Police response to city protests questioned after ‘thugs run wild’

Councillors and an MSP have written to Police Scotland questioning the response of officers to recent protests in Glasgow city centre.

SNP councillor Ruairi Kelly raised concerns with chief superintendent Hazel Hendren claiming “fascist thugs were able to run wild in George Square” on Saturday.

The Glasgow City Council representative’s letter was sent days after an event aimed at “sending a positive anti-racist message from Glasgow’s George Square to the world on World Refugee Day”.

Mr Kelly said peaceful protesters and members of the public were attacked on two separate occasions in the square.

He wrote: “These appeared to be planned attacks and a quick search of known social media accounts shows that groups such as the National Defence League had called people out onto the streets.

“Was there not sufficient advanced warning to keep these individuals separate from the public?”

Police vans lined the square last Saturday, with more than 100 officers in attendance, including riot officers and the mounted unit. Ahead of Saturday’s protests, the Scottish Police Federation (SPF) issued a statement suggesting nationalists, unionists, “statue wreckers and statue protectors” are as guilty as each other when it comes to protests during the coronavirus lockdown.

Mr Kelly said: “While I understand that Police Scotland have no responsibility for this organisation, there has also been an attempt to insert the narrative of football rivalry into a number of protest movements in order to condemn both sides.

“I find this deeply troubling and do not believe that it is a fair representation of the facts.”