By Mark Mackay

PROTEST GROUP G8 Alternatives has vowed to fight moves to stop them staging a march past Gleneagles Hotel as the summit opens on July 6.

Campaigners claimed that road closures and police opposition to their proposed demonstration infringed their democratic right to march peacefully.

A number of A-classified roads and several rights of way will be closed, effectively sealing off the hotel and its surrounds from campaigners.

They may be given permission to stage a static demonstration on Auchterarder Park, adjacent to the five-star venue, where in any event they had hoped to gather for a rally. Protesters, however, described the decision as “a disaster for democracy.”

Perth and Kinross Council said it was “extremely disappointed” at the stance taken by G8 Alternatives given the “responsible approach” taken by itself and Tayside Police.

It has been claimed that over 30,000 people would gather at the hotel to make themselves heard when world leaders gather in July.

March organisers G8 Alternatives and their partners met on Monday with representatives from Tayside Police and Perth and Kinross Council, to whom they submitted an application for a licence to march.

However, the campaigners yesterday gathered at the gates of Gleneagles—by the side of a road on which they will be denied the opportunity to march when the summit begins— to express their anger at its outcome.

G8 alternatives’ Gill Hubbard was joined by Socialist MSP Frances Curran, lawyer Aamer Anwar and Rose Gentle, whose 19-year-old son Gordon was killed in a roadside blast in Basra in June last year.

They claimed council officials had been supportive of their plans, but said their “hands had been tied” by police decisions.

Human rights lawyer Mr Anwar said the route advocated by the police was not acceptable to the people of Scotland and the world community.

“What they are talking about is a five-mile ring of steel,” he said. “They are basically creating an exclusion zone.

“We have a democratic right to march peacefully, set out in the European Convention of Human Rights, but we are being denied that by the police and George Bush.

“I don’t think they give a damn about the people of Auchterarder. We have consistently said that we want to cause as little disruption to the people of Auchterarder as possible.

“What they have actually done is place us in the middle of Auchterarder, which has absolutely nothing to do with G8 or George Bush.

“We demand that the roads are opened,” he added.

“What the police have set out will be a recipe for disaster, a disaster for democracy.”

A defiant Gill Hubbard vowed that the march would go ahead despite opposition.

“We wanted the minimum of disruption for the people of Auchterarder, but we wanted to be visible and we wanted to be heard as we marched past Gleneagles Hotel,” she said.

“Many of us are fed up listening to the G8 talking about action to alleviate poverty but failing to deliver.

“We have been told that there will be roadblocks in place that would effectively stop us from doing so.

“We have marched past the Scottish Parliament. We have marched past Westminster. We are sure as hell going to march past Gleneagles.”

The campaigners said their next step would be to write to the chief constable to question the need for roadblocks and to arrange a meeting between themselves, Mr Vine and First Minister Jack McConnell.

A judicial review in the Court of Session could also be an option, Mr Anwar said, though this process would have to be speedily expedited given the obvious time constraints.

Perth and Kinross Council said it was extremely disappointed at the stance taken by G8 Alternatives.

A spokesman said their position did not reflect the positive and responsible approach adopted by the council and the police to the notification for a march and rally in Auchterarder.

And he said the likelihood of traffic management measures was clear from the outset of discussions.

The notification was received on March 6 and is being processed under the provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

“During the consultation process it became apparent that there were a number of issues regarding roads, transport and public safety that required to be addressed before a report could be submitted to the licensing committee,” said the council spokesman.

“The council and Tayside police have repeatedly stated their desire to facilitate peaceful protest, but have also pointed out that it was inevitable that there would be traffic management measures in place for the G8 summit.”

He added, “The council identified the issues that required to be addressed and, at the request of G8 Alternatives, outlined a possible alternative proposal for a rally in the public park, as originally planned by G8 Alternatives for July 6, which could be submitted to the licensing committee.

“Unfortunately this proposal was not acceptable to G8 Alternatives as it did not allow them to get close enough to Gleneagles Hotel.

“They indicated that they intended to write to the chief constable of Tayside police requesting an exemption to march on the roads that would be closed.”

Despite claims that the decision on the march is already a closed book—G8 Alternatives yesterday said the council had washed its hands of the matter—the notification submitted by G8 Alternatives is still being processed and, at present, will go to a meeting of the council’s licensing committee for decision.

Measures to be put in place to ensure security at the G8 summit include road closures and reduced speed limits, while police officers will man major junctions on the A9, which links Perth to Stirling and Glasgow.

Threats to defy the proposed road blocks by G8 Alternatives have been criticised by Perth MSP Roseanna Cunningham.

She said last night, “I am angry and surprised that some of those associated with G8 Alternatives have started to talk about defying road blocks.

“That is a wrong-headed and premature response which will only serve to alienate local residents.

“It should be possible for those who want to make their voices heard to be able to do so as near as possible to the venue of the conference itself,” she added.