ALL Under One Banner (AUOB) have called on independence supporters to attend the Stand Up to Racism (SUTR) counter-protest in Glasgow next month.
The group had initially scheduled a rally to take place in Edinburgh on September 7, but when a “pro-UK” rally endorsed by far-right figure Tommy Robinson was announced in Glasgow on the same day, organisers were urged to reschedule to avoid clashing with a counter-demonstration.
Now, AUOB has called on independence supporters to “stand alongside fellow Scots, anti-racists, trade unionists and pro-Palestinian activists” in a show of unity against the far-right.
A spokesperson for AUOB said: “Join us in peacefully occupying George Square against the one and same forces which are anti-independence and who work to keep our people impoverished under London rule.
“Join us in standing alongside fellow Scots, anti-racists, trade unionists and pro-Palestinian activists in a bold, peaceful display of unity and solidarity.
“Be there for Scotland. Be there for the Scottish people. All Under One Banner. Nae Pasaran!"
The phrase "Nae Pasaran" means "they shall not pass" and is often used in the anti-fascist movement.
There has been much discussion around the scheduled AUOB Edinburgh march, which was initially repurposed on August 1 from an independence rally to a counter-protest against the far-right.
We call for all independence supporters to march in Edinburgh on 7 Sept, the same day a Pro UK/ Poverty/Racism rally in Glasgow. We urge everyone to attend and together show that support for power for the Scottish people far outweighs support for power over them. Be there! #AUOB pic.twitter.com/BqjhV03QHb
— All Under One Banner (@AUOBNOW) August 1, 2024
On social media, many independence supporters had called on AUOB to postpone the rally to enable activists to attend the Glasgow counter-demonstration instead.
AUOB said it wanted to assure people that a lot of consideration was given to the question of postponement before the decision was made on August 5.
Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, the group told The National that it had to weigh up concerns from both sides, including the worry that a counter-demonstration might result in violent scenes in Glasgow, which could “risk losing public support for the independence cause” as well as posing a risk to those attending.
The group said that over the weekend of August 3 and 4, when far-right riots in England and Northern Ireland were at their most violent, a scheduled headline speaker had cancelled their appearance to be able to attend the Glasgow demonstration instead.
“At this point it was becoming clear that there was a growing mood of determination that the far-right's attempts to spread their poison north of the border should be stopped dead in its tracks,” the group said.
“At the same time, we were confident in the knowledge that Police Scotland would benefit from the cancellation of our September 7 Edinburgh march so they would have sufficient officers to cover activities in Glasgow.”
'It would have looked bad for independence if we had gone ahead'
Ultimately, however, the group said the decision to postpone the rally was “primarily based on political considerations”.
“On August 3, news that the riots had spread to Belfast indicated that we were facing something of a potentially different order and scale – with the very real possibility that the far right would attempt to stir up sectarianism in Scotland.
“Moreover, their sympathies for the ongoing genocide in Gaza underlined the burning need to demonstrate our solidarity with our friends and comrades in the pro-Palestinian movement, who know only too well and to their tragic and continuing cost the reality of living under a Zionist regime based on racial supremacism.”
AUOB’s decision to postpone it's Edinburgh demonstration exemplifies the values of the Scottish people, who have a long and proud tradition of opposing racism and fascism. (1)
— All Under One Banner (@AUOBNOW) August 5, 2024
The spokesperson continued: “We simply could not be marching in Edinburgh when that was happening in Glasgow.
“If we had gone ahead with the Edinburgh march then the cause of independence would have been portrayed in a bad light.
“In so doing we follow in the footsteps of past generations of independence supporters who have faced similar threats from fascism.
“They knew that the way to win is not to cower and give them the oxygen that they crave, but to peacefully fight fire with fire and counter-demonstrate in our multitudes, depriving them of the attention that they crave, and in doing so, energetically repel them from our streets and civic spaces.”
The SUTR counter-demonstration will take place in George Square from 12pm on September 7.
