SNP must be bold and crack down on balaclava-clad thugs blighting Scotland's streets
Justice Secretary Neil Gray should press ahead with balaclava exclusion zones
Balaclava-clad gangs of youths roaming the streets on foot or on supercharged e-bikes have become an increasingly common sight. Even when they are not committing any crimes, the sense of menace they create is a serious issue.
Far-right activists have also taken to wearing masks during rallies where Nazi salutes have been seen and, in one incident in Glasgow in June, masked thugs who had been taking part in a protest over a stabbing in Belfast attacked members of the public seemingly for no other reason than their skin colour.
Balaclavas are designed for mountaineers and others who encounter extremely cold weather. In Scotland, apart from when summiting a Munro in winter, there are few legitimate reasons why anyone would need to wear one. That leaves illegitimate and, in all likelihood, illegal ones.
A ‘growing and very challenging’ problem
Therefore, we are delighted that, following calls from Conservative councillors in Edinburgh and others, Justice Secretary Neil Gray is considering introducing balaclava exclusion zones in Scotland. He said the problem was “growing and very challenging” with face-coverings used “to mask criminality, antisocial behaviour and significant disruption and disorder”.
He added, however, that there were “clearly civil liberties implications around this, and it is not as easy or straightforward as just banning them or banning them in certain areas”.
We would encourage him to be bold. There is cross-party concern and support for measures to address the situation and we are convinced this reflects the public mood.
The issue should not be muddied by Reform UK’s attempts to ban the burka. As Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser wrote in The Scotsman recently, “arguing for a ban on wearing balaclavas, which are clearly designed only to thwart the police’s ability to identify offenders, seems to me perfectly legitimate, but should not be conflated with women’s rights to wear religious dress if that suits them”.
We cannot allow the same kind of anonymity that has fuelled social media rage to spill out into the real world. Cowards who hide their faces – and their shame – to intimidate and attack others must be exposed. Otherwise, the threat to public order is only likely to grow. And where that might lead hardly bears thinking about.