Police in Edinburgh are asking for a ban on a major anti-war rally slated for the Scottish capital during the G8 summit meeting, alleging that its organizers have been linked with "violence and disruption." The UK's Stop the War Coalition [2] wants to hold the rally four days before the G8 summit opens the first week of July at the nearby resort of Gleneagles [3].
The same organization has been behind a series of major protests across Britain in recent years. But the Lothian and Borders Police Force [4] say their resources will be stretched to the limit by the Make Poverty History [5] march in Edinburgh earlier the same day.
They also claim the coalition has been associated with violence, disruption and an attempt to lay siege to a local police station. The organizers accuse the police of political censorship.
Chris Nineham from the Stop the War Coalition said: "I don't know what they're referring to. There's been 11 national stop the war demonstrations, amongst the biggest this country's ever seen, and there's never been any trouble on any of them. This seems to be to a joke really, I don't think that's what this is about at all."
The coalition and the police are said to be at a complete impasse. (Scotland Today [6], May 26)
