Thousands rally in Glasgow anti-racism demo, police separate

Thousands of anti-racism demonstrators gathered in Glasgow city centre on Saturday, June 13, 2026, where they were met by a much smaller anti-immigration counter-protest. Police deployed in large numbers to separate the two groups on Buchanan Street, preventing clashes but reporting scuffles and verbal confrontations. The major demonstration, organized by Stand Up To Racism Scotland under the banner "Glasgow Reclaims The Streets From Far-right Hatred And Violence," was a direct response to a series of racially-motivated incidents and unrest in the city earlier in the week.

The tensions follow a knife attack in Belfast on Monday night, which left Stephen Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, with severe injuries including the loss of an eye. A 30-year-old Sudanese national, Hadi Alodid, has been charged with attempted murder in that case. The Belfast attack triggered several nights of serious rioting and arson in Northern Ireland, with 19 arrests made. In the days following, similar unrest spread to Scotland, where a far-right protest in Glasgow on Tuesday resulted in injuries to two police officers and three members of the public. Police stated that members of the public had been attacked...