POLICE Scotland have issued a statement following concern about far-right protests heading to Scotland.
On Friday night eight people were arrested and three police officers hospitalised in after far-right protesters started a riot in Sunderland.
They set alight to a building next door to a police station and targeted a mosque.
The protests come after anti-immigrant sentiment was stoked by politicians such as Nigel Farage in the wake of the Southport stabbing, which saw three children killed – Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine.
Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 17, from Lancashire, is accused of the attack and appeared in court earlier this week, but false claims spread online that the suspect was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat.
Now, Police Scotland have sought to assure people that similar riots will not occur in Scotland.
Police Scotland has stepped up patrols across the country, the force said, in response to scenes south of the border.
Assistant Chief Constable Catriona Paton said: "Police Scotland wishes to reassure communities that there is no intelligence indicating similar incidents are likely in Scotland. We continue to liaise with a range of partners to maintain this level of reassurance.
“We understand that these recent events may cause concern, that is why we have focused our efforts on increasing policing visibility and engagement across the country as our primary commitment remains the safety and wellbeing of all our communities and our officers and in building trust and confidence.
“We continue to closely monitor the events in England.
“Police Scotland is dedicated to upholding human rights and will not tolerate violence or discrimination against any group.
We are closely monitoring the violent protests which have occurred in parts of the UK over recent days. We wish to reassure communities that there is no intelligence indicating similar incidents are likely in Scotland. Full statement: https://t.co/n5OCp0fmpo pic.twitter.com/xcN9IaqbLY
— Police Scotland (@PoliceScotland) August 3, 2024
“We wish to thank the Scottish people for their support and while we believe there is no cause for alarm, we encourage anyone with concerns or information to report them to us.”
First Minister John Swinney described the statement as “important” on X, adding: “The scenes of violence in some communities in other parts of the UK will cause anxiety here.
“It is the role of @PoliceScotland to make sure everyone here is safe and – as importantly – feels safe.”
It is not clear if a protest will happen in Scotland this weekend, but a so-called “pro-UK rally” is scheduled for September 7, an event promoted by English Defence League (EDL) founder Tommy Robinson on social media.
Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, left the group more than a decade ago before it later collapsed, though its members are believed to have moved on to other far-right groups.
