About SACC
Introducing SACC
SACC campaigns against laws and policies whose effect is to criminalise political and community activity. We are particularly concerned about the extensive powers of this kind contained in Britain's anti-terrorism laws. These laws are shaped by foreign policy and are built on a dangerously broad definition of "terrorism." They are unjust and racist.
Acts of terrorist violence are best prosecuted under the ordinary criminal law. Terrorism in the UK can only be prevented by ending the UK's involvement in aggressive wars and its support for oppressive regimes.
SACC joins with the Stop the War Coalition in calling for an end to the so-called "war on terror" - in fact a war for resources and geo-strategic leverage - waged by the UK, the US and their allies.
SACC stands against racism, especially state and institutional racism.
Campaign Aims
Our aims are set out in our constitution:
- To campaign against the use of excessive state powers to criminalise political activity which are contained within the Terrorism act 2000, the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005, the Terrorism Act 2006 and the Counter-Terrorism Act 2008; to campaign for the repeal of these acts; to campaign against any other legislation that has a similar effect; to monitor the use of such legislation and to work in close association with the communities most affected by these acts in order to highlight their discriminatory nature.
- To demand that everyone must be treated as innocent until proven guilty; that habeas corpus (the right of a person to be brought before a judge to determine if their detention is lawful) be fully respected and to demand those imprisoned without trial are released or granted a fair trial.
We also campaign against other abuses that we believe need attention, especially where we believe they are related to the suppression of political freedom, perpetuation of the war on terror and institutionalisation of racism and Islamophobia.
More about SACC
SACC was set up in Leith in early 2003 by a group of activists from Edinburgh Stop the War Coalition who came together in response to the arrest in Scotland in December 2002 of seven Algerian men - some from Leith - on what turned out to be trumped-up terrorism charges. All charges were eventually dropped.
We have subsequently developed into a Scotland-wide organisation. We continue to work closely with Edinburgh and Glasgow STWC.
We have successfully countered some of the disinformation appearing in the media about "terror suspects".
We see the current attack on civil liberties as an integral part of the new wave of imperialism exemplified by the Anglo-US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq and the continuing involvement of the US, the UK and their allies in wars around the world - especially in the Middle East and North Africa - on the pretext of fighting terrorism..
We recognise that the UK's anti-terrorist legislation unfairly targets refugees and asylum-seekers. We maintain close links with the Glasgow Welcomes Refugees and other groups that support refugees and asylum-seekers.
We defend the democratic right of everyone - including refugee and expatriate communities - to dissent and to resist oppression, nationally and internationally. We support community organisations and solidarity campaigns in their exercise of this right.
We promote and support public meetings throughout Scotland to highlight the way that civil liberties are being eroded in the name of the War on Terror and to help people organise in defence of their rights.
We encourage people to give personal support to prisoners through letter-writing campaigns and other activities.
We work with the Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC) to organise an annual Islamophobia Conference in Scotland every December as part of a Europe-wide constellation of Islamophobia conferences held on around the same date.
Join SACC
Please join us. Membership of SACC only costs £5 per year if you waged, or £3 per year if you are unwaged. Organisations can affiliate for £20 per year.
Membership of SACC is open to all organisations and individuals who support our Campaign Aims.
