Right-wing group plans demo during Middle East film festival

Published on Wednesday 9 December 2009 00:58

A RIGHT-WING anti-Muslim group intends to stage a march in Edinburgh on the same day as a Middle East film festival, The Scotsman has learned.

The Scottish Defence League, an offshoot of the English Defence League, wants to stage a rally on 20 February in the city centre.

The move follows an SDL march in Glasgow last month that descended into violence when anti-fascist protesters turned up to break up the rally.

The SDL has circulated an e-mail targeting Saturday, 20 February, for the protest. A Middle East film festival is being staged that day at the city's Filmhouse cinema in Lothian Road. The event is part of a month-long Middle East Peace Festival.

The date also coincides with the Hearts v Hamilton football clash, fuelling fears that the group is trying to attract football casuals to its protests. A source with a leading anti-fascist group said: "The SDL have confirmed by e-mail that they are planning to hold a demonstration in Edinburgh on the 20th of February.

A spokesman for the Edinburgh branch of Unite Against Fascism confirmed it will launch a counter-demonstration if the SDL rally goes ahead. He said: "We will call a demonstration once we know where the SDL will be hosting their rally.

"The UAF supports a variety of techniques: meetings, education, intervention in elections, mass leafleting, petitioning and demonstrations wherever the fascists appear. The key point is mass participation."

Conservative justice spokesman Bill Aitken insisted the right-wing group would not be welcome in any Scottish city.

"I really do not see any need for this type of demonstration which is divisive and can in itself stir up trouble."