Scottish Community & Activist Legal Project
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Guide to Squatting & Occupations

About this guide

3rd Edition: June 2026

This guide is produced and maintained by SCALP members. It is free to use and republish, and we encourage people to share it widely.

Guide to Squatting & Occupations
Occupations-and-Squats-Guide-3rd-Ed.-Final

What is SCALP?

Scottish Community & Activist Legal Project (SCALP) is a collective of people offering legal support.

We attend protests, challenge police abuse, support people in case of arrest, and provide legal guidance.

Find our more on the ‘About SCALP‘ page or ‘Contact Us‘ with any queries or reports.

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SCALP are excited to announce a new upcoming works SCALP are excited to announce a new upcoming workshop, THIS THURSDAY! More info - link in bio ID: NEW TRAININGS SCOTLAND SPECIFIC KNOW YOUR RIGHTS WORKSHOP Thursday 2nd June 7pm - 9pm Online Free Captions available Registration link in bio
New Legal Observer Trainings UPCOMING in JUNE 2022 New Legal Observer Trainings UPCOMING in JUNE 2022 ! Edinburgh on the 6th June 7 - 9pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/341267970687 Glasgow on the 8th June 7 - 9pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/341265332797 In person Free - donations welcome Venue TBC Link in bio! Get in touch with access requests Please come along if you'd like to learn what legal observing in Scotland is all about and how to do it so you can join in with SCALP with providing legal support. Any questions please email. Space booking fast! Thanks for your enthusiasm! alt text: A graphic which says: New Trainings. Scotland specific. Legal Observer Trainings. Edinburgh: 6th June, Glasgow: 8th June. In person, Get in touch with access requests. Donations welcome. Link in bio
Know Your Rights in Scotland Full video available Know Your Rights in Scotland Full video available with captions, link in bio. SCALP has a website with further in-depth resources and support. See link in bio. Legal support is mutual aid. Solidarity! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Share widely🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
CANCELLED - keep your eyes peeled for a reschedule CANCELLED - keep your eyes peeled for a reschedule Online Solidarity meeting An invitation to a gathering for individuals, campaigns & organisations working in similar areas of police, prisons and punishment co-organised by Not One Rogue Cop and SCALP Tuesday 24 May 6.30pm - 8.30pm Online, get in touch for more details Organised with @not_one_rogue_cop
5th May Edinburgh Anti Raid postcard @antiraids_ed 5th May Edinburgh Anti Raid postcard @antiraids_ed
The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2021 has now received royal assent. 🏛This bill has wide ranging consequences for anyone going out to protest as well as targetting Travellers and other marginalised and heavily policed communities across England and Wales. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿So how does this bill affect Scotland?🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Devolution of power to the Scottish Parliament means that most parts of the Bill, including all the parts relating to public order and protest, will not change the law in Scotland. There are some areas where the Bill does change Scots Law, and the Law Society of Scotland has produced reports explaining these (link in bio). The major changes are to do with traffic offences, sexual offences and terrorism offences and are about increasing legislative similarity between England and Wales and Scottish Law, mainly around sentencing. 📱Another aspect is to do with the extraction of information from electronic devices. This does have the potential to impact people who are arrested at protests and we will have to see how this develops. 📄We have a bunch of legal guides on our website which you can check for up to date legal and policing guidance (links in bio) ✊Our last post is focused on our solidarity with the people who will be most affected by this bill and we do not want this information to detract from that, while the sharing of the facts are important. @netpolcampaigns @edinburgh_ktb @killthebill.glasgow
The Policing Bill has now received Royal Assent. The Policing Bill has now received Royal Assent. The majority of the bill doesn't apply to Scotland but acting in solidarity is more important than ever. This bill is not only set to control protest. Police powers are always used against the most marginalised communities in the UK and this bill has specifically targeted Gypsy, Roma and travelling communities. We must support eachother on the streets, in our communities and in protest. Listening to those most affected. "This is not the end of the fight against this legislation. It's the beginning of a new fight to challenge how it's used on the streets and in our communities" - Netpol We act in solidarity with @netpolcampaigns @gbclegal @not_one_rogue_cop @killthebill_official @edinburgh_ktb @killthebill.glasgow and all other groups against this Draconian legislation. ID: writing on a black background "Policing Bill. Solidarity from Scotland. Active solidarity is needed across Borders and throughout communities." On the left of the writing is an image of a hand in a fist, in black and white. On the right is the SCALP symbol which is a green fist hand with handcuffs around the wrist.
