Official Report 382KB pdf
14:04
Racist Demonstrations (Glasgow)
To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it will take in response to the reported violent racist demonstrations that took place last night in Glasgow.
The actions of a very small number of individuals in parts of Scotland last night, which included the assaulting of police officers and members of minority ethnic communities, are shocking and unacceptable. Violence and racism have no place on our streets, and I utterly condemn the actions of the mindless few who were involved in the disorder and assaults that took place in Glasgow. What happened in Belfast is utterly horrific and unspeakable, and it will already have caused great concern, but the events that followed also caused distress and fear for all, and particularly for some communities.
I think that I speak for the whole Parliament when I express my gratitude to Police Scotland for its response last night. Police Scotland has since established a community reassurance cell, and officers are engaging with communities and stakeholders to understand and respond to their concerns. Police Scotland has also put in place appropriate plans to manage potential further protest activity, including the deployment of specialist public order officers, as required.
Let me be crystal clear: there is no place for racism, hatred and intimidation in our society, nor for the actions of those who seek to stoke those sentiments and division. Those beliefs and actions are not those of the vast majority of people who live in Scotland, who have values of being a welcoming and warm nation.
Last night, racist thugs stormed through the centre of Glasgow under the white nationalist slogan “White lives matter”. Members of the public were attacked indiscriminately because of the colour of their skin, and two police officers were injured. My prayers are with those who were attacked by the savage mob and with the victim of the vicious and barbaric assault last night in Belfast. All those who have been affected across the United Kingdom are in my thoughts today. However, let me be clear that this shocking display of hate is the antithesis of the compassionate character and welcoming spirit of Glasgow and Glaswegians.
Last night’s event was not a random outburst of bigotry and violence. It marks a further escalation in the organised far-right riots that are becoming all too common in Scotland. From Perth to Peterhead and from Falkirk to Ayr, we are seeing the forces of hate emboldened and out on our streets, intimidating and harassing law-abiding citizens who have come to our country to build a better life. No one in Scotland should live in fear due to the colour of their skin or their religious belief. That bigotry must not be tolerated any longer.
Does the cabinet secretary agree that the issue cuts to the core of what it means to live in our country and society, that there is no place for that type of thuggery in Scotland and that we must be thoughtful and compassionate and not give in to the impulses of hatred and bitterness, regardless of colour or creed?
I completely agree with everything that Paul Sweeney has put on the record in his supplementary question. The Scottish Government’s approach is grounded in tackling hate consistently and proportionately across all communities, which is underpinned by a zero-tolerance stance on racism and hate crime. Our work is underpinned by community cohesion and by promoting mutual respect, understanding and positive relationships across communities.
What happened last night was designed to intimidate, to cause alarm and to divide, but we will not allow those who seek to intimidate us or to divide us to do so. The values of the people of Scotland must prevail, and we must show leadership across the chamber to ensure that that is the case.
Before Paul Sweeney comes back in, I say to him that I am looking for questions rather than speeches. Other members are keen to come in, so it is important that we keep questions as brief as possible.
Some members of the Parliament have sought to fan the flames of division with continual talk of “strangers” and calls for further protests tonight. Does the cabinet secretary agree that every one of us in the Parliament has a duty to calm tensions in this country and not to inflame them, and that we should be reminded that our first duty is to our constituents and the people of Scotland, not to American neo-Nazis on social media?
I fundamentally and completely agree with what Paul Sweeney has said—I believe that to my core. We are a welcoming nation. We have benefited from migration to this country and we continue to benefit from it. I say that particularly given the offices that I have held in health and the public services that I have represented in the Government. This country’s police service, fire service and health and social care systems would not be able to do what they do without people coming from other countries to serve the people of Scotland.
My first office in this Government was in culture, and the culture and fabric of our society would also not be the same were it not for migration into this country. We should celebrate it, protect it and cherish it, and we should always stand up to those, including in this Parliament, who seek to divide, intimidate and cause fear and alarm.
The scenes in Glasgow city centre and in other parts of Scotland—and, indeed, in Belfast—were truly shocking. Those scenes and all racism must be condemned by all parties in the chamber. Shame on those who choose not to do so.
How will the Scottish Government reach out to and work with minority communities to reassure them that all measures will be taken to prevent such disgusting, racist behaviour from recurring and that Scotland is a welcoming place for all those who choose to live here?
In the first instance, those efforts are being led by Police Scotland in the work that it is doing to reassure communities across Scotland. Work is ongoing in Government to ensure that we are able to protect and enhance communities, including minority ethnic groups and religious communities, across Scotland. That work will continue and intensify, and we will do it in the full knowledge that any further such incidents off the back of last night’s incidents will cause significant concern to communities across Scotland. We—not only this Government, but, I hope, this Parliament—will not tolerate fear and alarm being caused and want to support people to live well in this country.
Looking at the footage of last night’s events, we see that it was not protest but criminal disorder. Families should be able to go about their daily lives in Scotland without fear of violence, intimidation or public disorder from a gang of balaclava-clad hooligans.
Will the cabinet secretary ask Police Scotland to give a full report on the incidents in Glasgow, including the number of officers who were injured, the arrests that were made and the extent of any damage that was caused? Will he confirm whether the force has the public order resources and operational capacity that are needed should further incidents occur?
I agree with Mr Kerr’s points. Of course, there is a right to protest and to organise peacefully, but that is not what we saw last night. We saw thuggery and intimidatory tactics seeking to divide communities. They will not succeed in Scotland.
Last night, I was in live dialogue with Police Scotland through my officials. To answer the final question, we saw a very clear response from Police Scotland, which stood up in very short order and showed that it does have the resources at its disposal to deal with such incidents. To answer Mr Kerr’s middle question, I am in constant dialogue with Police Scotland and expect further information from it on the outturn of the event. I seek continued reassurance that it is prepared for any further such disorder.
I commend Paul Sweeney for his contributions in the chamber. There is a lot of unanimity across the Parliament, and we should all be careful with our words in general when discussing such matters.
These are aggravated offences. I commend the cabinet secretary for his response, but does he agree that the nature of the offences is so significant that we need to make example of a zero-tolerance approach to such crime and that, when we get to it, the sentencing should reflect that?
I understand the motivation behind Mr Smith’s questions. He will understand that Police Scotland, the Courts and Tribunals Service and the Crown are rightly independent of Government. However, what we are able to see from the footage that Mr Kerr and Mr Smith have alluded to speaks to the motivation behind last night’s organised thuggery.
I want to ensure that we continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to racism, hatred and division. Over many years, we have taken steps in Scotland to legislate to ensure that we have the fullest protections possible in place for people who choose to live here. I expect the full weight of the law to be applied to anyone who is prosecuted or convicted for any of last night’s incidents.
That concludes the urgent question. We will have a one-minute break to switch over, after which we will resume with portfolio questions.
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