Polls are clear... our city rejects fascism and racism
GLASGOW has had the misfortune of witnessing far-right extremists who have tried and failed to gain a foothold in mainstream elected politics.
On polling day Nicola Sturgeon was confronted on the street outside a polling station by Jayda Fransen who in 2016 was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment
Fransen stood in the South Side seat against Sturgeon and Anas Sarwar.
She was told by the first minister that the people of southside would make their views known at the ballot box.
When the results came in the people of South Side did exactly that.
They overwhelmingly rejected Fransen and her extreme rightwing hate agenda.
She picked up just 46 votes. While between them Sturgeon and Sarwar picked up 30,000.
A day later as the votes were being totted up another display was taking place outside the counting hall.
Liberal Party candidate, but nothing to do with the party that merged into the LibDems, Derek Jackson and supporters goose-stepped their way up to the Emirates arena. They were giving Nazi salutes and wearing yellow stars on their jackets like Jews were forced to wear before and during the Second World War.
Once inside the hall they were warned about their behaviour and eventually they were told to leave by Returning Officer Annemarie O’Donnell and escorted away by the Police.
The candidate Jackson won 102 votes in the area.
He claimed his actions were a parody and that they were protesting about hate crime laws and the Covid vaccination programme.
Others had different ideas. Inside, Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf made their feeling clear about them.
There have been many attempts over the years by the extreme right to penetrate Scottish politics. The English Defence League bused in supporters to rallies and protests in the city. They fizzled out. Previous attempts included the BNP attempting to stir up racial unrest following the murder of Kris Donald in Pollokshields in 2004. They also ultimately failed in their mission.
Right-wing extremists look at communities in Glasgow and see populations with a diverse ethnic mix and think they must be ripe for sowing discontent and the spreading of hate.
What they fail to understand is that Glasgow is a city of immigrants.
Yes, there are tensions and yes there are many who resent people coming here from other parts of the world.
But in the main people of this city understand that people have come here fleeing a life and conditions that are intolerable and are seeking a better life for themselves and their family.
Whether they are economic migrants or refugees escaping war or persecution they see Glasgow and Scotland as a safe place that will welcome them.
While it would be untrue to say that there is not a problem with racism and many people who have made their home here have and still do suffer abuse, violence and discrimination it would also be untrue to say that is the majority view in Glasgow.
At the election, there are
Fransen could only persuade 46 people to support her. Jackson managed a few more at 102
a number of candidates who are from an ethnic minority. There are from all the main parties, people from a variety of backgrounds.
What is clear is that every one of those candidates has or will win more votes than those spreading the hate.
Fransen could only persuade 46 people to support her. Jackson managed a few more at 102.
What the results tell us is that, just like Nicola Sturgeon told Jayda Fransen on the street, the people of Glasgow will reject fascism and racism.
Yesterday the people of Glasgow did just that.