Police charge 32 after post-referendum violence

POLICE ARE reported to have charged 32 people with 37 alleged offences in connection with unionist violence in Glasgow city centre the day after the independence referendum.

By The Newsroom Friday, 31st October 2014, 12:20 pm

The charges, which included serious assault and carrying an offensive weapons, were in connection with the violence that erupted in George Square on September 19th. Picture: TSPL

The charges, which included serious assault and carrying an offensive weapons, were in connection with the violence that erupted in George Square on September 19th.

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Hundreds of officers were involved in a bid to keep pro-independence voters and passers-by separated from a group of Unionists who were celebrating the No victory. Chief Constable Stephen House has praised the action of his fellow police officers in restoring the peace and helping to minimise the violence, before describing the events of that night, he said: “Yes had campaigners gathered in the square - and I would stress there was no trouble with that. However, later on a group of people arrived who you may wish to characterise as No campaigners. They began to taunt the Yes campaigners it was a pretty tense situation.”

Sir Stephen added that this trouble only represented a tiny minority of Scotland’s citizens and was quick to emphasise that there was little other trouble in what he described as a “well behaved” referendum. He added: “This was a somewhat unsavoury part of the generally extremely well behaved referendum. It was a difficult event, especially as it was played out on social media.”