Protests to go ahead in Falkirk town centre outside asylum hotel
A planned protest on “uncontrolled immigration” and a counter protest will take place this weekend outside a former hotel housing asylum seekers.
The group Save Our Future & Our Kids Future announced last month it would hold the protest at noon on Saturday, August 16 outside the former Cladhan Hotel in Kemper Avenue, Falkirk.
It followed an outdoor meeting held in Callendar Park attended by over 100 people.
Now Stand up to Racism has said in partnership with Falkirk Trades Union Council, it will hold a ‘We all belong in Falkirk’ counter-protest starting at 11am .
This week on its social media page, the Save Our Future & Our Kids Future group wrote: “Our peaceful protest this Saturday outside the Cladhan Hotel is about uncontrolled immigration and the lack of accountability from those in power. Decisions are being made that affect Falkirk residents without proper consultation, and local concerns about safety, resources, and transparency are being ignored.
"This is not about targeting individuals because of their race, religion, or background it’s about challenging policies and holding decision-makers accountable. We believe our community has every right to speak up when we feel our voices are not being heard.”
A spokesperson for Stand up to Racism said: “We are organising a peaceful counter-protest to stand in solidarity with refugees and to say that they are welcome. This will be a safely stewarded community event with music, speeches from the local community, the trade union movement, local campaigns, faith groups and others.
"We reject the scapegoating and myths that say that refugees pose a threat to communities and we reject the attempts by this group to demonise refugees in an attempt to further their own racist or far-right agenda. The organisers of the protest have demanded transparency about the ethnic origin of the perpetrators of offences in Falkirk, but have not provided any transparency when it comes to who they are.”
Chief Inspector Alex Hatrick, Falkirk’s policing area commander, said: "We are aware of a planned protest and counter protest in Falkirk on Saturday, August 16.
"A proportionate policing plan is in place to ensure public safety and minimise disruption."