Thread by @jamesdoleman

The last big international protest in Scotland was the G8 at Gleneagles in 2005.
A couple of stories
A few of us noticed that there was always a large police presence outside Borders bookshop in Buchanan Street.
1

I asked and was told that the police had intelligence that some of the protest groups used the slogan "No Nations, no Borders," so they considered the bookshop under threat.
2

The second one. At the march at Gleneagles itself, a group of about 50 young people, dressed as clowns, (The Clown Army) wandered into a field outside the venue.
The next thing you know.
3

One of these appears

It swoops in, dodging the imaginary anti aircraft fire, and the elite of the UKs riot police leaped out like they were in a hot LZ in Nam.
To face me in a yellow jacket, and some teenagers dressed as clowns

The inspector took one look at the situation and said, "Oh f*ck"

The Inspector gets on his radio, "Abort, abort," but it's too late, a second Chinook swoops down on me and the Clowns, with another load of riot police.
I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life.
#Fin

(One last memory that just came back to me)
There were thousands of police at Gleneagles from all over.
At one line a young woman walked to the police line (they were from Aberdeen)
1

She said to this older officer, "Thank you for protecting us, we love you," then put a flower in his jacket.
He quietly mumbled back, "we love you too hen."
She walked away, his fellow officers just looked at him in amazement
2

I saw the same police officer a few hours later while we were loading up the buses.
He still had the flower on his jacket.

(the clown army)