STUDENTS on a night out in Aberdeen were left shaken by a loud anti-migrant march with protesters chanting “send them home” and “Christ is King”.
About a dozen anti-migrant protesters walked along King Street, past university grounds and student hotspot The Bobbin pub, making threatening statements while draped in Scottish and Union Jack flags.
At around 6.30pm last Friday, about 30 individuals gathered at Don Street to oppose the recent repurposing of the student halls to an asylum seeker accommodation.
An invitation to protest had been shared on the Facebook group “Aberdeen Against illegal Migration”, which has organised protests since the summer.
Stand Up to Racism activist Matthew Mossop, who is in his second year studying anthropology, caught wind of the protest online and went to observe the gathering.
He saw the protesters chant outside the accommodation, and their move to march on King St about half an hour later.
“I suspect the spontaneous march was something of an impromptu launch of the ‘nighttime street patrols’ that they have been planning to do for a while,” he said.
“The police had told them such patrols were not allowed, so they announced that they would organise a ‘parents and community walking group’ instead.”
Superintendent David Howieson previously addressed the group’s planned street patrols in a statement to Aberdeen Live, saying: “Police Scotland does not endorse, condone or encourage this activity and we are asking the public to refrain from participating.”
On Kings St, students were scattered around The Bobbin pub and nearby supermarkets Co-op and Tesco, when about a dozen protesters accompanied by police arrived.
Most students avoided interaction with the protesters. One female pub-goer said they felt “unsafe”.
Videos posted online showed a shouting match erupting for a few moments outside The Bobbin pub as an onlooker appeared to argue with anti-migrant marchers.
The group walked up King Street and then back down towards Don Street student accommodation, now used for asylum seekers.
A bystander at the scene said: “I walked past a large and extremely loud group standing outside the Don Street accommodation. Notably, this was at 8.30pm, making the event clearly intimidating. I was with a visibly queer friend and as such we put our heads down, hushed our voices and moved past quickly.”
A first-year student who witnessed the march said they felt “embarrassed to be [near] people with so much hate in their heart”.
Two nurses sitting outside the pub said “this doesn't represent our views”, pointing out that the NHS relies on immigrant workers.
Absent from the march near the University of Aberdeen’s campus were its top law graduate Lewis and his younger brother Chris Carty, a politics and business student. The duo made national headlines for leading controversial speeches at earlier anti-migrant rallies.
In August, the Home Office informed Aberdeen City Council that asylum seeker numbers in the city will double to 798, with student halls in Rosemount and Old Aberdeen repurposed to house immigrants for free while the government processes their claims for asylum. The move has fuelled anti-migrant protests, which have been dividing Aberdeen since earlier this summer.
Don Street House near Hillhead Student Village was selected to house up to 166 asylum seekers, where Every Student had previously offered student rooms for less than £100 per week – a saving compared to halls up the road offered by Aberdeen University.
Meanwhile, Unite Students had accommodated students at Farmers Hall in Rosemount, but now the building will be used to house up to 130 asylum seekers.
On Tuesday, Aberdeen University’s BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) forum posted on Instagram warning of xenophobic placards spotted on the streets of Aberdeen, with one sign reading an iteration of the white supremacist 14-words slogan used by the far right: “Because Humza thinks Scotland is too white we must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.”
Replying for comment about the march, an Aberdeen City Council spokesperson said: “Aberdeen City Council policy is to facilitate peaceful protest. Any protest which is not peaceful is a matter for Police Scotland.”
A University of Aberdeen spokesperson said: “The safety of our community is paramount, and we regularly promote safety messaging to our students signposting the various measures and services we have in place for advice and support. As a diverse community of staff and students from more than 120 nationalities, we pride ourselves on creating a multi-cultural, safe and respectful environment for all.
“Whilst we wholeheartedly acknowledge the importance of freedom of speech, this freedom does not protect hate speech or other forms of harmful or abusive conduct. We would encourage anyone who may witness such an incident to report them through the appropriate channels.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Officers responded to protest activity in the Don Street area of Aberdeen on Friday, September 26, 2025. A proportionate policing response was thereafter provided to an unnotified procession involving members of the same group.
“A 43-year-old man has since been arrested and charged regarding stirring up hatred in relation to actions at this event. A retrospective investigation is ongoing and where criminality is identified enquiries will be undertaken to identify and trace those involved. If you are involved in an offence, you may face arrest. Even if you are not caught on the day, we have significant evidence-gathering resources at our disposal, and you will be identified.”
“Any policing operation will prioritise public safety and must balance the rights of those wishing to peacefully protest or counter-protest against the rights of the wider community.”
