POLICE Scotland has been accused of a “violent and disproportionate” response to a protest outside a Scottish arms factory which allegedly saw one woman knocked unconscious and hospitalised after being hit with a baton.
As well as the four staples needed on the 26-year-old woman’s scalp, three further activists required medical attention, protesters who took part in the demonstration outside the Thales site in Govan on July 3 said.
Images shared with this paper show the woman’s head wound, while video from the incident shows one police officer wielding a baton, pushing protesters and allegedly shouting: “Run. Run home. Run for your lives. Run.”
NEW: Police Scotland faces allegations of a 'violent' response to a protest in Govan Four were hospitalised, including a 26-year-old woman hit in the head with a baton. Video shared with this paper appears to show an officer telling activists to 'run for your lives' pic.twitter.com/f3tKdEWG1h
— The National (@ScotNational) July 18, 2024
The violent clashes between police and protesters came outside the Govan Cross shopping centre and Govan subway station around 35 minutes after the demonstration at the Thales arms factory nearby had been dispersed.
Activists had been at the factory site from around 5am, blocking the entrance in an effort to protest against parts they say Thales provides for Watchkeeper drones used in Gaza through a contract with Israeli firm Elbit.
Thales does manufacture drone components but has insisted that it adheres to “rigorous and transparent” controls on exports and does not deal with the Israeli military.
Police had broken the blockade at the Thales gates at around 11.05am, and protesters were then shepherded towards Govan subway station.
Video taken by bystanders around 35 minutes later showed numerous police vehicles swooping in on Govan Cross, with violent clashes following.
On the day of the protest, eyewitness reports said that as many as 32 police vehicles had descended on the scene. Media outlets reported at least 26 vehicles attended, while an image widely shared on social media showed at least 21.
The police’s own estimates said there were “around 80 people” at the protest outside Thales, while no figure was put on the number of people involved in the incident at the Govan subway station. Police said three arrests were made outside Thales and a further 11 at Govan Cross.
On the day of the protest, police said that the operation at Govan Cross came “as part of enquiries into [an] earlier incident of police assault”, where an officer was reported to be “injured but did not require treatment”.
A police statement also said that one “member of the public was taken to hospital as a precaution”. They gave no reason for the hospitalisation, and it is unclear if it was the same person who required four staples for a head injury.
Protesters at the July 3 incident also reported being pinned to the ground, sometimes with pressure on the neck, with one person allegedly passing out while being arrested.
One reported a suspected broken nose, another said they had sought medical treatment for bruised ribs and others exhibited heavy bruising across legs and torsos allegedly from police batons.
The incident came roughly six weeks after another protest outside the Thales factory in Govan, which was attended by a journalist from The National who reported seeing heavy-handed policing including protesters being pinned to the ground by multiple officers.
The National’s reporter was also manhandled and threatened with arrest without legal basis in an incident recorded on video.
A spokesperson from the group of protesters said the police had been guilty of a “violent and disproportionate” response on July 3.
They claimed: “Many protesters were beaten by batons, others were pepper sprayed and at least three people ended up in hospital. This is not a proportionate response to our actions.
“The police are more concerned with protecting Thales's ability to operate than with ensuring the safety of the Scottish public or the peace and safety of the people currently in Gaza."
When Police Scotland were asked for comment on the allegations, they did not deny that protesters had been hospitalised due to their actions.
Local area commander chief inspector Derrick Johnston said: "We have not received any complaints, but would ask anyone with concerns to contact us.
"The disorder at Govan Subway Station which followed what had been a largely peaceful protest was dangerous and unacceptable.
"Fourteen people were arrested and charged in connection with offences including police assault, disorder and resisting arrest.
"There were obvious public safety concerns around this incident and a proportionate policing response brought it to a swift conclusion.
"Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and our role is to ensure public safety while balancing the rights of protesters."
