Monthly Briefing: Racist rally in Glasgow descends into violence

 In brief

• Members of several far-right groups attended a “Unite the Clans” rally in Glasgow that descended into violence
• Tommy Robinson’s recent trip to Moscow was funded by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, according to the billionaire’s father
• Patriotic Alternative held its annual summer camp in the Burnley area, attracting up to 200 participants
• The Homeland Party’s activity has flatlined following a purge of group chats

Unite the Clans

Prominent members of Patriotic Alternative Scotland, Reform UK and the Homeland Party addressed an assembly of around 500 Scottish protesters at a 25 July “Unite the Clans” event in Glasgow. Also among the protesters were a range of vigilante groups including Scots Active. They were opposed by a larger group of about 4,000 counter-protestors who were mobilized by Stand Up to Racism, Women Against the Far Right Scotland, trade unions and a range of smaller charities and refugee support bodies who gathered nearby at McLennan Arch. 

Patriotic Alternative’s Richard McFarlane joined the Homeland Party’s Josh Fernie and Reform UK councillor Audrey Dempsey in addressing the rally. The event was intended to be the largest far-right rally ever in Scotland, and Unite the Clans and their allies had put significant efforts into building towards the protest. The fascists used concerns over pedophilia and sex attacks alleged to be committed by immigrants to attract people to their event, but they struggled to achieve a turnout about an eighth the size of the counter-demonstration. Notably, a number of men at the event were spotted wearing Knights Templar International insignia. Jim Dowson, founder of KTI, was also present. Dowson is a former funder of the British National Party (BNP) and Britain First and is now funding Scots Active. He left the BNP after being accused of sexual assault. 

Scuffles broke out when demonstrators tried to attack anti-fascists. After the police intervened the protesters went on to approach a nearby mosque and riot in Glasgow’s city centre. Some in the crowd performed nazi salutes. 15 arrests were made for assault, possession of offensive weapons and various public order offences. Police said they expected further arrests to be made. 

The demonstration has provoked some repercussions for participants. Dempsey, who was suspended from Labour in 2024 following statements in a supposed rise in “white racism”, drew ridicule online after claiming not to see any fascists on the demonstration. She later released a video saying she would “share a platform with satan himself” if it would defend women and girls. Another demonstrator, Alan Miller, was filmed threatening counter-protesters. After the footage circulated online Miller was accused by two former partners of horrifying domestic abuse. One woman, Caitlyn Scullion, posted graphic pictures of injuries allegedly perpetrated by Miller. He has a conviction for domestic violence from 2017.

Tommy Robinson

Tommy Robinson (real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon)’s recent trip to Moscow was funded by the Musk Foundation, a charitable foundation controlled by Elon Musk, according to the billionaire’s father, Errol Musk. Whilst in Russia, Robinson tweeted support for racist riots that had broken out in Belfast and Glasgow. Elon Musk has become a supporter of Robinson and last year appeared via video link at a Unite the Kingdom event where he appeared to call for the overthrow of the British government. Robinson has also claimed that Musk funded his legal defence when he stood trial for refusing to give up the PIN to his phone.

Robinson hosted Australian far-right politician Pauline Hanson on his podcast. Hanson is the leader of the far-right One Nation party. During a walkabout with Hanson, Robinson was challenged by a reporter from Australia’s Channel 7 on his numerous convictions. Robinson retorted he had never been convicted of “anything to do with race or hate” and said that his convictions for violence happened over twenty years ago. Robinson is due to stand trial for stalking two journalists later this year.

Robinson has rescinded an apology for falsely claiming that a Scottish man was filming children in a park. Quroum Beg was in fact in a park with his own children before taking them home after learning of an approaching anti-immigration demonstration. He subsequently confronted demonstrators after being targeted by the group. He was then filmed and accused of being a “nonce,” which Robinson’s X account shared with the caption “Another invader hanging around a park filming children.” Lennon’s account later apologised for the post. However, in a video posted the next day Lennon declared that he was “not sorry at all” and that it was an admin who posted the apology. 

The Sunday Times has revealed that George Cottrell, the close associate of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage at the centre of a scandal over payments to Farage and Reform, attended Robinson’s Day for Freedom rally in 2018. Cottrell later joined Robinson and his close associates in a pub to celebrate the rally. Whilst Robinson was imprisoned on contempt of court charges later that year, Cottrell spent time with his inner circle in a rented Knightsbridge property allegedly paid for with Robinson’s credit card.

Patriotic Alternative

On the weekend of 3-5 July Patriotic Alternative (PA) held their annual Family Festival near Burnley. They claim an attendance of more than 200, but the greatest number in any of their photos from the event is about 90, in a photo showcasing their “White Lives Matter” banner. Presumably the other 110 or so drifted in and out of the festivities. Activities over the weekend included camping, music, games and hiking. 

PA's Adam Worley was present at a 12 July demonstration in Bicester against plans to house refugees at the former RAF base just outside the town. Worley, an Oxford-based former BNP member, is a keen cameraman whose footage of the demonstrators’ haranguing Stand Up to Racism campaigners in the town was uploaded to PA’s YouTube channel. PA stated that around 200 opponents of the housing plan turned out, heavily outnumbering the small number of counter-demonstrators. 

PA’s Scotland branch has been active over July, attending demonstrations on 10 and 11 July in Glasgow. The first demonstration, in Springburn, followed reports of a migrant sexually attacking a child. PA gave their new banner an outing – it reads “Toot toot beasts oot”. The 11 July protest was another anti-immigration demonstration, sparked by rumours a derelict building was going to be used to house asylum seekers. PA also attended a march in Milton on 24 July, handing out leaflets and giving speeches.   

