The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Rival protesters face off in Perth
Anti-fascist demonstration dwarfs march by SDL
There was a huge police presence in Perth yesterday as anti-fascist groups clashed with members of the Scottish Defence League (SDL).
With tensions running high ahead of the planned march by the right wing group, hundreds of counter-campaigners met at the railway station before marching into the city centre.
Meanwhile, police officers hemmed in approximately 30 SDL members for around two hours before eventually allowing them to proceed into the city, where they met noisy opposition.
There were sporadic bursts of anti-social behaviour and at one point a smoke bomb was let off. Police brought traffic to a standstill.
Local councillor Willie Wilson said: “This kind of thing is alien to Perth.”
The SDL were protesting about plans to create a new mosque in Jeanfield Road, Perth.
Traffic was brought to a halt amid ugly scenes as demonstrators clashed in Perth yesterday.
Tensions were high as anti-fascist groups demonstrated their opposition to a march by the Scottish Defence League.
The SDL had staged a ‘protest’ walk against a new mosque being created in the city.
Police maintained a heavy presence throughout the city centre. Some officers were on horseback, and there were scores of riot vans in the vicinity.
A number of streets were closed off in a bid to avoid confrontations between the two sides.
There were several flashpoints, most notably when a bus carrying SDL members from the North East of England was turned away from Perth railway station as hundreds of protestors from anti-fascist groups expressed their disgust.
And the atmosphere again almost turned violent when police on horseback blocked in a faction of left-wing campaigners in South Street.
The youths dispersed but then let off a smoke bomb.
The anti-fascist groups, which included around 400 people, marched from Perth railway station at 1.30pm and were then contained in South Street.
This allowed police to hold the SDL members at the Glasgow Road entrance of the station until 2.40pm when they proceeded to walk into the city centre, accompanied by dozens of police.
Many residents shouted abuse at the SDL with tempers flaring, but police managed to quell any signs of violence quickly.
A 25-year-old man, who was not a member of the SDL group, was arrested in relation to a breach of the peace and will appear at Perth Sheriff Court at a later date.
Pete Wishart, MP for Perth and North Perthshire, and Alex Rowley MSP, deputy leader of the Labour Party, both took part in the counter-rally.
Mr Rowley said: “I am proud to be here to show my opposition to fascist groups.”
And local councillor Willie Wilson added: “This kind of event is alien to Perth. I don’t think Perth has seen the like before.”
Meanwhile, Doug Haywood, 43, had travelled with a group from Aberdeen to oppose the SDL.
“This is to show that Perth is against racism,” he said.
And Ann Brown, 51, of Perth, said: “Perth booted Oswald Mosley back in 1936 so we want to do the same to the SDL today.”
Hamish Drummond and Mike Arnott, of Dundee Trades Union Council, both said they felt they had to attend to show their feelings about the SDL coming to Perth.
“The SDL are responsible for all these people turning up here today to oppose them,” Mr Drummond said.
An SDL member, who gave his name as Jamie and wore a skull mask, said: “We have the right to be here today – it’s freedom of speech. If all these left-wing groups can gather here why can’t we?”
Chief Inspector Ian Scott, area commander for Perth and Kinross, said there were no major problems or criminality during or after the event.
“There was some disruption to traffic in the city centre, which was unfortunate but unavoidable and public safety was maintained throughout,” he said.
“The vast majority of demonstrators worked with police to voice their rights of free speech, whilst respecting the local community.”
I have never before witnessed the scenes I encountered while reporting on the Scottish Defence League (SDL) protest event in Perth yesterday.
While I didn’t see any violence there was a poisonous atmosphere when the SDL were eventually allowed to walk into the city centre.
Hundreds of anti-fascist campaigners, a minority of whom it must be said, were up for a fight, were contained in South Street, bringing traffic to standstill.
You had the feeling it wouldn’t take much to kick things off as tensions simmered and abuse was hurled at both the SDL and the police, but I felt Police Scotland did a brilliant job in handling what must have been the biggest protest in Perth’s history.
Residents looked on both in shock and amazement at the various slogans shouted by the different groups, which ranged from “Nazi scum” from left wing groups to “No more refugees” from the SDL.
At times it felt akin to experiencing rivalry between football hooligans but it was good to know that the whole day passed off relatively peacefully.
“Residents looked on both in shock and amazement at the various slogans shouted by the different groups