By Paul Cargill
THE SCOTSMAN
Published 10th Aug 2024,
Published 10th Aug 2024,
Protesters hold banners during a "Stop the Far Right" demonstration at George Square in Glasgow, Scotland.
The demonstrations in Glasgow’s George Square and outside the Scottish Parliament took place following the disorder elsewhere in the UK over the last week
Hundreds of anti-racism demonstrators have gathered at rallies in Edinburgh and Glasgow after violent disorder erupted elsewhere in the UK.
The civil unrest came after the killing of three young girls in Southport, after which disinformation was spread about the suspect on social media.
The campaign group Stand Up To Racism Scotland (SUTRS) organised counter-protests outside Holyrood in Edinburgh and in George Square in Glasgow.
Protesters hold banners during a "Stop the Far Right" demonstration at George Square Glasgow
Demonstrators carried placards and banners displaying slogans such as “No to racism” and “Refugees welcome: Stop the far right”.
One campaigner posted on X along with a video capturing the large crowd in George Square: “This is Glasgow. Sending a LOUD and CLEAR message to the FAR RIGHT. These are OUR STREETS.”
Other videos posted online showed a man holding a sign reading: “Asylum Frauds Out” was met with chants of “Refugees are welcome here” and led to him leaving amid outbreaks of cheers and applause.
The demonstrations follow similar counter-protests in Bathgate and Paisley on Friday, which were the first to be held in Scotland following riots across parts of England.
Yesterday, it was revealed that John Swinney had written a letter to X, TikTok, and Meta – which owns Facebook and Instagram – saying police chiefs in Scotland have raised concern at the length of time it takes for technology companies to remove “problematic” posts.
In it, the First Minister told social media bosses: “It is clear to me that social media platforms have a duty to take action to ensure that individuals in our society are not subjected to hate and threatening behaviour, and that communities are protected from violent disorder.”
He added: “Everyone has a role in stopping the spread of misinformation. You and your platform have a specific responsibility to do so.”
The social media giants have been told to set out how they are combating racist and hateful speech spread across the platforms, with Mr Swinney adding: “Given the seriousness of the situation, action needs to be immediate and decisive.”
Pressure has been growing on social media giants in recent days, with former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf describing X, formerly Twitter, owner Elon Musk as “one of the most dangerous men” on the planet at a talk in Edinburgh on Thursday.
Digital Ofcom watchdogs also wrote to social media bosses to remind them of their obligation to remove dangerous communication.
Demonstrators carried placards and banners displaying slogans such as “No to racism” and “Refugees welcome: Stop the far right”.
One campaigner posted on X along with a video capturing the large crowd in George Square: “This is Glasgow. Sending a LOUD and CLEAR message to the FAR RIGHT. These are OUR STREETS.”
Other videos posted online showed a man holding a sign reading: “Asylum Frauds Out” was met with chants of “Refugees are welcome here” and led to him leaving amid outbreaks of cheers and applause.
The demonstrations follow similar counter-protests in Bathgate and Paisley on Friday, which were the first to be held in Scotland following riots across parts of England.
Yesterday, it was revealed that John Swinney had written a letter to X, TikTok, and Meta – which owns Facebook and Instagram – saying police chiefs in Scotland have raised concern at the length of time it takes for technology companies to remove “problematic” posts.
In it, the First Minister told social media bosses: “It is clear to me that social media platforms have a duty to take action to ensure that individuals in our society are not subjected to hate and threatening behaviour, and that communities are protected from violent disorder.”
He added: “Everyone has a role in stopping the spread of misinformation. You and your platform have a specific responsibility to do so.”
The social media giants have been told to set out how they are combating racist and hateful speech spread across the platforms, with Mr Swinney adding: “Given the seriousness of the situation, action needs to be immediate and decisive.”
Pressure has been growing on social media giants in recent days, with former Scottish first minister Humza Yousaf describing X, formerly Twitter, owner Elon Musk as “one of the most dangerous men” on the planet at a talk in Edinburgh on Thursday.
Digital Ofcom watchdogs also wrote to social media bosses to remind them of their obligation to remove dangerous communication.
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