Rival protesters clashed in Glasgow on Saturday after thousands descended on the city for an anti-racism rally. Some in the small counter-protest group performed what appeared to be Nazi salutes as the two groups gathered at Buchanan Street in the city centre.
Stand Up To Racism organised the “reclaim our streets – stand up to the far right” demonstration following disorder earlier in the week in the wake of the stabbing attack in Belfast. Sudanese national Hadi Alodid, 30, appeared at Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday charged with attempted murder and was remanded in custody. He claimed asylum after arriving in Northern Ireland in 2023 and was granted leave to remain in the UK until 2028.
Police Scotland said disorder saw people in the city targeted due to the colour of their skin, while a Glasgow mosque was forced to lock worshippers inside for their safety. Saturday’s rally saw thousands of anti-racism protesters gather alongside a significantly smaller group of counter-protesters who were fenced off from the main group by police. Most of the counter-protesters, who were almost exclusively men, wore balaclavas or other face coverings.
The scene became tense as police tried to contain the group that had attempted to break free from the barriers. The group eventually spilled out onto Bath Street under Buchanan Galleries. Projectiles, including drink cans, were thrown towards the Stand Up To Racism group, while an egg appeared to be thrown towards the counter protesters. Some of the counter protesters waved Union flags, and others waved Israel flags while the anti-racism side waved Palestinian, Ukraine and Scotland flags.
Some of the men who counter-protested shouted anti-Islam chants while anti-racism protesters shouted “Nazi scum off our streets”. Several politicians attended the anti-racism rally, including Labour MSPs Paul Sweeney and Pauline McNeill, along with Green MSPs Iris Duane and Holly Bruce. Former SNP equalities minister Kaukab Stewart and prominent human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar also attended.
Police Scotland said it had a “significant operation” in place to “ensure the safety of the public and to minimise disruption” and that the protest passed “without major incident”. A 53-year-old man was arrested for threatening a police officer, while another officer was struck by an egg. People were issued with city centre dispersal orders for their conduct following the protest, police said, but did not say how many. A number of hate crimes which were reported will now be investigated.
Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan said: “We did warn that officers would respond decisively and robustly to keep communities safe and I want to thank the public for their patience while the demonstration took place.”
