The people of Elgin are alright, you know. A collective of far-right protesters gathered in the former cathedral city on Saturday, to share their usual brand of hateful rhetoric. However, they were heavily outnumbered by the locals.
Elgin sends ‘neo-Nazis’ packings
Alek Yerbury, a man who has been dubbed ‘Hull Hitler’ by his critics, was part of the far-right delegation that has been accused of supporting neo-Nazi ideology. Though he has denied holding extreme views, anti-fascist groups continue to monitor his actions.
The protests held in Elgin were organised by Highland Division, and accompanied by National Support Detachment. Both groups hold a set of exceptionally right-wing views, with immigration and trade unions listed as some of their biggest bug-bears.
Watch: Far-right protesters marched out of Scottish town
However, Moray residents were in no mood to let the hate spread on their doorstep. Hundreds of counter-protesters dwarfed the original demo. Outnumbered, outsung, and outdone, it all ended in pretty humiliating fashion for Yerbury and his supporters.
- First, there were confrontations with members of the public. One woman laughed in his face. Good on her…
- With the extremists failing to get anyone on board, it was soon time for them to pack up their placards and leave. Ouch…
- And, with tails planted firmly between legs, Yerbury and his pals were escorted away from the town centre. Unlucky…
Anti-racism groups revel in ‘humiliation’ of far-right protesters
The far-right failure has been lauded by Scotland’s Stand Up To Racism group, who thanked Elgin’s citizens for giving everyone a lesson on ‘how to deal with fascist hatred’. They also found it fairly amusing that only seven people turned up to support Mr. Yerbury.
“The local population of Elgin today gave anti-fascists everywhere a lesson of how you deal with fascist hatred targeting your community. Alek Yerbury had travelled eight hours from Leeds, for only seven of his supporters to turn up. They were stopped from holding a rally.”
“The counter-rally excellently organised by Moray Trades Council sent a powerful message of solidarity. Today was an utter humiliation for the fascists hoping to build in the racist climate created by the govt policies. Well done the people of Elgin!” | Stand Up To Racism