A TOP Scottish human rights lawyer has responded after Reform UK's deputy leader in Scotland reported him to the police for "hate speech".
Lawyer Aamer Anwar accused Thomas Kerr of being a "wannabe Tartan Tommy Robinson" who is "wasting police time".
Kerr's report came after Anwar spoke at a counter-protest to a racist Unite the Clans demonstration on Saturday, July 25, telling the crowd "when politicians like Farage and that Thomas Kerr of Reform demonise migrants, call for 'pure, cold rage' – hatred will spread".
An email sent from Kerr to Police Scotland, seen by The National, alleged that the lawyer had been:
- "Referring to campaigners concerned about illegal immigration as 'terrorists'.
- "Stating that 'we will be questioning their culture'.
- "Stating that 'we will be questioning their religion'.
- "Claiming that Nigel Farage is 'radicalising' Scots."
Police Scotland have been contacted for comment.
Anwar said: "Kerr claims to have called out Saturday’s violence, yet several of his Reform members stood next to the thugs, many of whom were masked whilst racist abuse, threats of violence, and Nazi salutes took place; I doubt Reform has handed over a single name or video of these thugs to the Major Investigation Team at Police Scotland.
"Any decent person would be calling out the pogroms in Belfast and knife attacks Leith, yet this great defender of free-speech, Mr Kerr’s reaction to my words is to waste police time by labelling it as hate speech."
Violence erupted at Glasgow Green and around the city centre on Saturday after the anti-immigration rally that was met with anti-racism protesters.
According to officers, 1700 people took part in the protests, with 15 people arrested for offences including assault, possession of offensive weapons, breach of the peace, obstruction and resisting arrest.
Police said groups engaged in violence, disorder, intimidation and hate-motivated offences, including a large group of around 100 people who made their way into the city centre.
Anwar added: "The real question for Mr Kerr is does he agree that actions of the thugs in Belfast weren’t about legitimate concerns, but what took place was a pogrom, and call it out as terrorism.
"I am so glad he is now concerned about those encouraging hostility towards a section of the Scottish population based on their political views, nationality, ethnicity, or perceived cultural identity, so will he now suspend those Reform politicians that attended the ‘Unite the Klans’ event on Saturday and assist police with their inquiries?"
Anwar further called Kerr's reaction "ironic", highlighting Reform's election manifesto pledge: "We will reduce the police workload so that they can concentrate on solving the crimes that matter to people. We will abolish the SNP’s intrusive, ideologically motivated Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, restoring freedom of speech and allowing police to focus on real crime.”
Kerr was previously accused of "sickening fearmongering" after posting a video and claiming that Glasgow is full of "disorder, intimidation, and neglect". It led to human rights campaigner Muhammad Asif telling The National he would challenge the Reform politician to go on a walk with him to show the city is not "lawless" as he says.
Last month, Kerr also said that Scotland's largest city was "in a crime epidemic," a claim not supported by the figures.
