AN IRISH REPUBLICAN march scheduled to take place in Glasgow this weekend has been cancelled after police in Scotland expressed fears of serious disorder and violence.
The march was planned for Saturday, August 6 and was due to begin in Castlemilk on the city’s south side.
The parade was arranged by Independent Republican Bands Scotland (IRBS) to mark 45th anniversary of the introduction of internment in Northern Ireland on August, 9 1971.
Police advised that if the march went ahead on Saturday “there would be a high risk to public safety, a high risk of public disorder and a high risk of disruption to the life of the community".
The risks could only be contained by "substantial deployment" of Police Scotland resources, including specialist public order trained officers.
Resources will already be stretched on the day with two Scottish premiership matches taking place in the city at Ibrox and Firhill, and four other processions due to take place.
In 2014, an anti-interment parade in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow led to 12 arrests after fighting broke out, with mounted police and dog units being called in to manage the unrest.
Saturday’s parade is due to follow a similar route to the 2014 march.
A police Scotland spokesperson said:
"Should this notification be confirmed as proposed we believe that there is a significant likelihood that their presence would lead to serious public disorder and disruption to the life of the local community.
"This would not only impact significantly on the local residential community, but the general public going about their daily business would also be severely affected.”
Loyalist pressure group Regimental Blues lodged a formal objection to the parade in July stating: "Those participating in the proposed parade are not from the areas and communities they wish to parade through, their messages and agenda do not concern the local communities living within both areas.”
The group went on to say that if the parade wasn’t cancelled they would be prepared to call for a counter demonstration.
