FAR-RIGHT thugs are creating a “culture of fear” in one Scottish town, it has been warned after they falsely accused an anti-racism activist of being a paedophile and set up outside his home.
Police Scotland were forced to intervene to protect the activist’s safety after false allegations that he was a sex offender named James Smith were shared by the group “Save Our Future & Our Kids Futures” – which has been organising regular anti-asylum demonstrations outside Falkirk’s Cladhan Hotel.
The group has welcomed speakers from fascist groups including the Patriotic Alternative to its rallies , where terror-linked flags – such as one banner saying “Kill ‘em all” – have also been seen.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, September 13, the Save Our Futures group wrote: “During our peaceful protest outside the Cladhan Hotel, it came to our attention that James Smith – a convicted sex offender – was standing with the counter-protesters …
“This isn’t scaremongering, this is FACT. While they label ordinary Falkirk residents as ‘racist’ or ‘far-right’ for raising genuine safety concerns, they are literally standing alongside individuals like this.”
Police Scotland have confirmed that the claim was “false” – and the activist resorted to posting his passport online to prove he is not Smith, but not before far-right thugs followed him home.
A spokesperson for the force said: “We were made aware of false information shared online about a resident in the Falkirk area on Saturday, 13 September, 2025.
“We were also made aware of a gathering outside an address in Falkirk later the same day.
“Officers attended and the group dispersed. Appropriate advice has been offered.”
On September 9, a brick was thrown through the window of the Cladhan Hotel in an attack that the group Falkirk For All claimed was “clearly an attempt to intimidate our neighbours in the asylum system”. The Save Our Futures group denied any connection to the incident.
Councillor Laura Murtagh, an independent on Falkirk Council who has taken part in the counter-protests, said she had “spoken with the police on a number of occasions and raised the issues of harassment and intimidation, both of myself and of individual members of the public”.
Recalling giving a speech at one protest called to counter a Save Our Futures rally, Murtagh said: “I was speaking as a survivor of rape and a survivor of sexual violence. As a survivor, it’s actually been very difficult.
“While I'm making a speech – you know, ‘we need to respect everybody, these are our neighbours’, all that – they're shouting misogynistic abuse at me.
“They're shouting horrible words to me, saying that my daughters – I have two teenage daughters – are going to be raped, that I'm going to be next.”
Murtagh said that “women's safety and children's safety being used to drive fear and to drive racism”.
While she stressed that she is “in no way against scrutiny and holding public figures to account”, she said Save Our Futures were encouraging “intimidation, harassment, and a culture of fear that is actually trying to intimidate people from even coming out and speaking out”.
Another activist who has been present at multiple counter-protests outside the Cladhan Hotel said they had been followed by people from the Save Our Futures rallies who “continuously abuse us” on more than one occasion.
“They always do it,” the activist, who asked not to be identified, said. “When we left [on Sunday September 7] they followed us to the train station to film us and bully and abuse us.”
Video shared with this paper shows people engaging in screaming matches on either side of the road – understood to be the route to the train station – as a police van coasts between them.
The Save Our Futures group says that it aims to protect women and children and make the streets safe for them to walk alone.
However, it has also promoted a “unity” rally being organised by alt-right podcaster John Watt, a convicted domestic abuser who they have also hosted at rallies.
On September 15, the group posted a statement from Watt where he asked to be “judged on my current actions and contributions rather than historical media portrayals”.
The Save Our Futures group has also sought to distance itself from fascists such as those from Patriotic Alternative, who spoke at more than one of their rallies.
On September 16, the group posted a message saying they were “politely but firmly” asking the fascist group not to join their events again.
The Cladhan Hotel has become a focal point for hard-right protesters in recent weeks following allegations of sexual indecency and flashing made against one of the residents.
Save Our Futures did not respond to The National’s request for comment on this story.
