Guidelines for us

PLEASE REFER TO THE CURRENT POLICY AND CODE OF CONDUCT IN RELATION TO THE BELOW GUIDELINES.

The code of conduct sets out the issues which we consider important when dealing with the notification of a procession. This represents a general approach, each procession will be assessed on its own merits and according to circumstances.

Responsibility for a procession and its participants lies first and foremost with the procession organiser who must make sure a pre-planned, well-organised and peaceful event that has as little negative impact as possible on local residents, businesses and communities. The Police, too, have a critical role in upholding the law in and around processions and demonstrations.

General

The organiser must co-operate with the Council and the Police from the time of submission of the notification until the Procession disperses; the organiser must identify himself/herself to the Police Commander at the commencement of the Procession; and ensure that all Participants have been informed of any conditions imposed on the Procession in regard to timing, route, etc.

Timing for processions

Processions will take place between 7.30am and 9.00pm. As a general rule, no music will be played before 9.00am or later than 6.00pm (Refer to paragraph 3.2 in full Policy and Code of Conduct). In terms of the playing of music, further restrictions may be required after considering the type of premises on the proposed route e.g. residential developments, places of worship (irrespective of whether a service is in progress), football grounds and public houses.

Processions route

We will consider:

• the impact of the route on residents, businesses and transport users and seek to balance the desire of the procession organisers for a particular route with the impact on other people affected by that route. The presumption is that processions will avoid residential areas and should, where practical, keep to main arterial routes;

• organisers' proposals for stewarding and other arrangements, may be required to provide suitably qualified stewards. All stewards must be identifiable and at a ratio of one steward per ten participants.

• the responsibilities involved in managing traffic as referred to in section 29 of the guidance issued by Scottish Ministers and will work with organisers and the Police to minimise any costs which may be payable by the organiser for traffic management deemed necessary depending on the nature of the planned event.

Large or High Risk Processions

All processions of approximately 1500 participants or more will be required to provide a Procession Management Plan.

All marches of approximately 1,000 participants or those assessed as high risk will be required to assemble in a public park, or equivalent public space agreed by us, and proceed to another park or equivalent space for dispersal. Use of the city's major parks or equivalent spaces as assembly/dispersal points has proven successful in helping to minimise unnecessary disruption from public processions.

Glasgow City Centre

We define the city centre as the area within the boundary of the River Clyde to the South, High Street to the East and the M8 motorway to the North and West.

When considering notifications for public processions taking place within the city centre, we will rigorously make sure that the four considerations [public safety; public order, damage to property and disruption to the life of the community] set out in the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) 2006 Act are taken into account.

The organisers of all processions which indicate that their route will go through the city centre must be prepared to attend a meeting with council officers and the police.

'Feeder' and 'Return' Processions

In the case of all notifications, including 'feeder' or 'return' processions, disruption to the life of the community will be considered, in particular the impact on residents and businesses located on procession routes.

Feeder and return processions will be considered as separate notifications. The Council will require the submission of individual notifications for each procession. An organiser which intends to undertake feeder or return processions will require to submit separate parade notifications for each of these processions.

In instances where an organisation submits multiple notifications for the same date and for the same or similar routes, the procession organisers will be required to explain the need to hold multiple processions. We will take this explanation into account, along with the need to balance Article 11 ECHR rights of the applicants with the rights and freedoms of others, in determining whether it is necessary to prohibit or impose restriction on a procession notification.

Procession organisers will also be asked to identify other related processions on each notification they submit. If clarification is required, then we will determine, in consultation with Police, whether the notifications should be considered as related marches and/or defined as a feeder/return parade.

Public safety, public order, damage to property or disruption

We will consider:

• Police advice regarding public safety or potential public disorder in relation to any proposed procession, as well as Police reports on the extent to which previous processions have involved anti-social behaviour on the part of participants or followers causing disruption to the life of the community.

• A report provided by the Police in relation to the impact which policing the procession will have upon wider Police resources. Any other events which take place on or around the proposed date of the procession and which will require policing resources will also be taken into account.

• Representations from residents and businesses whose activities are likely to be affected by the proposed procession regarding the expectation of disruption, public disorder and anti-social behaviour.

• Other events which are taking place in the city and whether these will clash with the proposed public procession.

Once we have assessed these reports, we will decide whether to:

• make alterations to the proposed route;

• ask for stewarding arrangements to be strengthened;

• seek to impose conditions or prevent a procession to ensure that anti-social behaviour is not promoted.

We will look at the impact of a procession in its totality and the likelihood of any restriction or prohibition will be greater where the procession or its followers have previously:

• caused public disorder or damage to property;

• been involved in anti-social behaviour causing disruption to the life of the community; or

• failed to comply with Police instructions on the day.