The Glasgow City Council SNP Group will today use a specially convened meeting of the City Council to debate the use of city streets by groups such as the far right Scottish Defence League (SDL).

SNP councillors have called the special meeting after a decision by the Lord Provost not to permit a SNP motion on serious organised crime to be debated for the third time. After the debate on serious crime lead by SNP Deputy Leader, Councillor Billy McAllister, Councillors will then be asked by Baillieston SNP Councillor David McDonald to back his motion calling on council to reaffirm its belief that ‘Glasgow diversity is a strength’ and that it will not tolerate city streets being used as a platform for racism or bigotry.

After a challenging week for Glasgow, Councillor McDonald said: "This city has a proud record of being open to all, but this week we have seen the racist BNP securing its best ever Scottish election result and, on Saturday, the Scottish Defense League’s’ rabble of neo Nazi’s and football hooligans brought shame on the city.  Thankfully their vile chants were drowned out by the real voice of Glasgow, by the thousands of counter protestors who attended the Scotland United event on Glasgow Green."

McDonald will tell Councillors that the increasing presence of the far right in Glasgow is a threat that must be taken seriously.  He will say: "We all have a duty - all of us, all of our parties, all of our supporters - to unite, not only to defeat fascism at the ballot box, but to defeat its ideologies as well. Together we can do that by celebrating our own city; celebrating its diversity, its vibrancy and its openness. Yes we have our troubles, but by and large we are a city where people live together, work together and aspire together. That is why the sight of the SDL on our city streets is so abhorrent to the vast majority of Glaswegians. It is now time for the Council to back up its words with action and to ban the SDL and any other organisation that wants to use Glasgow as a platform for hatred.

Notes:

• At Full Council (29 October 2009) the Lord Provost, after appeals from the floor of the house, refused to accept an SNP motion on serious crime in Glasgow.

• As a result, the entire SNP Group left the meeting in protest.

• The Scottish Defence League is a Scottish front of the English Defence League which was started among the football casual community in Luton.  The Anti Fascist Magazine ‘Searchlight’ has branded the EDL/SDL as a “Street Army”.

• On Saturday 14th November the Scottish Defence League held a static protest in Cambridge Street in Glasgow City Centre.

• Members of the umbrella group Scotland United staged a counter protest at Glasgow green which attracted several thousand supporters