Glasgow Green protests end without violence despite tense standoff

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at Glasgow Green on Saturday for rival anti-immigration and counter-protests, which passed without the major disorder that police had feared.

Under a heavy police presence that included mounted officers, dogs, and a helicopter, the two opposing groups were kept strictly apart on the eastern side of the park, with the People's Palace serving as a physical barrier between them. Police Scotland reported only one arrest: a 23-year-old man detained on an outstanding warrant linked to a previous clash in the same park on 25 July.

That July protest had ended in violence and led to more than 20 people being charged, prompting police to vow a "strong response" to any disruption on Saturday.

Why the groups gathered

The anti-immigration rally was organised by a group called the Pink Ladies, who said they were demonstrating in response to what they described as an increase in sexual assaults against women. Among those attending the rally were prominent figures from the Scottish right, including Audrey Dempsey, a Reform UK councillor, and Thomas Kerr, the deputy leader of Reform UK in Scotland.

Kerr said he had been invited by organisers to hear "what working-class women in particular are saying." He accused the counter-protesters of being "extremists" who were "trying to shout down working-class people who finally have a voice."

A short distance away, a counter-demonstration organised by Stand Up To Racism Scotland and Women Against the Far Right Scotland sought to drown out the rally.

Clashing messages on women's safety

Roz Foyer, the general secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC), was among those speaking at the counter-protest. She accused the rally organisers of exploitation.

"It just confounds belief that people are prepared to weaponise a really important issue like violence against women and girls and use it to create more hate, more division, and more fear in our communities," Foyer said. She added that she was far more worried about masked, angry people running through the city centre than about migrants.

Alison Thewliss, a Scottish government minister who also attended the counter-protest, said she had received letters from people who had moved to Scotland and now felt unsafe. "It is up to us all to make people feel safe and to stand up," she said.

Following the demonstrations, Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan said the policing operation had succeeded in preventing crime and minimising disruption to the wider community. "We did warn that there would be no tolerance for violence and disorder and that any criminality would get a strong response," Dolan said.