The G8 Legal Support Group is a group of volunteers set up to provide legal support for the G8 protests.

We realised that there would be a need for solicitors who were not only experienced in criminal defence, but also in public order law and acting for protesters. We chose two firms - Beltrami Berlow and Clare Ryan - who seemed to us to be the best available.

The G8 Legal Support Group published , had printed and circulated “bust cards” containing advice on what to do if arrested at the G8 protests. These bust cards included the telephone numbers of Beltrami Berlow and Clare Ryan .

It is a fundamental legal right of a person arrested and charged with a crime to chose the solicitor who represents them (and indeed to sack that solicitor if they are not representing them in the way they want to be represented). Many protesters followed our recommendations, but others chose not to and to instruct other solicitors, including duty solicitors. Still others tried to instruct Beltrami Berlow and Clare Ryan but at the time they were too busy to take the case. Others have chosen to represent themselves.

We are not surprised that the G8 Legal Support Group (and by implication Beltrami Berlow and Clare Ryan) are being vilified by sections of the right wing press. Indeed we take it as a compliment, as it shows that the support we provided and continue to provide is effective.