Public Protest: Plans remain in place to keep communities safe

First Minister John Swinney held further talks with Police Scotland yesterday to receive a further update on preparedness should any disorder emerge in Scotland over the weekend.

Throughout the week the First Minister has remained in regular contact with Police Scotland to discuss the ongoing situation and support work to promote community cohesion across the country. 

Earlier this week he brought faith and refugee community leaders together and held talks with leaders of political parties and Police Scotland to unequivocally condemn all forms of violence, prejudice and Islamophobia. 

The First Minister has also written to X, Meta and TikTok to ask what action they are taking to combat the spread of misinformation, and to address racist and hateful material on their platforms.

The First Minister said: “The last few days have been a challenging and worrying time for many with the scenes of violence unfolding in other parts of the United Kingdom.

“I would like to thank Police Scotland for their continued work to protect our communities. Their ongoing engagement across Scotland and enhanced patrols are vital to support community cohesion and ensure public safety.

“We remain vigilant to the potential for disorder in Scotland and I have been reassured by Police Scotland that it has the capability and resources in place to respond should we face similar challenges, and that plans and preparations are in place to ensure everybody is kept safe.

“While officers and staff are doing their part to keep us all safe – there is no place in Scotland for hatred of any kind, and each of us has a responsibility to confront racism and religious prejudice, including islamaphobia, wherever and whenever it appears, and do all we can to strengthen community cohesion.”

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Ritchie said: “Officers right across Scotland continue to provide reassurance to communities across the country through enhanced patrols and direct engagement.

“You may see more officers in our towns and cities and we are closely monitoring the situation to ensure any potential for violence or disorder in Scotland is identified quickly and responded to immediately.”