Group of 'neo-Nazis' escorted from West Dunbartonshire council meeting

A group of “neo-Nazis” had to be escorted from West Dunbartonshire Council’s HQ after disrupting their last full council meeting ahead of the summer recess.

During the meeting, councillor Jim Bollan presented a motion to elected members urging them to condemn the racist banners, flyers, and posters that the Patriotic Alliance had recently displayed at the Clydebank Bandstand.

Similar banners were also attached to railings in front of the council chambers in Dumbarton on Wednesday.

The organisation has been described as a “far-right, fascist, neo-Nazi and white nationalist hate group”, and recently used the bandstand at the Clydebank Shopping Centre to demonstrate their views to the public.

Councillor Bollan’s motion had asked the council to authorise council officials to remove any such items attached to the Council-owned Bandstand in Clydebank Shopping Centre that do not have prior written consent from West Dunbartonshire Council as soon as practical.

But as councillor Bollan tried to speak, he was interrupted by chanting from the public gallery from at least three or four protesters who kept repeating “Scotland is for Scots”.

They were asked to sit down and be quiet by Provost Karen Murray Conaghan, who also told them to stop filming and taking pictures of the meeting, and if they couldn’t, they would be told to leave.

Provost Murray Conaghan said: “Excuse me, can I ask you to be quiet in the public gallery. It is a meeting in public not a meeting for you to contribute to.

“You sit there and be quiet during the meeting or I will ask you to leave. If you can’t be quiet you will have to leave and take your hand off the barrier.”

The provost was then made aware that filming was taking place.

Councillor Murray Conaghan continued: “There is no filming permitted. If you continue to film you will be asked to leave now. Please put your phone away.”

Councillor Bollan was able to continue speaking on his motion.

He said: “The overt racist posters being displayed by Patriotic Alternative in Clydebank could be a precursor to the racist, violent behaviour we are seeing in Ireland at the moment, where non-whites are having their homes fire bombed because of the colour of their skin.

“Groups like Patriotic Alternative are cheerleaders for Reform, which is a racist party, and use the fact that the two larger political parties are not delivering for the policies needed by our working-class communities.

“That void is being used by extremists to blame refugees and asylum seekers as a divide and conquer tactic, commonly used by racists. By supporting this motion West Dunbartonshire Council will be sending a clear message that we are anti racist and inclusive of all races.

“Before I came into this meeting, I noticed some of the banners outside, which are overtly racist. It is unacceptable in West Dunbartonshire.”

As councillors started to discuss the motion, the meeting was interrupted again as protesters continued to cause disruption and were asked to leave as a result.

Provost Murray Conaghan told the public gallery: “If you can’t put your phone down and stop filming, I will ask you to leave the gallery.

“The recording is available at home, so you can listen to it there. You need to put your phone away. We will pause until we restore a bit of public order in the public gallery – sorry, members.”

The group was escorted out by security, and the meeting resumed.