My mum, who is a pensioner, was at an event at St George's Tron church in Nelson Mandela place last night. The event was to celebrate the charity work that she had been involved in during the commonwealth games and had nothing to do with the referendum in which she voted no. When she arrived at Queens Street station there was a peaceful get together going on. She assumed it was a Yes celebration because it was mainly Saltires being waved. As she was walking to the church (its only 200 yards if that) she was passed by a group of Union Jack waving thugs who charged towards George Square. She got nothing more than a fright and the offense of being sworn at. Others were less lucky, including another elderly woman who was knocked off her feet by those running past. Nobody stopped to see if she was ok. Not long after that, the police entered the church and advised them to lock the doors and not let anybody leave, as two groups of thugs had charged George Square from either end in an organised attempt to attack the Yes campaign celebration. The same policeman also said the violence looked to have been carried out by members of the orange order judging by the slogans on the Union Jacks. Two hours later everyone was still locked in the church for their own safety. Eventually my mum and the others there were given a police escort away from the church and taken to Partick station because the violence was still going on at Queen Street.
I don't fall down on either side of the sectarian debate, but those bastards there last night - nothing more than vile animals - need to take a long hard look at themselves. Big hard men frightening elderly women and knocking them to the ground, disrupting people going about their business and bringing shame to Glasgow and Scotland. I hope the police identify all of them, prosecute them and throw away the keys. These were 100% unionist supporters. What would they have done if they hadn't won???