ROSS Greer blasted the BBC live on air over the broadcaster’s framing of racist disorder and violence in Belfast and across Scotland last night.
People were forced to flee their homes and multiple cars and homes were set alight in Belfast on Tuesday night, with some witnesses – including a pastor – saying that people were targeted “because they're black”.
It came after a knife attack in the north of the city on Monday. The 30-year-old accused, who is Sudanese, is charged with possession of an article with a blade or point in a public place and making threats to kill.
Disorder also hit streets across Scotland including Glasgow, with videos circulating online and on far-right Telegram groups of what appears to be masked thugs attacking non-white people on Buchanan Street.
Appearing on the BBC’s Radio Scotland Breakfast show, the Scottish Greens co-leader was asked for his reaction.
Greer first hit out at the BBC’s framing earlier in the show, in which those participating in the demonstrations and disorder were described as “anti-immigration campaigners”.
“I've got to be honest, I was horrified to hear the BBC a minute ago describe what happened in Belfast as anti-immigration campaigners,” he said.
“Those were racist rioters. If you're burning the houses down of people who are not white, you are a racist rioter, you're a criminal, you are a scumbag.”
Greer added: “The BBC should not be legitimizing these people by calling them anti-immigration campaigners.
“That gives a veneer of legitimacy to thugs and criminals.”
BBC host Martin Geissler responded: “Look, we could get into the semantics of that and we could say that maybe there was a group – the majority of those people were protesting peacefully about immigration laws and a small minority. We don't, I don't know, I wasn't there, I didn't see it. I'm asking you about the protests on the streets in Scotland.”
Greer then hit back: “And 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’.
“So, scumbag would be the word that I would use to describe them as well.”
The Scottish Greens MSP went on to say he really feels for the family of Henry Nowak.
The 18-year-old student was handcuffed by police who ignored his pleas that he had been stabbed as he lay dying after his British-born killer, Vickrum Digwa, claimed to have been the victim of a racist attack.
“Henry Novak'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,” Greer said.
“They're taking advantage of this situation. I didn't see any of these people lifting a finger the last time someone was convicted for trying to behead someone else in the street, because it was a young radicalized white neo-Nazi who tried to do it to a Kurdish man. She was convicted not that long ago. There was absolute silence from the people who were marching last night.”
He then asked: “So, why is it that 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.”
Greer went on: “I'm proud of the fact that Scotland is a welcoming country. I'm proud of the fact that this is a country where people like that are on the margins of our society, and we need to all stand together on a day like this, because there are a lot of people in this country, a lot of our fellow Scots who are feeling afraid this morning, who are afraid to leave their homes this morning because they're not white, and they see what these people want to stir up against people who are not white. I stand against that, the Scottish Greens stand against that. I think the vast majority of people in this country reject that kind of hatred.”
Geissler then concluded the exchange by saying “that is your opinion”.
“I asked for your opinion, you've made it absolutely crystal clear. In the interest of balance, I should say there are other political parties out there who would argue that a lot of these people were out there last night just articulating what they would think are legitimate views that are opposed to yours,” he added.
“But listen, let's move on.”
