Police in Glasgow have issued a stern warning against hate crime and violent disorder after a series of protests erupted in the city over suspected sex attacks. The warning comes after multiple gatherings where residents, acting on unverified online information, targeted properties in mistaken identity cases.
Protests and Arrests
On Wednesday evening at around 6:50pm, a group gathered outside a property in Tormusk Road, Castlemilk, smashing windows. The crowd believed a suspected sex offender lived there, but police confirmed it was a case of mistaken identity. A 50-year-old man was arrested and charged with assaulting a police officer.
Earlier on Tuesday at around 3pm, a large police presence was deployed to Lamlash Crescent, Cranhill, after reports of a protest and disturbance. Videos showed demonstrators shouting “beast” while police guarded a block of flats. The anger stemmed from residents believing a 20-year-old charged with assault and another man charged with rape had moved into the area; both were released on bail.
Police Response and Community Impact
Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan urged the public to put their “own interpretation” on online content and act within the law, stressing that individuals were seeking to “influence” local actions. A Police Scotland spokesman said: “Violence, disorder, hate crime and threatening behaviour that poses a risk to safety is not legitimate protest. Anyone who engages in these offences will be dealt with swiftly and robustly.”
David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, told BBC Scotland News: “The events we have seen in Glasgow over the last couple of nights have clearly been orchestrated. It is not coincidental from what I have seen. It has been horrendous for the cops and members of the public.” He added that the “level of hostility” against police was unprecedented in Scotland.
Broader Context and Warnings
Social media commentator Brian Spanner warned that Glasgow’s streets were “about to explode,” stating: “I see the very notion that the estates around Glasgow are about to explode was all in my imagination again. This has been a couple of years in the making.”
Last Friday, police were deployed in the Royston area after residents blocked roads protesting an alleged sexual assault. A 40-year-old man, Mohamed Raouf Mezahdi, was arrested on suspicion of sexual offences. A Scottish government spokesperson said: “Ministers are clear that there is no place for criminality or hate crime on our streets, and fully support Police Scotland to take appropriate and proportionate action.”
