Scottish Defence League

The Scottish Defence League (SDL) is an offshoot of the English Defence League and was created in late 2009.

Glasgow Demonstration

The SDL held their first demonstration in Glasgow on 14-November-2009. The group claimed they were protesting against the "Islamification" of Scotland. According to a report in the Scotland on Sunday:

"80 people briefly unfurled banners calling for the banning of the burqa, sang Rule Britannia and shouted "SDL" to shouts of "scum" and boos from shoppers".

The BBC reported:

"Police said about 80 SDL protesters gathered in Cambridge Street, north of the city centre, and there were clashes. The SDL protesters, some with their faces partly covered with scarves, sang songs and chanted "SDL" as they held their demonstration".

The Sunday Mail described how:

"The drunken mob left the Cambridge bar on Cambridge Street and moved to the city centre at noon where they were confronted by around 30 anti-fascist protesters shouting, "Nazi scum off our streets".

A counter demonstration by around 1,500 people organised by Scotland United took place on the same day. This demonstartion is described in The Sunday Times:

"Meanwhile, members of Scotland United gathered at Glasgow Green and marched to George Square, where they held a counter-demonstration backed by trade unions, politicians and faith groups.

Nicola Sturgeon, the deputy first minister, told the crowd: "To those who say these people have the right to be heard let me say this: the decent majority and the ethnic minority communities have rights as well, including the absolute right not to have to listen to the vile hatred spouted by these people."

Annabel Goldie, leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said: "There is a shadow which blights us all. It is that small minority in Scotland which engages in racism."

Osama Saeed, the chief executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, called for greater dialogue between Muslims and non-Muslims. Grahame Smith, the general secretary of the Scottish Trade Union Congress, said: "Wrapping yourself in a Saltire and putting William Wallace on your T-shirt ... is not patriotic, it's idiotic - especially when it comes with a Nazi salute."

Aamer Anwar, a human rights lawyer who arranged the Scotland United rally, said: "The BNP is testing the water in Glasgow and this is a dangerous period. They have to be opposed."

There were five arrests during the demonstration, four for alleged breach of the peace and a fifth for racially motivated breach of the peace. Assistant chief constable Fiona Taylor said the demonstration involving about 70 people against immigration and Islamic fundamentalism had passed off "without any major incident".

Casuals United Website

The SDL website is part of a "Casuals United" website which hosts the websites of the other Defence Leagues which are the English Defence League, Welsh Defence League and the Ulster Defence League. The groups website is registered in the U.S. at webs.com. The group describe themselves as:

"an alliance of British Football Casuals of various different colours/races who have come together in order to create a massive, but peaceful protest group to force our Government to get their act in gear".

The tagline on the groups website reads, "Uniting the UK's football infidels", and they make claims to be opposing Islamic Extremism and stopping Muslims who "wish to impose Sharia law upon us by stealth".

The writing style used on the website is often incoherent, for example this passage comes from the section explaining who the group are:

"We will exercise our right to peaceful protest however we see fit, and are growing all the time. Soon we will be big enough to influence our MP's and they will be unable to ignore us. We will support the English, Welsh, Scottish and Irish Defence Leagues, as well as March for England, with marches/demos but are A TOTALLY SEPERATE GROUP".

This incoherent style is repeated in an announcement about the groups Glasgow demonstration of the 14-November-2009, the group announced:

"Large groups of SDL were detained at both Perth, Dundee AND Edinburg were detained and prevented from travelling to Glasgow, and main English lads were visisted by Strathclyde police and warned off from travelling to Scotland. In a free country our grandfathers fought off the Germans to defend".

See also

• English Defence League | Welsh Defence League | Ulster Defence League

Contact

E-Mail: casualsunitedhq@hotmail.com