Campaigners vow to fight far-right extremists over 'racist' banners

The National

6 days ago

Members from the Clydebank Trades Union Council (CTUC) have been subjected to 'vile' verbal abuse from people identifying themselves as belonging to the fascist group Patriotic Alternative (PA).
Local councilors have also joined the trade union members to call for more people to stand up to PA's 'intolerance' and show that 'Scotland is for everyone'.
The trade union group have gathered at the same spot on a bridge outside the Clydebank shopping centre every Monday afternoon for around three years in a bid to promote workers' rights.
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However, members of CTUC have now found themselves being targeted by individuals belonging to PA who have branded them 'left-wing terrorists' as they have tried to set up in the union's usual spot.
Last month, councillors from the West Dunbartonshire Council passed a motion to ban PA members from hanging their 'racist' banners, which includes slogans like 'You pay, migrants stay' and 'Migrants adored, pensioners ignored' on council property.
PA (Image: NQ)
The group had been gathering at a bandstand just down from the shopping centre on a Wednesday but have now decided to congregate at the same location at the same time as the trade union group.
Tam Morrison, the group's secretary, told The National CTUC would not be bullied by PA and that they will continue to show up and speak with the local community about workers' rights despite facing the abuse.
He said: 'They were over in the bandstand and there were a number of complaints made to the police about their offensive banners, which you could argue they're not overtly racist, but they are certainly dog whistling, and it's quite concerning given what's happening down south, and the riots in Ireland as well.
'It's raising tensions trying to divide the community, so people were complaining to the police.'
CTUC (Image: NQ)
He added: 'They're calling us terrorists, they call us communists, because we're standing up for workers' rights.
'I mean, there's people from all parties and no parties, there are communists, but there's also people in the Labour Party, people who support independence and there are people who have no party, but all trade unionists, and they're [PA] calling us left-wing terrorists.'
On Monday afternoon, The National witnessed individuals who are allegedly a part of PA shouting and videoing CTUC members who were attempting to set up their stall.
Some of the individuals, which were less than a dozen, shouted chants like 'stop the boats' and 'Scotland needs Reform' while waving banners which read 'secure our borders' and 'stop Labour cover up, protect our children'.
Morrison said individuals belonging to the white supremacy group PA have been backing Reform UK and he said their prevalence in the local community had increased since Reform candidates stood in recent by-elections.
He added: 'I think all decent people would have nothing to do with them.'
Also, in attendance on Monday was SNP West [[Dunbar]]tonshire group leader councillor Gordon Scanlan (below R) and deputy leader councillor Sophie Traynor (below L) who wanted to show solidarity against the ongoing racism in [[Clydebank]].
(Image: NQ)
Scanlan, who has represented the Faifley, Duntocher and Hardgate ward for three years, said PA's 'intolerant views' are not representative of the people who live in the West Dunbartonshire area.
He told The National: 'They came to the council meeting last month and councilor Jim Boland from the Community Party put forward a motion.
'It was brilliantly supported by all members in the chamber, which took them away from the bandstand because of the intolerant views they're putting across with racial slogans and other offensive slogans as well.
'It's so important that we stand up to that sort of intolerance in society because they said in the council chamber, 'Scotland's for Scots', no, it's not Scotland's for everyone.
'If you want to come here and live in Scotland, you are welcome here.
'You are welcome to come and contribute to our society, and that's the message we should have in Scotland and that's why I'm here to put that message across.'
Scanlan added: 'The vast majority of people I speak to completely agree with my sentiment as opposed to the sentiment of the group that's been put across here.
'Whoever shouts loudest doesn't always mean that they're right and I think there's a silent majority of people that understand that people are welcome here.'
Traynor said she has also come down to see first-hand how the PA members were behaving after being contacted by some constituents who were concerned with what they were saying.
She said some people had shared with her videos and pictures of the 'anti immigration' banners and were concerned over the 'racist' tone of them.
Traynor told The National: 'It feels very unwelcoming.
'At one point, they were taking up the whole bridge with their banner and blocking the way for people who are just going about their general daily life.
'They're doing their shopping, they're just meeting their friends, and yet they're facing this all the time.
'It's just a very unwelcome situation and I do think that there will be a lot of people who are concerned, especially if they're ethnic minority themselves.'
She added: 'More people need to stand up to them and show a bit of solidarity to those who are being impacted by what they're [PA] saying.'