Anti-NATO protestors penned near Old College

Protesters descended on Edinburgh last week as the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly's annual meeting took place.

The NATO-PA meetings took place at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre from 13 to 17 November.

Pete Connell, secretary of the Stop the War coalition, who organised a demonstration, told The Journal: “Two thirds of British people are against the war and we are giving them a voice. We want troops to be withdrawn from the country and for those in charge to find a political solution.

"Eight years ago the NATO coalition said that they had ‘liberated’ the Afghan people. In that time, tens of thousands of Afghan people have been killed and hundreds of British and American soldiers have died in the war,” Mr Connell said.

The coalition was joined by soldiers’ families, members of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, and many students and Edinburgh residents.

James Foley, an unemployed graduate, told The Journal: “For students who are 18, ten years of their life have been defined by war. I am unemployed like many students coming out of university right now yet the government are spending £4 billion on this war.

“The working class of Britain need to get involved whether they are a student, a pensioner, whoever, they are all affected,” Mr Foley added.

Further demonstrations took place at Edinburgh University's Old College on Tuesday 17 November as Anders Fogh Rasmussen, secretary general of NATO, gave a talk on ‘The Future of Peace Support Operations'.

The Journal understands that security was high due to the presence of the Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Prince El Hassan Bin Talal in Old College for private meetings at the same time as Mr Rasmussen's lecture.

Fifteen protestors tried to enter the quadrangle to play music and hand out flyers but were removed by police to a fenced area outside the building on Nicholson Street.

A female demonstrator, who was reluctant to give her name, said: “We were forcibly shoved. One male police officer groped me on the breast. Several people in our group fell to the ground.

“We are now being kept in this area, no-one is allowed in or out. We have not been told how long we will be here or under what law they are holding us. The communication is awful.”

The demonstrators, all from the NATO Welcoming Committee, felt intimidated by the heavy police presence and commented that they were “made to feel like terrorists”.

Intelligence officers had been taking photos of all those involved.

The Lothian and Borders Police released this statement: “Officers from Lothian and Borders Police were in attendance and directed the protestors to a designated protest area on South Bridge where their peaceful protest is being facilitated."