THE Home Office has come under fire for calling protesters who stopped men from being detained a "mob".
Activists rushed to the scene in Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, Glasgow, yesterday morning at around 9.40am when they got word that two Indian nationals had been detained.
One protester managed to squeeze himself under the van, stopping the immigration enforcement officers from being able to leave the street. Police Scotland were called to the scene at 9.55am.
READ MORE: Glasgow triumphant as Home Office forced to back down on dawn raid detentions
A Home Office source said: "It is completely unacceptable for a mob to stop the lawful removal of people living in our country illegally. We 100% back the frontline in removing those with no right to be here."
Michael Russell, Scotland's constitution secretary, said the comment was "utterly tone deaf".
Utterly tone deaf and proving, if further proof was needed , that the gulf between Scottish consented governance & UK Tory imposition is now so great as to be completely unbridgeable. We are operating on entirely different principles & with entirely different expectations. https://t.co/p9i8cjs0Lx
— Michael Russell (@Feorlean) May 13, 2021
Patrick Harvie, Scottish Greens co-leader, said: "The people who put themselves at risk to defend their neighbours from state violence today are not a 'mob.' Today we saw the best of Glasgow, and the worst of the racist Home Office."
The people who put themselves at risk to defend their neighbours from state violence today are not a "mob". Today we saw the best of Glasgow, and the worst of the racist Home Office. https://t.co/NXiysc3UtJ
— Patrick Harvie 🇪🇺🌈 (@patrickharvie) May 13, 2021
Murray Foote, the SNP's media chief, said Westminster is "more out of touch and distanced than ever from Scotland".
Those of a generous disposition might try to pass this off as the U.K. Government simply being tone deaf. It’s not, it’s their true character. Denouncing citizens for peacefully protesting is exactly who they are ... more out of touch and distanced than ever from Scotland. https://t.co/4hrDauqXN4
— Murray Foote (@murrayf00te) May 13, 2021
Prominent Brexit lawyer Jo Maugham references Boris Johnson's plan to "love bomb" Scotland to keep it in the UK.
"Love bombing Scotland' https://t.co/9fXKBBKJZH
— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) May 14, 2021
The First Minister demanded that the UK Government “never again” allows a similar situation to come to pass and said that the one Tory minister she managed to speak to showed “no empathy” for those involved.
READ MORE: 'No empathy': Nicola Sturgeon condemns Home Office after Glasgow asylum protests
Here's how Scotland reacted to the comment. *Warning for strong language*
1.
The mob were the people trying to do the deporting. https://t.co/4dWMyEerdx
— Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) May 14, 2021
2.
Never been prouder to be a part of a so called ‘mob’. #NotInMyName #RefugeesAreWelcomeHere #LetThemGo https://t.co/aePCpMShuB
— Gareth Johnson (@geogareth) May 13, 2021
3.
The whole community came together (peacefully) to protest them being removed from the country. Just a fucking unhinged commitment to deporting people. https://t.co/Cf3eEKG1yT
— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 13, 2021
4.
Communities protecting those with a right to legal representation and asylum are now mobs... wow... https://t.co/A7XvliHe5p
— Anastasios Vou (@Anastasios_Vou) May 13, 2021
5.
The polite anarchist who asked if they could take my banana bread to feed the protestors could in no way be considered part of a mob https://t.co/iSVAhtvIEy
— Fionuala McCarron (@FionualaMc) May 13, 2021
6.
the definition of mob here being a group of decent people standing there peacefully protesting the dehumanising raid on two members of their community https://t.co/JnQ9AKCpFA
— three steaks pam (@alexandrakuri) May 13, 2021
7.
the people spoke and should be listesned to https://t.co/06sW19cVY3
— Sabaid airson Alba (@Fighting4INDY) May 14, 2021
8.
I’ll never understand language like “no right to be here”. Chill man, let people live 😫 https://t.co/hBeMrdlTPr
— Ronnie (@ronnieeaves) May 14, 2021
9.
“Lawful”.
— John O'Connell (@jdpoc) May 14, 2021
Slavery, the Holocaust and Jim Crow were all ‘lawful’, too.
Never mistake “the law“ with what is right, what is moral, what is ethical. https://t.co/NEKXVLVj0X
10.
Classic UKIP government, no capability to admit error. First act is to spin, then declare an enemy "the mob", next is revenge. Good people of Glasgow be wary. https://t.co/d7dQ5MPn5F
— Neil Martin, FRSA - Stand well back (@MartinNeilm) May 14, 2021
11.
The Home Office lacks decent leadership https://t.co/k1697rwRWS
— Simon Deane-Johns (@sdjohns) May 14, 2021
12.
This was a law abiding, mask wearing, group of individuals concerned at fascist behaviour in their town. This WAS MOT A MOB. Presumably Patel will lash out in every direction because decency was maintained. Her ways are unwelcome in Scotland https://t.co/QYHB9Ls72f
— James Brown (@JamesBrown95) May 14, 2021
13.
Mob rule is more just than loading people into vans and people being deemed 'illegal' https://t.co/A8oSOGfZz9
— Slumbous Respect Zone(he/him) (@wee_bairn) May 14, 2021
14.
not the home office that routinely violates human rights and international law, talking about 'lawful' https://t.co/u5KW7KmxCu
— A V A T A R of Y A S H A 🌩️ (@Wally_Wests) May 14, 2021
15.
Scotland says Refugees have a right to live here. We don’t care what the home office thinks https://t.co/L7NCTxdPAB
— Alexander (@AlexanderBSNP) May 14, 2021
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