A mother of seven has described her terror after balaclava-clad anti-immigrant protesters mobbed her car and hurled abuse as she attempted to drive home in Falkirk. Another woman targeted by the same group said she was accused of being a “rape sympathiser.”
Ordeal in Falkirk
Sarah McCabe, 39, was hemmed in by masked men and other furious marchers dressed in black following the knife horror in Belfast on Monday. During the ordeal, her car was shaken, and protesters leaned over her bonnet to make threatening and obscene gestures. Thugs screamed at her through the car window, with dashcam footage capturing the disturbing moments.
Speaking after the incident in her Nissan Qashqai, Sarah said: “It was very frightening. I was just driving through the taxi rank in Falkirk centre. As soon as I turned the corner, my car was instantly surrounded by immigration protesters. Things were just a bit crazy. There were around 50 people, and quite a few had masks and black balaclavas. They were banging on the cars, shouting at people in the cars, and saying that they were supporting rapists by not being part of their protest. I was having multiple people filming me and stopping my car from moving. It was hugely intimidating. They were sticking their middle finger up and pointing at me, a single woman in a car. It was pretty awful.”
Concerns Over Escalation
Sarah expressed worry about rising tensions in her hometown. “I don’t think this is going to calm down. I think the police response in Falkirk was pretty poor, and I think that this is just going to embolden them to take more action. We shall have to wait and see.”
Another Woman Targeted
Cherise Williamson, an aesthetics and beauty expert, also faced the mob while driving. She took to TikTok to speak out after being left terrified. Cherise said: “I was coming home from work and driving through the town centre. I got halted to a stop just after the traffic lights had turned green. The roads had been barricaded, and they were with men and women with face coverings, balaclavas, and hoodies to disguise themselves, so that they couldn’t get recognized, and basically weren’t letting any cars through. Because I was the first car at the front, I got a barrage of abuse from these big bully men. I was then intimidated by these men, all surrounding my window and basically telling me that I am supporting rapists.”
At the time, Cherise was unaware of the Belfast attack and the backlash that quickly organised in places like Glasgow, Edinburgh, Ayr, and Greenock. She added: “It was so, so scary. They were literally on the bonnet of my car, so that I wouldn’t be able to get through, and I panicked. I contacted my husband, and he could hear that the car sensors were going off because they were literally surrounding the car and being quite intimidating. In this day and age, if you’re protesting for women, then why are you standing there being abusive to women just trying to get home?”
Background of Protests
The protests erupted across Scotland on Tuesday night after a video showed an assailant on a north Belfast street stabbing and slashing Stephen Ogilvie, 44, in the face and neck, shouting in Arabic. Residents intervened, one with a hurling stick, halting the assault. On Wednesday, Hadi Alodid, 30, a Sudanese refugee, appeared in Belfast Magistrates Court charged with attempted murder.
Tensions have been high across Scotland after an online rallying call for protests over the Belfast incident. In Greenock, a 32-year-old woman was arrested and charged with a hate crime amid disorder in the town. She is due to appear at Greenock Sheriff Court on Friday. Police Scotland earlier said two men had been arrested and issued fixed-penalty notices for anti-social behaviour offences during unrest in the Inverclyde town on Wednesday night. The force said three officers sustained minor injuries after items were thrown at them, and two police vehicles were damaged. Police condemned the violence and said inquiries are ongoing.
Community Response
Inverclyde Provost Drew McKenzie said violent behaviour has “no place” in the local community. “Police officers being attacked and police vehicles being damaged is not an acceptable situation here in Inverclyde. Undoubtedly, a zero-tolerance approach must be undertaken. We must as a council acknowledge that people do have genuine concerns with regards to immigration, but those concerns must be addressed through the proper channels. This kind of behaviour has no place here in Inverclyde, particularly as so many from all backgrounds have worked and are working so hard to develop an integrated and safe community for us all to live.”
Anti-immigration demonstrations were held in several locations across Scotland this week following Monday’s stabbing in north Belfast. Police Scotland Chief Superintendent Rhona Fraser said: “Our priority is public safety, and we had an appropriate policing plan in place for last night’s demonstration. We understand the concerns people have about their communities and will always balance the right to freedom of expression with the need to tackle crime without fear or favour. Officers were attacked and police vehicles were damaged. I strongly condemn that violence, and there is no place for it in Scotland.”
The Greenock protest came 24 hours after disorder and a series of racist assaults in Glasgow, where worshippers were forced to lock themselves in a mosque for their own safety. Five people were injured, including two officers, in the Glasgow disorder. Video posted online also showed a man being attacked by the mob at the city’s St Enoch Square.
Political Response
John Swinney spoke out about the far-right protests during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday. Responding to Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, Mr Swinney said: “There is a rising tide of the spread of hateful rhetoric in our society, and it is inciting people to behave in a reckless and aggressive and thuggish fashion in our society.”
