Glasgow sends a loud, clear message: refugees are welcome here
Glasgow sends a loud, clear message: refugees are welcome here
The UKIP boys were warmly welcomed with eggs in Glasgow on 26 July.
About 150 people gathered outside the AC Hotel and City Chambers on George Street, waving signs with slogans such as “Protect our borders” and “Being white isn’t a hate crime” while chanting “Send them home” and singing Rule Britannia.
The event was part of a controversial “mass deportation tour” led by Nick Tenconi, the new leader of UKIP . His campaign has provoked protests in several cities, including Glasgow.
Some demonstrators held Christian symbols. Some were aggressive and violent, making Nazi salutes. They wanted to hold a demonstration in Glasgow Cathedral, but they were unsuccessful. They ended up fighting with each other, within their own group, some quit the rally.
Stand Up To Racism organised a powerful counter-protest aimed at stopping the far-right march. Speakers reminded the crowd about Glasgow’s long history of welcoming refugees. A group of demonstrators chanted “Say it loud, say it clear – refugees are welcome here” and “Nazis scum off our streets”. Their placards carried messages that included “We’re not an ‘island of strangers’”/ “Oppose racist Reform UK”/ “Migrants sustain our NHS”/ “No Nazis”/ “End Racist Hatred” and “Stop the far right”.
Anti-racists chased the Tenconi rally through the streets to stop them marching across the city. Although police blocked the counter-protesters several times, their determination to halt the rally ended with the Tenconi supporters hiding in the Necropolis after the Cathedral staff kicked them out.
It was a defining moment: 500 anti-racists and anti-fascists blocked Tenconi and his supporters. Many onlookers joined in solidarity; passing cars sounded their horns in support; in one unforgettable moment a bride, en route to her wedding, leaned out of her car window and waved support for the anti-fascist demonstration.
Many protesters expressed frustration at Glasgow City Council's decision to allow the far-right march through our city centre under the disgusting and dehumanising slogan 'Mass deportations now.”
The day ended with an emotional speech by a Stand Up To Racism member:
“Proud day for Glasgow. We have stopped Nick Tenconi and his boot boys from marching through the city centre. Today is going to send a hugely important message to the rest of the UK in terms of how we can fight back against fascism. Today we have given confidence to anti-racists across the country so that we can and will stop fascists from taking our streets. We've done it before. We did it today, and we will do it again.
“We ended today by reclaiming the spot the fascists had hoped to hold their final rally. Thank you to all the anti-racists, trade unionists, Palestine activists, and community activists who joined us today.”
The demonstration was more than just a protest: it was a statement, a powerful reminder that Glasgow will not stand by in silence. The people of Glasgow showed that they stand on the side of dignity, inclusion, and justice.
Photo by Sadia Sikandar