In our best light while trip back to dark ages
that they stop, even halting at one point outside the Blessed John Dun Scotus on Ballater Street in the Gorbals to play their songs.
All lapped up slavishly and eagerly by a baying, knuckle-dragging bigoted mob loping along beside them.
Then, of course, in an incident caught on camera, a young woman was allegedly assaulted and spat at for daring to cross a road during a march.
Thankfully, arrests have been made and the Orange Order has, on this occasion, condemned those involved.
But it’s all too little, too late.
It’s high time, in these supposedly enlightened and inclusive times, for these marches of hate and parades of sectarianism to be shown the red card. Those who blatantly peddle evil, racist bile should be locked up.
And that firm hand should equally apply to any of those who march and call for the same fate of Protestants.
The Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council and Police Scotland should do everything in their collective power to have these outdated and very uncultured marches banned.
I’m damn sure they wouldn’t be allowed to take place on the affluent streets of, say Bearsden, Milngavie or Newton Mearns, so why are they allowed in the city centre or, more importantly, the austerity-ridden streets of the Gorbals or the East End where the majority of residents are Catholic? The number of marchers is in terminal decline, yet previous figures showed Glasgow had more loyalist marches and parades than the combined total of Belfast and Londonderry.
What is all that about? As has been said by the great many revulsed by these marches, if you crossed a Pride march you would get a hug. Cross a loyalist parade and you face being spat at or harmed.
It’s time that our politicians, of all parties, marked their grand words of inclusivity, peace and equal rights for all, with firm action and resolve.
It really is time they acted to silence these sectarian bigots and peddlers of hate.