Three men have been charged after masked demonstrators marched through Glasgow city centre, attacking members of the public 'because of the colour of their skin' – violence that erupted in solidarity with protests sparked by a knife attack in Belfast. The disorder on Tuesday evening left five people injured, including two police officers, as hundreds of people wearing masks chanted and carried Union flags. Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell said: 'Members of the public were attacked because of the colour of their skin.'
The Glasgow protests came after a knife attack in Belfast on Monday night in which a man in his 40s was seriously injured. Hadi Alodid, a Sudanese man in his 30s, has been charged with attempted murder. The Home Office said Alodid entered the UK in 2023 and was given refugee status. The victim, Steven Ogilvy, lost his left eye and has damage to his right eye, along with injuries to his neck and back.
“Three men charged after Glasgow protesters attacked people because of skin colour; five injured.”
In Belfast on Tuesday, violence escalated as houses, cars and a bus were set on fire. All public transport was suspended. The Police Service of Northern Ireland requested mutual aid from across the UK. Translink announced it would suspend all bus and rail services from 5pm and 6pm respectively on Wednesday evening due to expected further protests.
In Glasgow, three men – two aged 18 and one aged 31 – were arrested and charged in connection with various offences. Smaller peaceful demonstrations took place in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Perth, Ayr and Paisley, with no arrests. Javed Iqbal, who owns a shop near St Enoch, said police advised him to close early after masked men banged on the windows. Waddell said Police Scotland was 'prepared to deal with any escalation in disorder' and condemned the racism and violence.
Meanwhile, a fundraising campaign has been launched to buy a pint for Maitiu Mág Tighearnán, who intervened in the Belfast knife attack by striking the suspect with a hurling stick. North Belfast MP John Finucane said those who intervened 'showed extraordinary courage and bravery' and may have saved the victim's life. The GoFundMe, created by Niall Donnan, had raised nearly £600.