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Seeing a loyalist mob come within spitting distance of an explicitly peaceful asylum seeker demo, jeering with Nazi salutes and singing Rule Britannia, throwing coins and insults - it's clear that they came looking for a fight and couldn't care less about the statues themselves.
Scotland has a fascism problem. Police Scotland set up no effective cordons beforehand despite prior knowledge of both demonstrations. Antifascist activists were present to protect the demo and made no attempt to do anything other than keep demo attendants safe.
These fascists weren't the SDL, they weren't National Action types, this was a mob of loyalist gammons organised at the last minute by the National Defence League and who turned out in their hundreds to attack a peaceful demonstration which had nothing to do with statues.
How was this last-minute organisation possible? Through a well-established network of loyalist groups - the Orange Order, Rangers football casuals, etc etc. These were the same groups who rioted after IndyRef in 2014 and who attacked Republican marches last year.
Back in 2014, as now, unionist politicians and media outlets either refused to talk about the violence at length, or acted as though it was a surprise, beyond the pale. That's because the connections between unionist party officials, Orange lodges, & mob violence have survived.
As Scotland comes closer to independence, and as the UK becomes increasingly erratic, it's clear that this loyalist reaction will only get more intense. Politicians, both unionist and pro-indepence, have failed to treat this violence with the seriousness it merits.
When will we publicly acknowledge the links between imperialism, sectarianism, and this mob violence? The links between a "don't ask, don't tell" attitude to Lodge membership in mainstream parties and the explosion of far right loyalist organising against "enemies" of Britain?
When will Scottish progressives, beyond the far left, acknowledge the need to form a united front capable of defending itself and othere by confronting these fascist scum, both physically in the streets and ideologically in our communities?
Scotland has a fascism problem, and it's not wrapped in the swastika - it's wrapped in the Union Jack. Time for us to get together, take it seriously and stamp it out to help create a better Scotland for everyone.
