The Kelvingrove Park Royal Wedding ‘Riot’ Was Against State Control: Photos
DID you go to the Royal Wedding Street Party in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Park – the one where 22 people were arrested and 11 police officers hurt?
One man was seriously injured:
Strathclyde chief constable Stephen House spoke out as a taxi driver fought for his life after his cab crashed with a police van racing to the party riot.
Riot? Is the Daily Record over-doing it?
Chief Supt Bernard Higgins offers all media:
“It’s really disappointing that on the day of the royal wedding we witnessed the scenes we did. The level of drunkenness was completely unacceptable and irresponsible.”
No, not the drunken wedding party back at the Palace, described by the NoTW thus:
Good-natured guests getting royally hammered on Laurent Perrier champagne, Mojito cocktails and potent Sambuca Slammers.
So. Can drink be blamed for the rumpus?
Dani Garavelli adds:
Even in the republican heartland of Glasgow, people celebrated, albeit in their own inimitable way. The organisers of the party/rammy in Kelvingrove Park had not applied for a licence, allowing revellers to feel seditious, even as they participated in the establishment event of the decade. Then – just to make sure it felt like a proper Scottish wedding do – they got tanked up, threw a few punches and waited for the riot they started to be broken up by mounted police officers.
Well. Not everyone in Glasgow felt seditious:
Captain of Glasgow Rangers football team David Weir took to the pitch this afternoon with the words ‘Congratulations William & Catherine 29th April 2011’ embroidered on his shirt.
The police were very quick to respond to the aggro. Were they expecting trouble? One day earlier, we were told:
A [council] spokesperson said: “This event was organised without involvement or consent form the council and we have genuine safety concerns for anyone attending.”
Craig Easdale was there. He wrote:
“This was a great event, and the behaviour of everyone was good on the whole, up until the police arrived. I feel if the event was shut down more calmly a lot of drama could have been avoided and the police definitely didn’t handle it as well as they could have”.
The Scotsman says:
Others claimed the situation worsened after police brought in mounted officers. Suggestions that police acted in a heavy handed manner were described as “ridiculous” by a spokeswoman for Strathclyde Police.
What about the timeline of events?
The Facebook page said the Kelvingrove Street Party would run from 1100 BST until 2100 BST but police moved in to break it up at about 1700 BST.
And the party was sanctioned by David Cameron, albeit not specifically:
“These pen pushers and busybodies are completely wrong. They have no right to stop you from having fun. I am the Prime Minister and I am telling you if you want to have a street party, you go ahead and have one.”
Blondie claims to have set up the event:
It was me, the original and very much unofficial organiser of todays lil event in the park. Just for the record I invited a few (approx 20) people to the park to get the decks on the go and to have a bit of a picnic for the plesant bank holiday weather anticipated. Unfortunatley some miscellaneous knobber took my event email and posted it to EVERYONE…. The police are already outnumbering the grovers 2-1 and due to this high police presence many people are leaving as soon as they get there! I would just like to add that after speaking to the police i can assure everyone they are not there to take your drinks…..just to make sure you drink responsibly and have a jolly good time without the infiltration of neds or bams. so take some drinks and take some snacks and have a good ol boogie to the fantastic tunes on offer! Might i also add that the knobbers who have hijacked this and turned it into some sort of promotional event at Club 520 and O’Couture take note…………………………..YOUR CLUBS ARE SHITE!!”
Glisco writes that without the party notice on Facebook:
Kelvingrove park, in Glasgow’s student-populated and affluent west end, would obviously be deserted on this sunny, socialist/communist/hippie-taunting excuse of a bank holiday).
What really happened?
It was not anti-police, anti-Royal or pro religion protest – the party was an act of defiance to state control over everything – even our music and what we smoke.
Posted: 1st, May 2011 | In: Key Posts, Reviews Comment (1) | TrackBack | Permalink
