POLICE Scotland has pledged not to brand peaceful protestors “domestic extremists” after the Sunday National revealed anti-fracking campaigners had been categorised alongside far-right groups.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gerry McLean yesterday said the single force “supports the public’s right to protest”.
READ MORE: Makar Jackie Kay commits to leading Faslane anti-nuclear demonstration
The assurance comes after Nicola Sturgeon vowed to seek answers ahead of an anti-nuclear rally on Saturday.
That pledge followed calls by Greens co-convenor Patrick Harvie after The National’s sister paper revealed how anti-fracking activists had been labelled domestic extremists despite Home Office guidance to the contrary.
A report authored by The Ferret for the paper showed that the environmentalists had been rated alongside alongside banned neo-Nazi terrorist groups Scottish Dawn and National Action in a strategic police counter-terrorism plan.
McLean said: “Police Scotland supports the public’s right to protest against anything that concerns them, and will facilitate peaceful protests as long as these are conducted within the law.
“The 2017/18 police plan included a reference to issues which were of legitimate concern to the wider public at that time, but which may have been vulnerable to exploitation by people of a more extreme mindset who could undermine peaceful protest and pose a risk to public safety.
“Police Scotland’s position would never be to describe peaceful protesters as domestic extremists.”
Yesterday Scottish Greens co-convener Patrick Harvie urged Sturgeon to “give an assurance that campaigners at Faslane on Saturday will not be designated as ‘domestic extremists’ merely for attending a peaceful rally”.
READ MORE: Treating peaceful activists like far-right extremists is outrageous
The statement refers to the Nae Nukes Anywhere event, which will draw international speakers.
Sturgeon said: “If I were to start to speak in the chamber on behalf of Police Scotland, there would be all sorts of justifiable and legitimate criticisms of me for doing so.”
However, she went on: “I am happy to ask the chief constable on behalf of Police Scotland to address the point that Patrick Harvie has raised.”
Harvie, who will attend the Faslane event, also pressed the First Minister to explain what actions the government is taking to have Police Scotland reverse the “extremist” categorisation of peaceful protestors.
He said: “Anti-fracking campaigners who exercise their democratic right to protest are heroes. Yet Police Scotland have labelled them domestic extremists.
“The First Minister urgently needs to clarify when she and her Justice Secretary became aware of this and spell out what actions the government will take to address this.”
Commenting at First Minister’s Questions, Sturgeon stated her own support for the anti-nuclear movement. She told the chamber: “I absolutely support the right of peaceful democratic protest.
“I have taken part in many peaceful democratic protests, including at Faslane against nuclear weapons. I will defend the right of people to demonstrate, whether they are protesting against fracking or nuclear weapons or anything else. As long as they do that peacefully and democratically, I defend their right to do so.
“It is for the police to answer for the operational decisions that they take, but that is my view. I am happy to state that view unequivocally today.”
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