Yesterday there was a hate crime committed in Glasgow.
Moreover, the officers of Police Scotland were in attendance and appeared to be ok with it.
I sent this email to their press office as soon as I had seen various pieces of video evidence.
Hello
I am a journalist (NUJ Press Card attached).
I have a question about the training given to Police Scotland officers apropos enforcing laws against racist behaviour.
Are Police Scotland officers given training on how to recognise anti-Irish racism?
I refer you to this court ruling in 2009.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8109359.stm
“(Famine Song lyrics) are racist in calling upon people native to Scotland to leave the country because of their racial origins
Lord Carloway
What is the current guidance given to PS officers if they encounter this illegal chant being spoken by a member of the public?
I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.
Regards
Phil Mac Giolla Bháin.
A short while ago I received this reply from Chief Superintendent Rob Hay, head of learning, training and development :
“All officers are provided with hate crime training which is a comprehensive syllabus covering topics such as the effect that hate crime can have on an individual in addition to the wider community, the definitions of hate crimes and hate incidents, and crucially the difference between them. Officers are also taught the specific offences of hate crime, in reference to all associated laws.
“Officers are also taught the importance of victim perception in identifying hate crime as well as other aggravations that can be applied to other crimes such as breach of the peace, to highlight a hate motive.”
The helpful person at the Police Scotland Press Office also said that a statement would be out soon apropos the incident yesterday in Glasgow.
Sure enough, here it is from ACC Bernard Higgins.
“We did not facilitate this event and to say so is inaccurate. Officers on patrol came across this group as it was making its way through Glasgow City Centre. Due to the numbers and to ensure public and officer safety, additional officers were called to assist and, at this point, individuals’ details were noted and the group dispersed.
“A retrospective investigation into this anti-Irish Catholic singing has been launched and we are following up a number of lines of enquiry, including reviewing CCTV footage and footage on social media. I fully expect a number of arrests to be made.
“This type of anti-Irish Catholic behaviour is wholly unacceptable. Our enquiries are ongoing to identify those who were involved and we will take the appropriate action against them. We would ask anyone who has any information that could assist our investigation to contact us.
However, the challenges of the sectarianism still evident in some parts of Scotland are a much broader societal problem and, whilst policing will have a role to play in addressing the symptoms, its causes are a problem which require a more effective, joined-up, civic response.”
The featured image was the immediate reaction of Humza Yousaf on Twitter to the scenes in Glasgow.
Developing story.
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My first thoughts are that this occurred on Derby Day. There is no shortage of Police reinforcements. They chose to escort it.
I was in George Square yesterday morning from app 10am-10;50am & a police helicopter was overhead a lot of the time.Maybe the occupants should be eye-tested as to how they missed such a large group assembling/making it’s way through the city centre.Also,maybe more training is needed if the polis cant stop,kettle & jail racist bigots,especially when they have riot gear, dogs,water cannon,batons,tazers & CS spray at their disposal against a crowd of kid-on hard men whose bottle would soon go.Just a thought but i thought that’s what the polis were well paid to do.
Curious language used in an official Police Scotland statement:
“A retrospective investigation…”
By default, are ALL investigations not retrospective?
More accurately, was the retrospective investigation initiated immediately after the escorted March to Ibrox was completed…
or, was it only initiated after Police Scotland was left exposed by the media coverage – surprisingly – which actually started quoting “racist chants”?
Police Scotland is a bit like the COPFS and the Scottish Govt.: underwhelming.
Phil,
On the mark as usual,
I think some of the elected representatives in Alba are starting to realise that this is definitely anti Irish racism and not sectarianism.
We’ve came a long way in a short space of time.
With thanks to our comrades at Call It Out and yourself of course for keeping the subject alive.
Thanks Phil and keep at them.
HH
Not once did ACC Bernard Higgins use the term Racism ,in fact I would say he went out of his way to not use therm Irish Racism but instead headed straight for the usual Sectarian Abuse line knowing fine well this can and will be booted down the 6 of one half a dozen of the other route as it usually is.
