Racist Police arrest Campaigner for leafleting in Scotland

Message from Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!/Revolutionary Communist Group.

"We are circulating this email around all the socialist, solidarity, campaigning and progressive organisations.

On Tuesday evening in Dundee, 27 November, the police arrested a comrade from Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!/Revolutionary Communist Group. Michael was distributing his organisation’s newspaper and handing out leaflets about the forthcoming Speaking Tour of Cuban comrades. The police arrived at the instigation of the janitors at the new Heathfield Building in Dundee’s Hawkhill. Michael was there because this building was the venue for that evening’s "Allah Made Me Funny" show.

He was receiving a friendly response from the overwhelmingly Muslim crowds and no complaints were made. The police aggressively demanded that he move on and arrested Michael very violently when he asked what the legal basis for that request was. He was charged at by the female officer, turned round and held by the arms by both officers. It was demanded by the officers that he lie face down on the concrete and present his arms behind him for cuffing. Michael verbally protested at this treatment and shouted to the crowd that he was not resisting arrest or being violent. He was cuffed very painfully and charged at the local police station with disorderly conduct, namely "lashing out with arms and legs". He was released just before midnight. Michael is very confident that CCTV and the videoing of the arrest by people will back this account and clear him completely.

Michael’s defence campaign is being formed to challenge the arrest and charge and to vigorously and publicly demand that the officers themselves be charged. This is a vital moment for all campaigners and political activists as the Labour government plans to bring in even more repressive legislation and the targeting of communities such as the Muslim community is stepped up.

Defence of our rights to protest, to free speech, to distribute and associate is under attack.

All these rights are guaranteed in law but they must be asserted and defended to be meaningful. It cannot be the case that a crime can be made of making socialist and anti-racist material publicly available and that police officers can behave in this arbitrary and dangerous way.

Please support the campaign. Contact the campaign (see below) to add your organisations or individual name to the Statement of Protest. Leave contact details and consider a donation to help fund the costs of campaigning. The campaign can be contacted on 07904057790 and at frfiscotland@yahoo.co.uk

Note from SACC - Michael, the victim of this incident, has supported various SACC events in Dundee and is a comrade and friend to many of us. He is hoping that people who videoed the incident will get in touch with him.