Glasgow campaigners say far right doesn’t protect women and girls

Sisters Against Cuts say far right lies won’t protect women (Pic: @SistersACG on X)

Anti-racists in Glasgow are organising against the far right after a number of violent protests in the city in recent weeks.

In Springburn, in north Glasgow, crowds of far right thugs gathered earlier this month in an attempt to weaponise anger at a sexual assault to attack migrants.

And racists targeted a house in Castlemilk in the south of the city after false claims were circulated online that a “migrant” and “sex offender” was living there.

Groups like Unite the Clans and Patriotic Alternative are among those attempting to use horrific attacks against women and girls to build their fascist street movement.

Unite the Clans has called a demonstration on Saturday which is expected to attract far right groups from across Britain.

Anti-racist Zamard told Socialist Worker that attacks on Muslim and migrant communities are becoming more frequent.

“These protests are not really about violence against women, they are about racism,” said Zamard.

“Unite the Clans have been using these ‘local’ protests to build for their demonstration and make it their biggest one yet.

“That’s why the anti-racist movement needs to turn up and outnumber and humiliate them just like we did last time. We have to show the far right that they don’t have the upper hand. Anti-racists are the majority.”

Maryam is the co-organiser of Sisters Against Cuts, a campaign opposing cuts to Murray’s Initiative. She spoke to Socialist Worker about the real threats to women’s safety—and why the far right rarely talks about them.

Murray’s Initiative supports survivors of gender-based violence and abuse in Glasgow, many of whom are also in recovery from addiction.

“At Sisters Against Cuts, we see daily how poverty and cuts trap women in danger, which hits migrants and women of colour most.

“Blaming minorities or asylum seekers doesn’t protect women, it weakens the collective fight for our safety,” said Maryam.

“In Scotland, this rhetoric has accelerated the far right’s foothold. They are exploiting real failures in tackling violence against women, while offering no solutions.

“‘Protecting women and girls’ is a mask the far right uses for anti-migrant racism, Islamophobia and white nationalism,” she said.

Maryam added, “We need to build mass anti-racist mobilisations to drive the far right off our streets and support strikes and campaigns defending public and essential services that keep us together and thriving.”