TEAMS of police officers were forced to step in to prevent violent clashes as a “pro-UK” demonstration attended by fascist groups and an anti-racism counter-protest took place in Glasgow on Saturday.
As many as 200 people gathered at the eastern end of George Square in the city centre in response to a call, amplified by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, to turn out for a Unionist rally and show “distrust and fear of the future”.
An estimated 2500 people attended the counter-protest organised by Stand Up To Racism, who demonstrated in the remaining three-quarters of the city square.
Police set up a “sterile zone” between the two groups as they each grew in size ahead of the anticipated 12pm start time for the far-right rally, which held in place without incident even as groups of masked men arrived to join it.
NEW: Police push back far-right protesters at today's rally in Glasgow. Hundreds of Stand Up to Racism campaigners are also in George Square for a counter-protest. pic.twitter.com/UBjvnymvTf
— The National (@ScotNational) September 7, 2024
At around 12.35pm, another group of masked men, this time wearing green colours instead of blue and Union flags, arrived at the eastern end of the square and things almost reached a boiling point as demonstrators from the “pro-UK” rally rushed to meet them.
Police, using horses, kept the two main groups apart as they shouted at one another, with the Unionist contingent then singing Rule Britannia.
Demonstrators from the far-right groups were pushed back towards the cenotaph and penned in, while the second group of anti-racist campaigners was kettled in the far western end of the square as others chanted “let them go”.
Both demonstrations heard speeches, with the Stand Up To Racism crowd being addressed by figures such as Scottish Refugee Council chief executive Sabir Zazai, SNP minister Kaukab Stewart, and Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie.
The crowd chanted slogans such as: “Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here,” “There are many, many, more of us than you”, and “We are Glasgow, who are you?”.
On the other end, the “pro-UK” rally was addressed by figures such as the Holocaust-denying fringe Unionist Alistair McConnachie and the Scottish Family Party's Niall Fraser.
Signs put up by the fascist Patriotic Alternative group said things like: “Anti-racist just means anti-white,” “5G + chemtrails = Covid-19,” and “Sam Melia was right”. Melia is a far-right extremist who was jailed in March for a multi-year antisemitic stickering campaign, with the judge saying he had “Nazi sympathies”.
Police said they had a hate crime adviser monitoring the event after new laws came into effect in April criminalising the stirring up of hatred on racial or religious grounds.
Speaking to the Sunday National, Glasgow Council leader Susan Aitken said police had estimated that 150 people had joined the far-right rally.
🗣️ 'I'm really pleased that the turnout from the far-right is very small' Glasgow City Council leader @SusaninLangside spoke to The National following today's anti-racism counter-protest in George Square pic.twitter.com/RaLoee5tfu
— The National (@ScotNational) September 7, 2024
She went on: “Clearly there are many, many, many times that that number of people who have come along to make their voices heard against the far-right and for solidarity and unity in our great, multicultural, diverse city of Glasgow.”
Stewart, the Scottish Government’s Minister for Equalities, echoed the sentiment, telling the Sunday National: “I'm here to join the many, many Glaswegians who have turned out to say emphatically that they reject hate, they reject racism, and we are delighted to be the warm, welcoming, outward-looking city of Glasgow.
“We will not stand for racism against our asylum seeker and refugee communities. They are welcome here.”
Mohammad Asif, who came to Scotland as a refugee in 2000 and now works with Stand Up To Racism and the Afghan Human Rights Foundation, was among the protesters at the anti-racism rally.
🗣️ 'Where is Tommy, Tommy's on the beach' Protesters mock Tommy Robinson at today's @SUTRScotland's counter-protest in Glasgow pic.twitter.com/jM1e40NiDl
— The National (@ScotNational) September 7, 2024
He told the Sunday National that the far-right demonstrators “should be embarrassed”.
“Look at the people behind us - thousands of people saying no to racism, saying no to fascism, from across Scotland, not only from Glasgow, but from across Scotland.
“We are here to say that Scotland stands united and there is no place for racism and fascism and division and hate in our society.”
He went on: “Refugees are the product of British imperialist wars. Those who are fleeing wars and persecution, they should be allowed to come to Scotland or the UK or any part of the country.
“There are no legal routes for refugees to come here. The only route they can take is illegal. The British government should open legal routes and safe routes so people can come here.”
One member of the Patriotic Alternative, who identified himself as “Richard of the clan MacFarlane” and wore a custom helmet supporting jailed extremist Melia, said he believed people were being prosecuted for “thought crimes”.
Although MacFarlane denied being racist, he also said he agreed with Melia when asked about some of the convict’s comments, such as that “Jews are censoring free speech” and “small hats [a reference to the Jewish yarmulke] mean big problems”.
He went on: “We're not racist. We're just standing against anti-racism. We've not got a problem with people that are of a different race. Anybody that says that we are racists are liars.”
Asked if he might be “giving the wrong impression by saying things like Sam Melia was right”, MacFarlane said: “He was correct in what he said.”
Asked if Melia hadn’t been “extremely racist”, MacFarlane then said: “Aye, but look what's happening now with all these riots that took place. That's why I'm saying Sam Melia was right.”
Another protester on the “pro-UK” side, Jean Macdonald, said she had come down to make her concerns about immigration and the Labour Government clear. Despite standing by the Patriotic Alternative banners, she denied being racist or affiliated with the group.
“I've not got any trouble with any nation, but if they come over, they should be legal and have a job and pay their taxes,” she said.
“My kids would go mad if they saw me on the telly. I've just decided to come and tell Keir Starmer they’ve got to stop it.”
