Thousands turn out to oppose rally in Glasgow backed by Tommy Robinson
Thousands of people turned out in Glasgow to oppose a rally backed by far-right campaigner Tommy Robinson.
Around 2,000 anti-racism activists gathered in George Square to counter-protest against a “Pro-UK rally” backed by Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.
A few hundred far-right activists gathered but were vastly outnumbered, with a huge police presence keeping the groups separate.
The group included one man who waved a flag reading “asylum frauds go home” and another man wearing a Donald Trump 2016 baseball bat.
A little girl in a buggy waving two Union flags was wheeled past, with her mother telling crowds: “Don’t take pictures of the wean.”
Running battles were briefly sparked when police kettled a group of teenage Celtic ultras dressed in black tracksuits and fishing hats, and ushered them away from the rally.
Far-right activists rushed to confront them, singing “Rule Britannia” and spooking police horses.
Skirmish
A skirmish occurred on the fringes of the protest, with people chanting “racist scum”.
The counter-protest, organised by Stand Up to Racism Scotland, included book stalls and a massive set of speakers playing Bikini Kill and Blondie.
Home-made placards read “we are all human, no room for hate”, “no room for racism” and “diversity is desirable”.
Suzie Boyd, 68, a retired nurse from Glasgow’s West End, teaches English to refugees and asylum seekers, including from Sudan, Eritrea, Syria, Palestine and Somalia.
She said some of her students were too scared to leave the house and felt trapped inside despite the sunshine.
Ms Boyd said: “Some of my pupils are too frightened to come out of the house today, not just to go into town – they feel they will be targeted.
“We should be able to come into our own city. Refugees are grateful to us for helping them and taking them in.
“I write letters for them and help them get warm shoes. They sometimes come over here wearing sandals.”
A chant of “cheerio” told far-right protesters to “go home” and several Palestinian flags were waved.
Chants included “show me what community looks like” and “fascists go home”.
One banner read “Jews against Islamophobia” and a speaker offered solidarity to both Palestinians and Jews.
Unity
Stop the War Coalition organiser Angela McCormick said: “We are here today so the far-right don’t divide us.
“There’s nowhere else we could be today. It’s about unity and diversity, against racism and fascism. We need to celebrate diversity.
“Rishi Sunak and the Tories ran an election campaign on ‘stop the boats’.
“Hopefully the grassroots movement shows the Labour government not to concede to these racist agendas.
“They need to see the majority of people are against war and against racism – war creates refugees.”
Two men were arrested, including one on suspicion of a hate crime.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A proportionate policing plan was in place for a planned protest in George Square, Glasgow.
“A 40-year-old man was arrested for a hate crime and a 20-year-old man was arrested for carrying an offensive weapon. Inquiries remain ongoing.
“Officers contained a small group of people to engage with them, maintain public safety and minimise disruption.
“Containment is an approved tactic used by highly trained officers where a breach of the peace is taking place or is reasonably thought to be imminent.”
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News gets out about a racist, far right populist rally and spurs thousands to mass and meet them head on. It shows the country is fundamentally not racist, not fanatically nationalistic and not anti-immigrant. Those that hate need to be stopped and halted in their tracks. This sort of hatred has already seen death (including a MP and hundreds of people by small boats), economic hardship and riots. It can’t continue and become mainstream.
It shows Scotland is not fundamentally racist. I am less convinced about EnglandAndWales. I have seen loads of bigotry here. And “our” media and Wasteminster government (including the new one) are horrific bigots. I will concede that most people are not bigoted about most things. But here’s a little checklist for folks to test themselves. Do you believe that the following demographics should have full and equal rights and full protections in law with all other people and full autonomy over their own lives. With no conditions or caveats. FULL EQUALITY?:- White men White people White women Non-white people Non-white… Read more »
I’m glad to see that those counterprotesters in Scotland turned out in their thousands to reject the likes of Tommy Robinson, or should I say, Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, the coward that he is, who directs via X (Twitter) his hate marches from his Spanish hideaway funded by his fascist far-right supporters and Zionists in Israel who use this useful idiot to spread disgusting anti-Muslim rhetoric that came to a head in England recently with the deaths of those three little girls in Southport that sparked the race riots. He is a terrorist who should face his fate on his return… Read more »
The deaths of those poor girls did not spark the riots.
Lying racists and the racist British media supported by Russian funding and manipulation, attempting to profit from them sparked the riots
I’m sure many of the protesters are genuinely concerned about refugees, as I and most regular commentators on this site would agree. I deplore racism and hate. However, the pictures released show that this, and many other protests, seem to have been hijacked by the anti-Israel movement, that, rather than calling for a peaceful solution to the conflict and for a two-state solution, is calling for the destruction of Israel, calling Zionism (belief in a homeland for the Jewish people) itself ‘racist’, and using anti-Semitic rhetoric (very different from any legitimate criticism of a government or military!). This can hardly… Read more »
YOU “ I deplore racism and hate. However…”
Please keep reading what I wrote. Any group or protest that calls for the destruction of an entire country and religious community can hardly be called ‘anti-racist.’
Who, in this protest, was calling for that?
You can see banners in the picture saying ‘Zionism is racism’. In lots of the pro-Palestinian protests that have been help globally (and I am not referring here to those genuinely concerned for the innocent people suffering there – I, and I am sure you too, want to see Palestinians and Israelis being able to live in peace), there are anti-Israel groups hijacking with their slogans like: ‘globalise the intifada’, ‘By any means possible’, ‘from the river to the sea…’ etc. Many of these campaigns are funded by Iran and Qatar. We should all be calling for an end to… Read more »
I do agree with you in that I want to see an end to the killing, maiming, destruction and the release of all people held illegally.
No hijacking here. An anti hate crowd turn up in force showing banners such as Palestinian flags and ‘Jews against Islamophobia’. All most welcome amid a number who have heroically committed themselves to successfully facing down evil as others have done in recent protests. At this rate, Tommy Robinson will have to change his name – AGAIN!