This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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March organisers pledge to weed out troublemakers
02/05/2006
March organisers, local authorities, the police and the Executive have today signed a historic joint statement, pledging to weed out the troublemakers who would hijack otherwise peaceful marches and parades.
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson joined the commitment at a public signing ceremony in Glasgow today - aimed at ensuring that drunks, sectarian bigots and racists are not allowed to take over legitimate expressions of history and tradition.
Signatories also included Ian Wilson, The Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge for Scotland, Jim Slaven, National Organiser for Cairde na hEireann, Katrina Purcell, chairperson of the STUC General Council, Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Smith of Strathclyde Police, Councillor Jim Coleman of Glasgow City Council and Councillor David Saunders of North Lanarkshire Council.
The full text of the joint statement reads:
"Scotland has a proud history of parading and peaceful assembly. We all accept that with those rights come responsibilities. While most participants conduct themselves in an orderly manner, some marches can attract individuals intent on causing trouble, singing and chanting abusive and bigoted songs and slogans and even behaving in a violent and disruptive manner. Such individuals have little interest in the march and are ignorant of the historical or political motivations behind it.
"For many years communities have suffered from this behaviour. It is simply not acceptable for anyone to use these events as an excuse to indulge in antisocial and criminal behaviour. Those who organise marches and parades, the authorities responsible for the welfare of communities, the police responsible for keeping order and the Scottish Executive all agree that the abusive behaviour associated with marches and parades has no place in a modern multi-cultural and multi-faith Scotland. We all agree that the time has come for this problem to be tackled once and for all.
"This statement is a clear message of our intent to work together to deal with the abusive individuals who are not welcome and will not be tolerated at marches and parades in Scotland.
"Together we agree to:
- Exert whatever influence we can to ensure that those individuals who take part in marches and parades behave in a responsible and law-abiding manner.
- Use whatever means we can to advise spectators that abusive or violent behaviour will not be tolerated.
- Ensure that illegal symbols, slogans, uniforms or paraphernalia associated with banned groups or paramilitary organisations are not permitted on the march.
- Work in partnership to identify and deal with those individuals whose behaviour is unacceptable or causing distress to ordinary members of the community.
- Proportionate action being taken to deal with those individuals who will not desist from sectarian, racist and abusive verbal or physical behaviour."
Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson said:
"For too long we have allowed the bullies, the thugs and the sectarian bigots to take over legitimate expressions of history and tradition - and get away with unacceptable behaviour. Behaviour which puts unnecessary pressure on the police and which blights the lives of many of our communities.
"Of course, we support the right to free assembly and the right to march. And the commitment given today will do nothing to impinge on that right. But the type of unacceptable behaviour we have seen in the past only helps to detract attention away from the spectacle and message of a march. And it has a deeply damaging effect on Scotland's image world-wide.
"We all want to see the back of such behaviour. That's why I welcome the commitment that everyone has made today. The Orange Order and Cairde na hEireann, the police and local authorities have taken an historic step today. And I would welcome any other groups that want to sign up and join us.
"This is not a token or a hollow gesture. By signing this pledge we are sending a clear collective signal - we will not accept the streets of Scotland to be taken over by drunken and abusive louts.
"The time has come to get the hangers-on off our backs."
Sir John Orr was commissioned by the Executive to review the arrangements for holding marches and parades in Scotland. His report was published in January 2005. Sir John made 38 recommendations - all of which were accepted by Scottish Ministers.
Key recommendations included:
- More informed decision making - with organisers required to give 28 days notice to local authorities and the police of their intention to hold a procession, compared with seven days at present
- A fair and transparent process for the wider community - where local authorities establish mechanisms to ensure local people are able to feed their views into the decision making process
- A clear understanding of marches and their consequences for all concerned - following receipt of a signed notification and a satisfactory, precursory meeting with march organisers, local authorities should issue a 'permit to process'. This will enable the march to go ahead, but will also provide a written outline of what has been agreed
- More responsibility and accountability for those who wish to march - local authorities should be able to require organisers to take out insurance or provide a behaviour bond.
- A clearer focus on public safety - with local authorities required to undertake rigorous risk assessments and impact analysis on each notification
The Scottish Executive subsequently issued its consultation document, "Supporting Police, Protecting Communities", to describe the legislative changes that Scottish Ministers wanted to make to the way that processions are handled by local authorities. Modernisation to the process is now being taken forward in two ways, through:
- Provisions in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill to give local authorities a wider range of duties and powers; and
- A Working Group to consider how best to take forward the non-statutory recommendations contained in Sir John's report.
The joint statement on tackling the abusive behaviour of 'hangers on' at marches and parades was not a recommendation of Sir John Orr's report but developed from discussions with march organisers, the police and local authorities who highlighted the problems these individuals cause.