Watch how they decide to “tackle both sides of the Old Firm” in their quest to address Sectarianism in Scotland.
Do not let them railroad this.
Mr Dornan has called it correct this is blatant anti Irish racism.
Now I will ask the same question I asked last week after Rangers International Fc were congratulated by all and sundry by the media for their swift action against those directing their ire towards Kyogo Furuhashi.
Has the Club apologised to him directly or was this simply a PR exercise in damage limitation for brand Rangers?
Contrast to how they “police” an anti-racist protest .
https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/18531091.protesters-kettled-converging-george-square-despite-police-warnings/
“Developing story” but sadly these stories never seem to be “fully developed”.
The police in the their statement yet again look to get away with calling it a ‘sectarian’ issue and aim to make sectarianism and racism mean the same thing. With regards to their call for civic Scotland to deal with ‘sectarianism’ perhaps their statement is trying to gaslight us given that so many members of Police Scotland are members of SECTARIAN anti Catholic organisations and proudly participate in marches each year to show this.
I seem to have missed, also, the condemnation by sevco of their fans belting out this song plus the billy boys during yesterdays game. These songs have been deemed racist and illegal by the courts so why the silence from Ibrox, SFA and the media.
Newco fans are too filled with hate and ignorance to understand their racists damage the Union and shame Scotland across the globe. This is why they are Scotland’s Shame without doubt or question.
The cops seemed to be walking beside the group? That is no consistent with them coming across the group, taking names and dispersing!
I am neither Roman Catholic or of Southern Irish stock but as a Scot i am appaled to see the continued hypocracy in regard to ‘acceptable’ racism in our country. I have sympathy with Bernie Higgins in that any attempt to stop the mob would have lead to mass violence (which PS could not cope with in terms of numbers – do the maths) and surely this is now something Scottish Government need to address in law- with an actual backing in terms of consequence. We were all appaled (and rightly so) when some of their fans abused Kyogo but if anything this is so much worse – this was not an ‘ignorant’ abuse of a far away culture but a conscious attack on a minortiy who have lived and worked side by side with all of Scotland’s citizens to build a better modern Scotland- but a Scotland which unfortunately still has a hard core of thugs and biggots. We should petition the new Justice Secretary Keith Brown to pick up where the last one failed. Even a populist government should not be scared of a powerful group (including the press) in society when it comes to justice, equality and humanity. Where are our Christian values?
They can spout their bile from the rooftops until they burst a lung. I’m going nowhere.
Interestingly police Scotland have now deleted their original tweet with the public statement.
It’s no coincidence that there’s been a marked rise in this behaviour from the pond life that follows the Sevco tribute act, following their success in stopping the ten and their belief that the “establishment club” is back where it belongs. All through the 9 in a row years and the domestic dominance of Celtic these bottom feeders were nowhere to be seen and the streets of Glasgow were far the better for it. Methinks the manufacture of this Frankensteins monster to satisfy the need of the few for a so called “O** F***” has taken us back to a very dark place. I’d have buried them in a lead casket 30 feet deep encased in concrete never to see the light of day again. 2012 should have been the end of days for that lot.
Is there a problem with Police Scotland ?
I’m being serious how many more times will they coddle these morons?
Change the words Catholics to Jews and the army would be called in the police have again asserted they are a bunch of bias bigots not fit for purpose.
Any comment on the football?
You seem to be very quiet on that.
Has Kyogo managed to extract himself from Baloguns pocket yet?
It was a close game. The Rangers had the luck yesterday. The Rangers gave the ball to Celtic because they knew they couldn’t outplay them. The direction of travel is clear. The Rangers were flaky to say the least. It was hardly the swagger of champions.
Moreover all Celtic’s work and achievements in the last decade has been done while remaining solvent and with a self sustaining business model. It does not depend on conning fools by stoking their bitterness and fear. You couldn’t say that about any Rangers incarnation.
