Scottish Defence League: Lockerbie 'vigil' planned

Submitted by Matthew on 5 March, 2010 - 7:48 Author: Dale Street

The Scottish Defence League (SDL) decision to stage what it calls a “respectful vigil” in Lockerbie on Saturday, 27 March, represents a sign of weakness — if not outright desperation.

In November of last year, the SDL tried to stage a demonstration in Glasgow. It failed. Two weeks ago (20 February) it tried to stage a demonstration in Edinburgh. Again, it failed.

Lacking the confidence to attempt another demonstration in a major urban centre, the SDL is retreating to rural Lockerbie.

According to their statement announcing the “respectful vigil”, the SDL has selected Lockerbie for two reasons.

Firstly, because Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill denied them “freedom of speech” in Edinburgh a fortnight ago. And secondly, because it was MacAskill who released Abdelbaset al-Magrahi (convicted of the Lockerbie bombing, although this remains strongly contested) on compassionate grounds.

In fact, it was Edinburgh City Council, not MacAskill, who was responsible for serving a ban on the SDL under the Public Order Act. And the normal venue for a protest against an MSP is their home constituency. In the case of MacAskill, that would mean another attempt to stage a demonstration in Edinburgh.

Eleven inhabitants of Lockerbie were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 crashed into the town. Whatever local opinion might be about the release of al-Magrahi, the local population is unlikely to find anything “respectful” about a mixture of football casuals and fascists staging a “vigil” about the event in their town.

Dumfries and District Trades Council, which covers Lockerbie, has already announced plans for a march and rally in Lockerbie in opposition to the SDL “vigil” It would appear that the Trades Council is planning a local version of the “Scotland United” rallies in Glasgow and Edinburgh, which, in terms of timing and location, were organised to ensure that the SDL were not confronted directly. Indeed Scotland United has now urged anti-facist supporters to stay away from the SDL march to prevent the thugs gaining publicity from likely clashes.

Organising to confront the SDL in Lockerbie would be more difficult than was the case in Glasgow or Edinburgh — partly because of the logistical problems of getting to the town, and partly because, if organised insensitively, anti-SDL activity could alienate the local population as much as the SDL’s stunt.

On the other hand, any march and rally in a town the size of Lockerbie will probably end up pretty close to wherever the SDLers will be meeting up.

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