date of birth and home address. Those who refused were apparantly lifted.

the canning st protest contained around 200 people of varying nationalities and one band (pink and silver, I believe) who kept our spirits up. Also detained were members of the capitalist press, obviously not saying who they slave for, and several of the legal observers who once we got out were interested in the abuse of section 60.

after my release myself and two comrades travelled to haymarket and then back along to princes street in the hunt for scran, and were able to rejoin the protests on princes st after eating, although it appears we missed the fun.

What with all the riot polis and NCIS (the guys in the blue overthingys) we decided to retreat to the convergence space and only left on occasional forays to see whats happening and if anybody needed help.

solidarity forever