So with that out of the way, the topic here is anti Irish racism. Do you have anything useful to say about that? Didn’t think so
Was Kyogo in Baloguns pocket when he laid a sitter on a plate for the misfiring Edouard?
That goes in and it’s a totally different game altogether given Celtic we’re controlling the ball for most of the entire first half.
Also remember there was absolutely no away support in the stands or indeed in the Officials 4 man team on the day.
Role reversal at Celtic Park in a wee while let’s see how you cope then.
Where did the police ‘disperse’ the crowd? In Edmiston Drive? After hearty handshakes no doubt!
Phil, I commend another terrific piece from you.
I wasn’t a financial contributor to your site for nothing, albeit some time ago.
I bought and reasonably enjoyed “Downfall”.
Anyway, I’ll now make another contribution for the maintenance of your site.
There was a song, something along the lines of …’a voice in the wilderness’.
You have been that and I thank you for being that.
Vinnie. (aka Tic Toc)
Many thanks Vinnie
I wrote a complaint to the editor of the sun newspaper using the appropriate links as you highlighted and others to complain that the author of their piece insisted in calling the racism, sectarian, therefore rendering her reporting inaccurate. Rachel Carey was said lazy journalist.
It is surely tragic that ‘a joined up approach’ to anti-Irish racism when delivered by serving police officers could be more accurately interpreted as meaning: ‘It isn’t our problem.’ Meanwhile, the continued reluctance of officers to act when they see large groups of people allegedly involved in such behaviour does not suggest preparedness to act… rather, it appears to suggest that police will continue to allow such behaviour and may, or perhaps may not, then do something about it.
There were other incidents at Ibrox on Sunday, including the throwing of objects at Celtic players as they tried to take corners and throw-ins. Unremarkably, the broadcasters I was watching made no mention of it. Therefore, I am sure we can all rest easy that it never happened and that similar behaviour in future will be put down to ‘banter’.
There were other behaviours we all expect to see on the field of play, too. Refereeing so one-sided it is no joke to say we were up against 12 rather than 11; a focus in the media on Celtic’s troubles, without a word about Cinch, the Sevco fire sales (including Barisic’s apparently looming exit) and, of course, the Covid, vaccination situation – when Bolingboli broke a rule he was a COVIDIOT, when Sevco appear to have a outbreak, the media do not even ask the names of those affected/infected. An extraordinary situation.
One thing is for sure, prejudice is endemic in Scotland, and anti-Irish, anti-Catholic sentiment the established view. It has ever been so, and I really do not feel that things look likely to change anytime soon.
Meanwhile, on the field of play, Celtic performed below par with some errors that could have settled this tie much sooner. Neither team looked particularly energised, leaving one to ask why the SFA has not realised they have to schedule domestic ties to give all Scotland’s teams an advantage, or at least a rest, when preparing for European competition. An ultimately insignificant tie whose only positive side was it’s scheduling just before the international break, though I cannot see Steve Clarke being happy with the outcome in terms of his squad!
Sad to say but it will be the usual token arrests and under the carpet you go.
The usual narrative in Scotland is to call it sectarianism. This would seem to be allowed in the country through yearly marches and ad-hoc Kultural celebrations.
It is Racism and should be called so.
I wrote a complaint to the editor of the sun newspaper using the appropriate links as you highlighted and others to complain that the author of their piece insisted in calling the racism, sectarian, therefore rendering her reporting inaccurate. Rachel Carey was said lazy journalist.
Its good to see that Police Scotland gave themselves 24 hours to get their story straight and make sure they were all singing from the same hymn sheet 🤔
Colour me surprised not. It was difficult to distinguish the marchers dressed in black with the accompanying police escort!
Hundreds of Rangers fans, allegedly, commiting a criminal act in public following on from the George Square riot of a few months back.
Let’s hope that Police Scotland have them on film and start knocking on doors and bring these morons to justice.
These are the same people who only a few months ago were up in arms re the Kamara Slavia Prague incident.
Let’s see how quickly Police Scotland bring the hundreds of culprits to court and allow the defendants to state their case.
That alone should be worth a listen.