We have been working with @not_one_rogue_cop to br We have been working with @not_one_rogue_cop to bring this together - if you are impacted/ working on these topics and would like to attend, please let us know. You can email us on activists_legal@protonmail.com ✊
Know Your Rights Training - Monday 28th February - Know Your Rights Training - Monday 28th February - 7pm Link in bio. Alt text in comments. Whether you're new to protest, or you're an experienced activist wanting a wee reminder, SCALP welcomes you to join us on Monday 28th February for a 'Know Your Rights' workshop. This workshop is a legal briefing for activists in Scotland, covering important topics such as interactions with the police, your rights in 'Stop and Search' situations, and how you can best support yourself and others at protests. Free (donations gratefully accepted via Paypal). On zoom. 1.5 hours. Captions available. You will be sent a link once registered. #KnowYourRights #RighToProtest #Activism
We wrote this letter as way of posting a thank you We wrote this letter as way of posting a thank you to everyone who worked with SCALP in many many different roles during COP26 and in the run up to that busy period. This work is long standing, and continues...We wanted to share it more widely as a way of saying thank you to all of you who read, shared, re posted, watched our film, read our guides, came to a training, translated documents or bustcards, looked out for and supported each other, talked about knowing your rights with pals, talked about it with strangers, and didn't talk to the police. That's you! Thank you! Solidarity now and forever. If you would like a letter get in touch! The following words are on the page surrounded by four prints of swallows in various stages of flight and movement. The words SCALP at the end are stamped onto the page. "Dear... The trust we show one another is beautiful an often all too invisible example of social connections and bonds through which we lead our lives in times which are already so challenging. Thank you for strengthening those threads of trust of support, of solidarity. For what is invisible, is often so strong, and when the dew mist shines brightly on networks of webs, we catch glimpses of the collective possibilities and of what exists so abundantly already. We want to acknowledge that we are not unbreakable and as it is for so many of us more than others we are so often made to feel or be so powerless and alone. And yet as is proven again and again We are not so powerless. And we are stronger together This time has showed us just how remarkably valuable it is to come together to embody the ways we hope to look out for each other more widely. That experience and our re-imaginings are a great teacher. We are grateful for those who we stand on the shoulders of We are grateful for the energy which you gave to us and to each other We are grateful for the learning and growing and down right excited about continuing in this work, hopefully together For aye, we make us safe And we all make that possible. In Solidarity, SCALP" #COP26 #Solidarity #LegalSupport #SCALP #WeMakeUsSafe
Please support, donate to, share about, this fund Please support, donate to, share about, this fund supporting folk in prison in Scotland. LINK IN BIO #Solidarity "We are a small group of people in Scotland working together inside and outside of prison to get support to those inside who need it most. We know that prison causes harm, disruption and isolation both for those inside and friends and family. Despite wide recognition of this Scotland’s prison population continues to grow with one of the highest imprisonment rates in the world. In a collective effort to resist some of these harms we are raising money so we can continue to fund our support. As well as some human contact with letters and visits we supply people with clothes, shoes, books, DVDs and the little things we can to help make their lives more comfortable. Through our friends inside we make contact with people that don't have much access to support of whatever kind and try to fill that gap. We are raising money to buy these basic practical things, to post them in and to be able to help financially when needed. We'd like to help more people and more money means we can reach out to more people. We've made friends and been in touch with some amazing people that have survived a whole lot." https://www.gofundme.com/f/f3vkc4-glasgow-prisoner-solidarity-prisoner-support-fund ID: a green image with the words Glasgow Prisoner Solidarity written in circular shaped logo form
For any Kill the Bill actions in Scotland. We wi For any Kill the Bill actions in Scotland. We will be running a 24 hour arrestee support back office phone line, which can be used anywhere in Scotland. Police don't keep us safe, we keep us safe 🖤
@netpolcampaigns and @article11trust have publishe @netpolcampaigns and @article11trust have published a report on the policing of #COP26 Read a different tale to the spin from politicians and senior police spokespeople. Please share widely! Big appreciation to all those who shared their experiences with us, directly with the report writing team and all out LOs and BO volunteers who gathered so much vital information that forms the basis of this report. @not_one_rogue_cop
