Recent tension around far-right and anti-immigrant sentiment has challenged Glasgow’s reputation of inclusion.
Glasgow has long held a reputation for being a welcoming city, named the UK’s friendliest in both 2024 and 2025.
However, in recent months, that reputation has been tested. Over the summer, the city has become a flashpoint for a series of far-right and anti-immigration demonstrations, drawing thousands onto the streets and, on some occasions, spilling into clashes with counter-protesters and police.
For many, Glasgow is fundamentally an inclusive city, with a diverse range of communities who call it home. Its official slogan, “People Make Glasgow,” was introduced in 2013 after consultation with more than 1,500 people across 42 countries. At the time, Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson said the slogan “reflects the Glaswegian character”, with the city’s warm spirit defined by its inhabitants.
More than a decade later, that character is being actively tested.
In recent years, as part of a Home Office scheme, Glasgow has accepted more asylum seekers than anywhere else in the UK.
Anti-immigration protesters have expressed concerns over the number of asylum seekers being housed in the city. They have blamed asylum seekers for a rise in sexual assaults, and for placing added strain on Glasgow’s “housing emergency” declared in 2023.
On 25 July, hundreds of anti-immigration demonstrators, organised by far-right group Unite the Clans, gathered at Glasgow Green. This was met by a large counter-protest organised by Stand Up to Racism Scotland. Around 1,700 people attended in total, with activity spilling into the city centre. Police reported incidents of violence, intimidation and hate-motivated offences, including Nazi salutes. Fifteen people were arrested over the disorder, for offences including assault and possession of offensive weapons, with police warning that more arrests would follow.
Part of the disorder came from clashes between the two groups. According to reporting from Police Scotland, a counter-protest was present at 46% of anti-immigration protests in Scotland between August 2025 and June 2026.
For those counter-protesting, the demonstrations are about more than voicing opposition to the far right. Fundamentally, they want to show that the anti-immigration sentiment expressed by some does not represent the city as a whole.
Stand Up to Racism Scotland has repeatedly organised counter-demonstrations in response to anti-immigration protests in Glasgow. The organisation argues that these protests use asylum seekers as a scapegoat for the wider problems facing communities, including pressures on housing and public services.
This sentiment was reflected among those who gathered to oppose the July demonstration. Many spoke of a desire to protect their neighbours and Glasgow’s diversity, and to show that the character of the city is still a welcoming and inclusive one.
Glasgow’s reputation has also recently come under scrutiny in a new BBC Disclosure investigation into the city centre. The report highlighted concerns around violence, drug dealing, antisocial behaviour and a perception of declining safety. Many of these issues are tied to anti-immigration sentiment and what Chief Inspector Stephen Mcmanus described as a “level of intolerance […] creeping in”.
The scenes on Glasgow’s streets this summer offer two competing versions of the city. While anti-immigration rhetoric is prevalent, the response may suggest that the solidarity the city is famous for still perseveres.
