Heartwarming news from Scotland.
Dawn raid on Eid of all days, in Glasgow’s Muslim neighborhood, results in two men being placed in GBIE (Think our ICE, but England’s ICE raiding in Scotland). Citizens fill street, surrounding and blocking van. A man crawls beneath the van to stop it from driving away. More citizens arrive. Police come, form a cordon around the van, and a standoff ensues. Hundreds chant “These are out neighbors, free our neighbors, let our neighbors go!”.
Ten hours later, the men are released.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon:
2/ I disagree fundamentally with @ukhomeoffice immigration policy but even putting that aside, this action was unacceptable. To act in this way, in the heart of a Muslim community as they celebrated Eid, and in an area experiencing a Covid outbreak was a health & safety risk
3/ Both as MSP and as FM, I will be demanding assurances from the UK government that they will never again create, through their actions, such a dangerous situation. No assurances were given - and frankly no empathy shown - when I managed to speak to a junior minister earlier
4/ Lastly, I am proud to represent a constituency and lead a country that welcomes and shows support to asylum seekers and refugees. The day when immigration policy is the responsibility of @ScotParl can’t come soon enough.
Outlander star San Houghton:
The National’s headline:
Team Glasgow 1
Team “UK” 0
People power forces despicable Home Office to back down
Inhuman policy tried to take them. Humanity set them free.
Thanks for reading.