Police kept opposing groups apart outside the Scottish Parliament on Saturday as an anti-immigration rally organised by Unite the Clans Scotland drew a counter-demonstration. The rally, which began around midday, saw participants waving Saltire and Union flags and chanting “send them home”, while anti-racist demonstrators responded with chants of “Nazi scum” and held up signs.
Several dozen people attended the anti-immigration rally, with a larger group of counter-demonstrators arriving later. Police set up barriers and maintained a heavy presence to keep the two sides separated. No arrests were made, according to a Police Scotland spokesperson.
Tammy McGregor, from Perth, said she joined the rally due to concerns about safety and resources. “It’s nothing to do with somebody’s race,” she said. “We don’t have the resources, it’s as simple as that, and there is a high level of crime.” Unite the Clans Scotland had earlier called on supporters to demand “meaningful change” over failed policies.
Counter-demonstrator Karen Paton, from the Falkirk for All anti-racism group, accused the rally of scapegoating refugees. “We need to look at the real problems in this country, which is lack of affordable housing, lack of NHS, lack of dental appointments,” she said. “They are blaming refugees for all those – those are government problems.”
Stand Up To Racism Scotland described the rally as part of a “far-right” movement, saying such groups “thrive on leaking poison throughout our communities, fuelling fear, racism and Islamophobia on a daily basis.”
