Stand Together for the Scotland We Love Before It’s Too Late!

An impassioned plea from The Edinburgh Interfaith Association (EIFA) following recent racist protests in Falkirk!

We like to think that Scotland is a welcoming place.  People are fond of saying, "We're a' Jock Tamson's bairns” all the same regardless of colour. 

However the appalling scenes in Falkirk last Saturday where over 1000 fascists, racists and far right activists gathered outside a hotel housing asylum seekers has shaken that illusion and should be a dangerous wake up call for everyone in Scotland.

The events on Saturday demonstrated that Scotland is not immune to the propaganda and misinformation being used to spread racism and hate ideology towards minorities including refugees.

Make no mistake this gathering like others across the UK are not ‘peaceful’ non-racist protests or about protecting women’s rights.

You only had to witness the Nazi salutes and the banner stating "kill them all, let God sort them out" and listen to the calls supporting Tommy Robinson and the threats directed towards the women counter protesting to realise that. Recent statistics showed that half of those arrested for race hate disorder in Belfast last August had previously been reported to the PSNI for domestic abuse. There are also sad reports from Falkirk of not only the Mosques being targeted with eggs but innocent people walking in the street.

A great concern is how the peaceful counter-protesters were greatly outnumbered by 1000 to 250. But these brave diverse group of 250 protestors helped to prevent violence taking place. The lives of the people living and working in this hotel were under threat.

This small group of counter- protestors demonstrated what is possible when we come together.

We must come together across our different faith, cultural and political groups to make a loud and clear statement that Scotland takes a zero tolerance approach to racism and hate.