Five Police Scotland officers have been injured during recent protests in three areas of Glasgow. The force has warned that the disturbances were orchestrated by individuals from outside the city and urged the public to factcheck online claims before attending gatherings.
Protests triggered by online speculation
Large crowds gathered in the Glasgow neighbourhoods of Cranhill on Tuesday and Castlemilk on Thursday after online speculation that men accused of serious crimes were living there. The first disturbance followed vigilantes discovering that a man charged with assault in connection with an alleged rape in Glasgow city centre in May had moved to Cranhill. The second was a case of mistaken identity, police said, targeting someone not charged with any offence.
Last week, similar disorder occurred in Royston, Glasgow, in response to an alleged sexual assault. In each case, no one has been found guilty of the attacks that prompted the protests.
Police call for factchecking
Alan Waddell, a Police Scotland assistant chief constable, told BBC Radio Scotland that protest was “part of Scotland’s fabric”, but misinformation was being spread online by bad actors, often from outside Glasgow. He said they were “tapping into fears within the community about perceived sex offenders … of an ethnic background”.
Waddell highlighted a protest planned outside a Glasgow care home this weekend over untrue rumours that it will be closed and turned into accommodation for asylum seekers. “I spoke in relation to a protest that turned into disorder a few weeks ago, and I was really clear that people had been targeted in Glasgow because of the colour of their skin,” he said. “Some of this that we’re seeing just now feels like that’s been amplified and built upon. We’ve really got to call that out and challenge that.”
Officers injured and arrests made
Five police officers were injured during the three protests, with two men arrested for attacking police. David Kennedy of the Scottish Police Federation called the scenes “disgraceful”. He told BBC Radio Scotland: “For certain individuals, it’s about violence, it’s not about protest.” He said people in Scotland were being “manipulated” by outside influences and that hate crime and disorder were not a legitimate form of protest. Kennedy added that the disorder was “frightening” for officers, who were physically attacked and had missiles thrown at them. “To be confronted with this level of violence, is not something we see in Scotland.”
Public urged to avoid disorder
Waddell added: “The public in Scotland know how to protest, and that’s lawfully and peacefully. We’ve not changed our position. If you want to do that, we’ll find a way to work with you and facilitate that. But if you’re enticed to go to one that’s been generated online [with] a clear focus on disrupting and causing disorder or moving towards violence, don’t go. Or sense-check who’s put out the information on it, what other sources of information are available, because ultimately you’ll be held accountable for your actions. If you break the law you should expect to be caught and punished for that.”
