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Last September, English County Lines gangsters were driven out by mass protests in Auchinleck and Cumnock (East Ayrshire) with hundreds of locals involved. They had become increasingly angry and fearful as reports of a massive surge in cheap drug availability threatened the lives of their families, of the exploitation of vulnerable individuals to provide bases in their homes, of direct threats to kill local young men and of reports of the sexual abuse of women and minors, spread through the towns.
I can find no reports of County Lines activity in the area, since late 2023.
Sadly, mainstream media portrayed the local protests as unfocused ‘riots’ and focused on the effect on local policing.
However, not for the first time, I was struck by the role the local Cumnock Chronicle (CC) had played in helping the local population to understand what was happening to them.
As early as April 2019, when the first County Lines gang activity was being reported in North-East Scotland, in social media reports including Police Facebook messaging, the CC had an informative piece on the spreading phenomenon and of its presence amongst popular music performers such as the Grime artist, Asco: https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/national-news/17598473.gang-filmed-showing-off-cash-convicted-plot-supply-class-drugs/ https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/national-news/17901711.grime-artist-asco-jailed-county-lines-drug-dealing/
Then, in March 2023, they told locals of the extreme brutality of these gangs including their preying on vulnerable children: https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/national/23373409.200-arrests-made-week-long-crackdown-county-lines-drug-gangs/
By October 2023, the CC was reporting on the massive UK-wide scale of the problem, as 1 600 were arrested across England & Wales: https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/national/23867658.1-600-arrests-week-long-crackdown-county-lines-gangs/
Then on 26 November, BBC Scotland and other MSM reported on ‘riots’ in Auchinleck: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-67535875
Their reports do not mention drugs nor ‘County Lines.’ Only the Sun had the correct headline: Village ‘riot’ sparked by ‘vigilantes laying siege’ to English drug dealers’ stash house https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/11591954/village-riot-sparked-siege-drug-dealers-stash-house/
Recently, on 28 February, the CC reported: No hearing date has been set for those charged following riots in Auchinleck and Cumnock last year, a police report has revealed. Back in November, we reported how a weekend of chaos resulted in at least eight people, including a 13-year-old boy, being arrested and charged in connection with the disorder. https://www.cumnockchronicle.com/news/24148200.no-hearing-date-set-following-auchinleck-cumnock-riots/
Intriguingly, the CC report includes this:
Providing an update on the Auchinleck and Cumnock incidents, the report stated: “Over the weekend of November 24-26, significant large scale disorder took place in the towns of Auchinleck and Cumnock. “This originated in a ‘take back our town’ protest which gathered momentum via social media and culminated in widespread violence and disorder taking place over three nights.
I am aware of no other Scottish town doing this kind of thing but would be interested to hear of any.
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Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
LETS GET ALL SCOTS BEHIND THIS ACTION AGAINST THESE FILTHY ENGLISH DRUG GANGS
and send them home again NEVER TO RETURN
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Reporting on the Auchinleck ‘riots’ by BBC Scotland under it’s HMS James Cook arrangement was perfectly contrasted with the local Cumnock Chronicle (CC) – Propaganda V journalism – The former obviously pays better……..
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Drug gangs are an example of capitalism red in tooth and claw and, therefore is approved by BBC Scotland and the mainstream media because these groups are showing ‘enterprise’ and ‘making profits’.These are GOOD THINGS.
The hoi polloi in Auchinleck and Cumnock are attempting to prevent the drugs gangs doing business and making profit, so the local citizenry are BAD PEOPLE.
As far as BBC Scotland is concerned the job of the police is to PROTECT BUSINESS, so if the hoi polloi are attacking the police they are attacking business So, this is BAD.
The hoi polloi are claiming they are ‘taking back control’. Only the GREAT BRITISH PEOPLE represented by Tory/Labour can take back control for people like them.
Alasdair Macdonald.
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I take your point Alasdair, but the BBC misreporting of the Auchinleck case was more than a case of protecting ‘ Drugs”R”us’ shareholders.
HMS James Cook’s reporting went out of it’s way to avoid pointing the finger at the drugs issue let alone it’s southward origins, it was a ‘local upset’, as if torching part of a semi was just ‘one of these local “fings” ‘..
It was propaganda not news…
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Police spending monies on Ranger fiasco, show trials and campervan chaos instead of investigating crime.
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I’m 70 year old father of a victim. I am also a victim by proxy. The people have had enough. Police have lost control, this beast is bigger than anything they have to fight it. My health is failing so I’ve nothing to loose. I’m getting tooled up and taking as much of the scum with me. Power to the people.
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