Our guide to Scotland's COVID rules is on our webs Our guide to Scotland's COVID rules is on our website. Thank you to all of our contributors! ¡Muchísimas gracias a @mingaindigenaorg por la traducción al español! Link in bio. Alt text in slides. #Solidarity
Our guide to Activism, Scottish Law and the Police Our guide to Activism, Scottish Law and the Police is available on our website. Thank you to all of our contributors! Link in bio. Alt text in images. #cop26 #cop26glasgow #solidarity
Part 2 of our guide for disabled activists. You ca Part 2 of our guide for disabled activists. You can find the full guide on our website. Thank you to all of our contributors! Alt text in slides. Link in bio. #cop26🌍 #cop26glasgow #solidarity
Our guide for disabled activists is on our website Our guide for disabled activists is on our website. Thank you to all of our contributors! Part 2 to follow. Alt text in images. Link in bio. #cop26🌍 #cop26glasgow #solidarity
Our guide to Public Order and Police Tactics is av Our guide to Public Order and Police Tactics is available on our website. Thank you to all of our contributors! Link in bio. #cop26🌍 #cop26glasgow #solidarity ID: Slide 1 - An image of a piece of ripped note paper on a blue and green background with the SCALP logo of a clenched green fist in handcuffs. The slide reads: 'Public Order & Police Tactics Guide. Link to full guide in bio and on website. Scottish Community & Activist Legal Project'. Slide 2 - A white page with text and the SCALP logo of a clenched green fist in handcuffs. The slide reads: 'What is covered in this guide? When going to a demonstration, it can help to know a little about what you can expect from the policing. This guide introduces 'Public Order' policing, or how the police approach large crowds and demonstrations. It covers: Who are the different types of police officers you may see at a demonstration, and what are their roles; what tactics might the police use to police a demonstration?' To access the full guide, please visit www.scottishactivistlegalproject.co.uk'.
If you need LOs for an action, we appreciate being If you need LOs for an action, we appreciate being given as much notice as possible... We will do our best to react as plans change, and we understand that cops are unpredictable, however if we have no notice for a planned action, or send LOs to an action that has been cancelled, we waste our LOs time and energy. If your plans change or you cancel an event, please contact us on 07734 051 230 This is the same number as for requesting LOs, with as much notice as possible please! You can find all the info on legal support in place during COP26 on our website, find the link in our bio and 'legal support for COP26 mobilisations'. Thanks to all our LOs for everything so far! And to everyone witnessing, getting in touch, sending reports to us and netpol, etc etc. #Solidarity #COP26 Slide ID: a tweet version of the text in the caption
'Under What Power' & Challenging police power Sli 'Under What Power' & Challenging police power Slide 1: Image of a crowd of police and the title "Under what power?" The police need a legal basis for their actions. If you're given a command by police, you should always ask if you are legally obliged to comply, what power they are using, and what it gives them the power to do. Here's our quick guide to understanding police powers at COP26 in Glasgow. Slide 2: How to use this guide Many people in Glasgow during COP26 have had misleading answers when challenging the police to give a legal basis for their actions or for a search. As well as asking "Under what power?", make sure you follow up and ask "And what does that give you the power to do, specifically?" Note down any answers you get from the police. In Scotland, you do not have to give personal details when stopped and searched unless you're driving a vehicle. You only have to give your details to the police if you are suspected of witnessing or committing a crime - so ask the police to be specific about what law they are using. On the following slides are a few you may hear: Slide 3: Giving details to the police Under Section 13 of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act, police in Scotland can take your personal details including name, address, date of birth, place of birth, and nationality if they believe you have committed or witnessed a crime or have information about a crime. This is different to police powers in England and Wales, where you don't have to give personal details unless you've been arrested. If the police are using this power, they should be able to tell you specifically what crime you are suspected of having committed or witnessing. Slide 4: If you’re stopped and searched If you are stopped, ask: "under what power?" and make a note of the answer. The police can search you: Under the misuse of drugs act, if they have reasonable grounds to suspect you are in possession of illegal drugs If they have a warrant (ask to see it) If they have reasonable grounds to suspect you of committing a crime. Ask what it is, and what their reason to suspect you is.
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