HUMZA Yousaf has said that the STUC’s annual St Andrew’s Day Rally provided the opportunity to “rededicate ourselves to anti-racism and anti-fascism”.
Crowds gathered in Glasgow on Saturday to march from Glasgow Green to the University of Strathclyde as part of a “rally against racism”.
In response to reports of fascist groups assembling throughout the country, the theme of this year’s rally was: “From Erskine to Elgin: The far-right is not welcome.”
Addressing the rally, Yousaf (below) said: “I remember and I suspect that Anas (Sarwar) will remember, and anybody who is Muslim, that post-9/11 life felt really difficult.
“If you had a beard, or like my sisters and my mother you wore a hijab, my sister had stones thrown at her coming off the train.
“We were called terrorists, we were asked if we were related to Bin Laden, we were part of the Taliban.
“All of that Islamophobia that we faced, I can say that post-9/11 the days and weeks, even the months after 9/11, for the first time in my life, as a teenager, I felt like Scotland, maybe, wasn’t my home.”
Yousaf went on to tell those at the rally that equality is “in the DNA of the trade union movement”, adding: “I would suggest it is in the DNA of every good-minded Scot.
“Every good-minded person, and that is the vast, overwhelming majority of this country.
“And herein perhaps lies the lesson, that whichever community needs us, wherever they are in Scotland, or abroad, we stand shoulder to shoulder with them.
“I will always, it’s my commitment, my pledge to you, my promise to you, I will always raise my voice for those who are facing hatred, who need someone to amplify their voice, whether it’s at home, or whether it’s abroad.”
The FM then reiterated his support for a ceasefire in Gaza, and expressed his solidarity with the family of Sheku Bayoh, telling them he hopes they get the answers they deserve.
Among those leading the rally (below) was STUC general-secretary Roz Foyer, SNP MSP Kaukab Stewart and Scottish Labour leader Sarwar.
Speaking to The National ahead of the rally, Stewart said: “It’s really important for not only all trade unionists but for all friends and allies to come today.
“There’s a special concentration today on the rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants to fight back against the hostile environment narrative that’s been coming from the UK Government.
“The trade union movement has always been at the forefront of not only standing up for worker’s rights but actually standing up for the most marginalised in society and those who are under attack.
“I am here today in solidarity with my fellow trade unionists and members of the public to fight against that.”
