Protesters in Scotland and Belfast ‘scumbags’, says Scottish Greens leader

By Craig Paton, Press Association Scotland Deputy Political Editor

Scottish Greens co-leader Ross Greer has described protesters who took to the streets in Scotland and Belfast following the stabbing attack in Northern Ireland as “scumbags”.

Violence erupted in the Northern Irish capital on Tuesday night, culminating in a bus and several houses being set on fire.

Meanwhile, protesters in several parts of Scotland, including on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street, took to the streets in anger at the attack.

Photos from the scene showed the Glasgow protesters invoking the memory of murdered 18-year-old Henry Nowak, with one banner saying “white lives matter”.

https://x.com/JohnSwinney/status/2064626956310622621?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Videos circulating on social media appear to show violent clashes between those in the protest in Glasgow – which marched through the city centre – and members of the public.

Scottish first minister John Swinney said the scenes were “unacceptable”.

Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday, Greer, the Scottish Green co-leader condemned the scenes, “Those were racist rioters,” he said.

“If you are burning the houses down of people who are not white, you’re a racist rioter, you’re a criminal – you are a scumbag.”

Asked about the situation in Scotland, Greer added: “From what I heard from people in Glasgow yesterday, you had grown men walking down Buchanan Street screaming at anyone who wasn’t white, including children who were not white, screaming at them, ‘send them home’.

Scumbag would be the word that I would use to describe them as well

“So scumbag would be the word that I would use to describe them as well.”

The Scottish Green co-leader went on to say he “really feels for” the family of Henry Nowak, who called for calm in the wake of the sentencing of the teenager’s murderer.

“Henry Nowak’s family have said over and over and over again that they do not want that tragedy, they do not want his murder to be used to stir up this kind of hatred, and his family are being constantly ignored by these people wo are taking advantage of this situation,” Mr Greer said.

He compared the situation in Belfast and the response to it to the case of Alina Burns – a neo-Nazi obsessed teenager who attempted to behead a Kurdish man.

“There was absolute silence from the people who were marching last night,” he said.

“Why is it they’re willing to get together, put their face masks on, march down the street and intimidate non-white people in this country?

“It’s not because they want this country to be a safer place – they don’t want it to be a safer place.

“These are racists – there’s nothing complicated about this.”

In a post on X, first minister John Swinney said: “The scenes we saw in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Ayr last night are unacceptable.

“Scotland is a welcoming nation and those who choose to make their lives here are valued members of our communities.

“Racism, hatred and intimidation have no place in Scotland. We must stand against it.”

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar posted: “The attack in Belfast was shocking and those responsible must face the full force of the law.

“People have the right to raise legitimate concerns, but violence, racism and disorder have no place in Scotland and only serve to divide our communities.

“We are strongest when we stand together.”