Homeland Party and Remigration Now

The Homeland Party (Homeland) did not produce or share any new content on its social media accounts during July. This follows several months of declining real-world and online activity, with no notable activism undertaken by its members since May. Per Searchlight, entire regional branch channels were deleted during a purge of Homeland group chats earlier this month, with only 166 members’ names visible across the remaining chats. The party, which claimed to have over 1400 members prior to a major split last year, should now be considered finished as a political force on the British far right. Red Flare will continue to monitor Homeland and its remaining organisers and activists, but we will cease to report on the party unless its fortunes change. 

Remigration Now (RN), the Homeland splinter group headed by fascist content creator Steve Laws has announced a change in direction. On 22 July, in a post on X, the group said it was pivoting away from street protests to focus on activities it says are “more structured and sustainable.” The group said it was setting up a “Data Research Department focused on immigration and deportation statistics.” RN’s website has been updated to include a countdown clock marking down the date when they claim white people will become a minority in the UK, and an “In memoriam” section of white people killed by non-white people. Both features appear to have been copied from the website of Patriotic Alternative, to which RN are allied.

Elsewhere

Elon Musk has defended his support for far-right parties across Europe during an extensive interview with The Economist. Musk, whose company Space X recently debuted on the Nasdaq, told Zanny Minton Beddoes that the far right were “normal people” who were in favour of “secure borders”, “safe cities” and “sensible spending.” In the days following the interview Musk called Minton Beddoes a “traitor to the West” after she said it was irresponsible for him to “propagate things that are simply not true.”

In Scotland a far-right group protested outside the offices of the Daily Record after the newspaper exposed one of their members as Sandy Chugg, a Rangers football hooligan and a former member of the BNP. The group is known to hold silent protests of black clad men in military formation. It is connected to far-right Youtuber and Restore Britain member Craig Housten, who has made content at racist events across the UK. Housten has denied an organisational role in the group. Chugg has also claimed to be merely participating in the protests, but said that they were, “a warning that enough is enough regarding our country, identity and tolerance of this globalist world order who don’t give a fuck about the eradication of western values they have flustered on communities Europe-wide.”

Earlier in the month Housten was stopped and questioned at Edinburgh airport under anti-terror laws upon his return from a holiday in Greece. Police later confirmed that Housten’s digital devices “were seized for further examination.”

Bristol Rises members attended a demonstration in Taunton on 25 July. The demonstration numbered around 150 people and was organised by “Somerset Patriots”.  The demonstration was outnumbered by a 250 strong antifascist counterprotest. Paul Golding, leader of Britain First, scheduled to speak but did not show up. Some South West members of Britain First, such as Nigel Murfin, were in attendance.

Brenda Heal, a Learning Support Worker  at Crispin School in Street, Somerset, gave a speech. She said “Up until 18 months ago, we only had between 2 and 4 kids in every 1000 kids (who were) black or Asian children. We have now between 75 and 80 of them… We have to stand and fight against it”.  Heal was subsequently fired from her job, with Wessex Learning Trust confirming that she would not be returning in September. 

On 25 July, Restore Britain held an event in Pelaw, Gateshead. The event’s headline speakers were Orla Minihane, founder of the Pink Ladies and recently appointed as official spokesperson on women and girl’s safety for Restore, Restore spokesperson Charlie Downes, and “journalist” Frank Wright. The event, despite being announced weeks before, ran into organisational issues with many would-be attendees demanding its location in facebook comments. One opined “Restore will not make much progress if this is how it goes”. This type of disorganisation will be a hurdle Restore will have to overcome to become a serious political outfit. If it does not, it will continue to simply be a pressure group on Reform from the right.

Fascist youth group White Vanguard continue their activity. Earlier in the month the group and allies marched in Liverpool, chanting slogans including “White man fight back” and “ Deport the fucking lot.” On 24 July WV held what they described as a ‘group social and technical MMA training,’ which attracted 24 people.

Ryan Ferguson, associated with the White Vanguard offshoot Aryan Front, has been fined £600 for shouting anti-semitic abuse at anti-fascist counter protesters at an anti migrant protest in Bristol. During the protest, which took place in March, Ferguson was filmed shouting ‘Heil Hitler.’ Earlier in the month Ferguson pleaded guilty to a charge of encouraging or inciting violence against the police. He has a string of convictions for racial hatred and incitement. 

A suspected “extreme right-wing terrorism related” threat to a large Islamic event in Suffolk led to 12 arrests in mid-July. The UK Ijtima event at Shrubland Hall, Barham, attracted around 15,000 Muslims over the weekend but was ended early on police advice. The arrests were made in various locations across the South and East of England with one in Greater Manchester. One man, Darren Brown of Basildon, was charged with an unrelated weapons offence - pleading guilty to possession of offensive weapons (extendable batons and a stun gun) - and was subsequently given a suspended sentence. Police have released the 12 people originally arrested, five on bail and seven without charge. 

Regular protests have continued outside RAF Barnham in Suffolk which has been earmarked to house up to 1,200 asylum seekers. At a council meeting in Thetford at the end of June, South West Norfolk Labour MP and local councillor Terry Jermy was allegedly harassed by a group of protesters as he left a council meeting, with one man being charged.  At the fourth protest, on 24 July, a man from Rainham, East London was arrested on suspicion of trespass with intent to commit a criminal offence. Previous protests have drawn support from Norwich Patriots among others.