Police say protest over Glasgow marches ban passed peacefully

A protest staged by loyalist groups after council chiefs banned a series of marches passed "without incident", Police Scotland have said.

Hundreds of demonstrators, including members of the Orange Order, gathered outside Glasgow City Council's headquarters.

They were unhappy after the Public Processions Committee banned six marches by loyalist and republican groups amid fears over sectarian disorder.

The protest, organised by Scottish Protestants Against Discrimination, came after violence flared at parades in the city over the past two weekends, with police responding to "significant disorder" at a march in Govan on August 30.

The following weekend, 11 people were arrested as two Republican marches were held through Glasgow city centre, with a police officer injured by a pyrotechnic thrown by loyalist protesters.

Police Scotland said on Saturday that a 32-year-old man had been arrested and charged in connection with that incident.

He is now due to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday.

Meanwhile, Chief Superintendent Hazel Hendren said an "appropriate policing operation" had been put in place to deal with the protest.

She added: "I am pleased to see that the demonstration in George Square passed without incident.

"There have been no arrests or further incidents reported to us at this time and there will continue to be a proportionate policing presence in the city."

Council leader Susan Aitken said that the council had acted on police advice in prohibiting this weekend's marches.

Speaking on Friday, she said: "The responses and the violence and the destruction we have seen on the city streets is simply unacceptable. We can't have repeats of that.

"Nor can we continue to have repeats of the very, very heavy police presence that was on the city streets last Saturday."

She said that a moratorium on marches is being considered to "find that right balance" between the right to march and the need to protect the city, adding: "What we need is some breathing space, we need to be able to step back."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described the move to ban this weekend's marches as the "right decision" while Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said that "Glasgow had had enough" of the disruption and backed the idea of exploring a possible moratorium.

The Church of Scotland said it recognised that the decision to ban the marches was not based on religious discrimination.

Reverend Dr Richard Frazer, convener of the Church of Scotland's Church and Society Council, said: "Following the sectarian violence we have seen on the streets of Glasgow in recent weeks, we recognise that the decision made by Glasgow City Council to ban further parades planned for this weekend was not based on religious discrimination nor a desire to oppress the protestant faith.

"The city council has a responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all within the city and in doing this the council needs to take into account the advice it receives from the police and the concerns of the communities involved.

"We believe it is in this vein that the decision has been made and we are supportive of the decision."

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