Glasgow shopkeeper targeted on the day of George Square anti-racist rally
An Islamic store on Maxwell Road was targeted on Saturday evening
Last updated 12th Aug 2024
A Pollokshields shop owner is calling for the narrative around Islamophobia in Scotland to change.
It comes after shops along Maxwell Road had flags and posters torn down, and windows damaged on Saturday evening.
The incident happened hours after hundreds of anti-racist campaigners had filled George Square in Glasgow.
Linsay Taylor, who owns a shop with her husband said people were “emboldened” by rhetoric they have heard from far-right riots in England and Northern Ireland in the wake of misinformation following the Southport knife attack.
"This is fuelled by politics, by media, by the rhetoric of Islamophobia"
She said: “This is fuelled by politics, by media, by the rhetoric of Islamophobia, up and down this country that we have lived with for the past 15 years, and it’s these kinds of things that we have to actually start changing the narrative, and we have to actually start working against.”
Mrs Taylor also hopes the issue will not just be ignored and allowed to continue.
She added: “We hope that the police take it seriously, and don’t just brush it under the carpet, and realise... it was rampaging, through Pollokshields.”
“Through an already nervous, intimidated, and worried community.”
Police response
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Concerns were raised by the public in relation to a large group walking in the south side of Glasgow on the evening of Saturday, 10 August, 2024.
“Officers were in the area and enquiries are ongoing to establish any criminality.”
It happened after large crowds had gathered in George Square for a Stand-Up to Racism protest, which had seen a pair of far-right counter protesters forced to leave the demonstration, after pushback from the public.
Mrs Taylor is urging other people to think before they take part in disorder, saying: “We’ve seen the sentences that are being handed out by the courts and by the judiciary, and it’s serious.
“Is this worth wrecking your life over?
“To be a little bit intimidating, to try and upset people, and hurt people, who are here just trying to do their job.”
She did stress she feels it is not people from within the community causing disorder, but rather people coming in from other places, adding that those in the area have instead been brought together.
"Our community are still coming together"
She said: “We need to celebrate the fact that our community is still together, our community is still working together.”
“We were actually talking about Kenmure Street last night, my husband and I had Covid at the time, and were in our beds messaging people saying please go, please help, please support.”
“Yesterday we had endless phone calls, endless messages from community members, saying ‘are you safe, are you okay, what do you need, we’ll come by the shop tomorrow if you need support’ all this kind of stuff.
“So actually, our community are still coming together.”