Police Monitoring Pegida Demo Plans

Police are closely monitoring plans for an anti-Islam rally in Edinburgh later this month, the Justice Secretary has told Holyrood.

The Scottish branch of Pegida, the far-right movement from Germany, intends to hold a static demonstration in the city on the evening of Saturday March 21, according to Police Scotland's social media monitoring, Michael Matheson said.

The group - whose German acronym means Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West - held its first UK rally in Newcastle on Saturday (pictured above).

Northumbria Police said 375 people were on the Pegida rally while 2,000 joined the Newcastle Unites counter-protest in the city centre.

Mr Matheson said plans for a similar event in Edinburgh would be taken very seriously by the Scottish Government, the police and the city council.

“Police Scotland are taking this event very seriously and are closely monitoring developments,” he told MSPs.

“Public safety is paramount and those who seek to demonstrate must behave in a lawful manner or face prosecution.”

Mr Matheson said he had discussed the matter with Edinburgh police commander, Chief Superintendent Mark Williams, and “all steps are being taken to ensure that no issues arise out of Pegida's demonstration”.

Police are waiting on further information regarding the nature and scale of the rally, he said.

“The Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland in taking all the appropriate and precautionary action required,” he said.

“We will not tolerate extremists who peddle hatred under the guise of protecting society.”

The Muslim community will be provided with “all the necessary reassurance that they require”, the Justice Secretary added.