SNP MP Tommy Sheppard is brooking no nonsense ahead of the National Front’s planned White Pride March in Edinburgh today.
“In this city, our diversity is our strength,” he said. “We’re a mongrel nation and proud, and the Aryans can fuck off.”
Sheppard said the racists coming from all over the UK to gather in the capital would soon find out they weren’t welcome.
The MP who will be one of a number of speakers at a counter rally said: “I’ll be talking about the importance to confront racist ideology wherever it raises its head. We need more tolerance and a regrettable part of the Brexit campaign was pandering to people’s prejudices against migrants, refugees, and anybody who is other.”
The National Front in Scotland are small in number, and, according to Hope Not Hate, will be hoping for fellow bigots from south or the border to join them and make up a crowd.
A recent demonstration by the Scottish Defence League in Alloa was attended by members of both the North-East Infidels and Bishop Auckland Against Islam.
Today’s event is a “celebration” of White Pride World Wide Day. A similar event in Manchester last year saw around 40 “ethno-nationalists” walk through city.
There were six arrests – one before the march started.
In 2013, when the event was hosted in Swansea, one white nationalist was arrested for hanging a golliwog doll whilst dressed in a Ku Klux Klan outfit.
The National Front do not have permission for a march. They will meet at Waverley Station and walk to the Grassmarket. Protestors against them are assembling at the Market Street entrance to Waverley train station at 12.30pm.
Labour MP Ian Murray said: “We must stand against racism, fascism and intolerance ... The Nazi White Pride March is not how the people of Edinburgh think or act and we will be showing the feelings of the majority of decent people when we stand against it.”
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