POLICE are probing a “horrific” attack on a Yes hub in a Scottish city.
The InverYess hub in Inverness was targeted by an unknown vandal in the small hours of Saturday morning in an attack members allege was politically motivated.
“First of all we were horrified, and then you sort of go through the different stages of grief,” Judith Reid, who works with the hub, said.
“You go from being horrified to being angry, and then determined.
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“I think we're all pretty much determined now to just show them that, regardless of who did this, that we are absolutely determined to carry on, that we won't be bullied or harassed or victimised. We will carry on.”
Reid said it was not a stone but a “boulder” that had been used to smash the door panels and windows, which have since been boarded up with Yes signage put on the exterior.
Some artworks and other items inside the hub were also damaged in the attack.
“Can you imagine what it would have been like if this had been another group targeted?” Reid asked, suggesting that if Unionists had been attacked then the Yes side would find itself widely demonised.
The incident disrupted a meeting planned for Saturday to finalise arrangements for a wellbeing walk around Inverness, held on the final weekend of each month. Instead, members met on the street outside, where Reid said the backing from the public was strong.
“They were just so, so supportive,” she told The National.
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“It's been very good in the sense that people have come forward and said that they are more than happy to give any donations towards the cost of a recovery and repair.
“So it's turned something horrific into something that is positive and driven.”
Reid added: “To be perfectly honest, I think everybody that goes to the InverYess hub has got an emotional attachment to it because we put so much hours and dedication into it.”
The InverYess hub posted on Facebook about the incident and received supportive messages in reply, including offering to help or donate to fix the damage.
It is understood that conversations are ongoing with insurers and the building owner and only once concluded will decisions on how to fund repairs be taken.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We received a report of the windows at a premises on Huntly Street, Inverness being smashed around 2.20am on Saturday, 23 September, 2023.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
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