Around a hundred-plus people turned up to a ‘static protest’ organised by the Scottish Defence League (SDL) in Glasgow last Saturday (25th February).
But most of those attending the ‘static protest’ – one coachload, plus two minibusloads – were supporters of splits from the English Defence League (the ‘North West Infidels’ and the ‘Combined Ex-Forces’) who had been bussed in from England.
The SDL itself managed to mobilise less than 30 people for the event – even less than it has managed to get out on the streets for previous ‘static protests’. (Unlike its counterpart in England, the SDL has never been allowed to stage a demonstration.)
The SDL has no grounds for celebrating after last Saturday’s event. In fact, its inability to mobilise more than a token turnout appears to have lowered even further its reputation with its English equivalents.
But the anti-fascist mobilisation could have been a lot better as well.
Overall, probably around 150 anti-fascists responded to an appeal issued by Glasgow Anti-Fascist Alliance (GAFA) and the Scottish Anti-Fascist Alliance (SAFA). There had been little by way of advance planning, and little organisation on the day itself.
Unite Against Fascism (UAF) responded to the SDL’s ‘static protest’ by staging a celebration of multi-culturalism in a city-centre square. A mere 50 or so people turned up for the rally.
But once the SDL’s ‘static protest’ got underway, most of those attending the UAF celebration made their way down to where the SDL event was taking place.
In the past both GAFA/SAFA and also the UAF have been able to get much larger numbers on the streets (although, in the case of the UAF, they were then led away from wherever the SDL were gathering).
Although it is true that the SDL has proven itself incapable of ‘taking off’ in the way that the EDL has – and last Saturday’s ‘static protest’ was only the latest evidence of that – there is no reason for complacency about the threat which it continues to pose.