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Police issue hate crime warning after hundreds gather in Glasgow street

BBC Video grab of two police officers talking to a group of people who are pictured from behindBBC
Police were called out after hundreds of people gathered in Tormusk Road

Police have issued a warning about hate crime and violent disorder after hundreds of people gathered outside a property in Glasgow.

The protest, during which windows were said to have been smashed, took place in Tormusk Road, Castlemilk, at about 18:50 on Wednesday.

It follows another incident on Tuesday when police were called to a large gathering of people who had gathered outside a block of flats in Lamlash Crescent in the Cranhill area.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Violence, disorder, hate crime and threatening behaviour that poses a risk to safety is not legitimate protest. Anyone who engages in these offences will be dealt with swiftly and robustly."

Satellite-style map of Glasgow showing the city centre and surrounding road network. Two locations are highlighted with red labels and markers: “Cranhill” to the northeast of the city centre and “Castlemilk” to the south.

The spokesman said police officers had engaged with the group of people in Castlemilk who later dispersed.

"Inquiries are ongoing into vandalism and a rock thrown from the crowd during the incident," he said.

He added: "Policing in Scotland has strong relationships with the public and we are grateful for the ongoing support of our communities."

Ch Supt Stevie Dolan said he believes there are individuals outwith the local communities and probably outwith Glasgow or central Scotland who are seeking to "influence" the actions of local members of the public.

He said: "We would just ask members of the public to read what you see online but put your own interpretation on it, make your own decisions but act within the law."

Ch Supt Dolan asked the public to trust that the police will have the right information and police their communities accordingly.

Officers in hi-vis gear standing on a street in Glasgow.
Police were called to reports of a disturbance in the Cranhill area of Glasgow on Tuesday

David Kennedy, general secretary of the Scottish Police Federation, told BBC Scotland News he believed the events were not a coincidence.

"The events we have seen in Glasgow over the last couple of nights have clearly been orchestrated. It is not coincidental from what I have seen.

"It has been horrendous for the cops that have been attending these incidents and horrendous for members of the public that have obviously had to witness it," he said.

Kennedy said the incidents were not reflective of the "normal" behaviour they see in Scotland.

"The situation police officers are finding themselves in is total hostility when they are there to protect the public, and to do their job.

"That level of hostility is not something we are used to in Scotland. It is not something we normally come up against, it does happen from time to time, but not very often and it is very concerning to see," he added.