TWO Green MSPs joined the thousands protesting in Glasgow on Saturday and have spoken out on the "disgusting" far-right hate seen on the city's streets.
Iris Duane, MSP for Glasgow, and Holly Bruce, MSP for Glasgow Southside, stood on the Buchanan Street steps in front of the Royal Concert Hall at a demonstration organised to call out the disorder seen earlier in the week.
Organised by Stand Up to Racism, charities, trade unions, NGOs and passers-by gathered to show solidarity with refugees and people of colour and to call out the hate of the people on the other side of the barrier.
On Tuesday evening, hundreds of masked men gathered in the city centre, calling for an "end to mass immigration" while holding signs and banners with slogans including "Scotland for the Scottish".
Videos quickly spread online of the men shouting at passers-by on the street and physically attacking people.
Speaking to The National on Saturday, Holly Bruce said: "We saw some pretty disgusting protests at the start of the week on Tuesday in Glasgow, and we're here to show the far right that hate is not the way.
"We are with our community, with our neighbours, with migrants, refugees, to stand with them.
"Tuesday didn't feel right. It didn't feel like Glasgow."
Both Bruce and Duane spoke of being contacted by an increasing number of constituents who say they are now scared to leave their homes or are taking different journeys to work to avoid confrontation.
On Tuesday, two police officers were injured, and at least three members of the public were physically injured. Three men, aged 31, 18 and 18, were later arrested and charged in connection with various offences during the evening.
"I've had constituents email me, and I've had people phone up my office terrified. That is not ok," Bruce said.
Duane added: "I've had individuals email me fearing about leaving their own houses. This afternoon, I saw a local community group putting together a travel fund for people of colour who are having to take extra travel to avoid certain areas in the city because they think they might be in danger.
"As a person of colour, I've seen this happen before. These are the same stories that your parents and your grandparents tell you about. And we thought we'd finished it.
"Nobody, and I mean absolutely nobody, should be afraid of interacting with this fantastic city because of the colour of their skin."
Bruce said that despite the violence this week, there has been support across the majority of parties in the Scottish Parliament, and that this majority view was reflected in the turnout of counter-protesters.
She added: "I'm just so pleased to see the turnout today. And cross-party, [the support] in the chamber on Wednesday and Thursday. Even the Tories were clapping to say that refugees are welcome!
"We're here to stand in solidarity, but also to stand with our neighbours and our constituents and to show them that hate is not welcome in Glasgow.
"It's a small minority, and I want to assure people that it is just a small minority."
