Scottish Communists

Thousands of trade unionists, community groups and politicians joined the Scottish TUC's annual St Andrew's Day march and rally against racism and fascism in Glasgow at the weekend.

The march was led by Sofi Taylor of STUC Black Workers' Network, Glasgow Labour MP Anas Sarwar and Labour's shadow Scottish secretary Ann McKechin, holding a banner reading: "An injury to one is an injury to all."

Addressing the rally on Rose Street, Collette Williams of the Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts group in Lancashire said: "Our parents' generation in the 1950s and '60s were told: 'No dogs, no blacks, no Irish.' As the fascists and racists raise their heads again I can hear the same things being said today.

"We want to speak to and for the alienated communities who would suffer most from the increased inequalities arising out of the Con-Dem cuts."

Civil rights lawyer Aamer Anwar told the crowd that "silence is not an option" when it comes to defeating far-right groups.

"We must organise in our thousands to inflict defeat and humiliation on the BNP, the EDL and the SDL, who see themselves as the 'master race,' and we should give support and confidence to the black and Muslim communities," he said.

Ms Taylor condemned the coalition government's "unfair and unjust" plans to cap immigration and urged people to lobby their MPs.

"The media and the politicians give the false impression that we are being overrun and there is no space here. It is just not true. There is plenty room here - come up to Scotland," she said.

Edinburgh and Lothians Race Equality Council speaker Professor Geoff Palmer added: "We must not allow the cuts agenda of the coalition to divide our society and the many cultures that exist within it."

The STUC said it had organised the demonstration to "remind people of the dangers of allowing prejudice and discrimination to go unchallenged."