Scotland must stand against far-right
There must be a rejection of far-right “race riots” across Scotland, say the Scottish Greens, in response to the violence that came from groups mobilising across Glasgow, Edinburgh and other parts of the country last night.
Far-right activists and supporters gathered in the cities yesterday evening to exploit a recent attack on a man in Belfast and the recent death of a young man whose family do not want his name or memory politicised.
Scottish Greens MSP Iris Duane said:
“What happened in Glasgow last night, was no response to the horrific attack that occurred in Belfast this week, but yet another example of extremist groups preying on the fears of our communities. It was opportunistic racism by far-right figureheads who continue to use horrific incidents all around the UK as an excuse to incite violence and spread fear, and push their agenda.
“It is important to acknowledge that many good people are being caught up in the tides of hatred. Where 'legitimate concerns' regarding violence on our streets, support for integration and housing are being used to manipulate individuals into blaming those who have little to no power. It is never acceptable for aggressive crowds of masked faces to abuse, attack and intimidate passers by in the middle of our cities and to target them because of the colour of their skin.
“A lot of the language used in the footage is racist and the clear intention of these so-called protests was to intimidate. It’s also important to note the alleged involvement of far-right extremist groups that have previously peddled nonsense conspiracies including holocaust denial and white replacement theory.
“There is also a challenge for politicians and our media, with far too many in our political class being more than happy to fan the flames of prejudice and division and legitimize the kind of violence we have seen.
“Nobody should be made to pay the price for the actions of specific individuals, but these far-right groups are quick to make sweeping generalisations off the back of news and to willingly cause harm to communities who are simply trying to live in peace.
“Nobody should be afraid to leave the house or interact with our great city because of the colour of their skin. It is crucial that we show solidarity with the marginalised groups who are at risk, and stand up to the spread of hatred and division.”