Pegida plan protests in Scottish cities
Categories: Latest News
Monday March 09 2015
The Scotsman and Glasgow Evening Times both report on the planned protest by Pegida-Scotland in Edinburgh on March 21 and the prospect of a protest by the group in Glasgow later in the year.
Pegida-UK held its first protest against the “Islamification of Europe” in Newcastle on 28 February where far right supporters were outnumbered 5 to 1 by anti-racism campaigners.
The far right group, an offshoot of the German Pegida movement, has spawned a Scottish wing with plans announced on Pegida Scotland’s Facebook page to invite “all patriot groups” to join its protest later this month in Edinburgh.
The Evening Times quotes a Pegida Scotland spokesperson who told the paper that following the Edinburgh protest, “My aim would be to do something in Glasgow in the near future, probably in the next few months.”
Joshua Brown, of Unite Against Fascism (UAF) Glasgow, told the paper: “Glasgow has a proud history of standing up against racism and fascism and Pegida will not be welcome in Glasgow.
“They are not welcome anywhere.
“Glasgow is proud of its multiculturalism.
“Immigrants are welcome, refugees are welcome, Muslims are welcome, but racists and fascists are not welcome.”
A protest planned by the Scottish Defence League in Glasgow in November 2014 was refused permission by Glasgow City Council on grounds of it presenting a “clear risk to the public and to the peaceful life of the community”.