Latest news with #HateCrimeAct
Press and Journal
4 days ago
- Press and Journal
Two men charged with 'inciting racial hatred' during protest in Aberdeen
Two men have been charged under the Hate Crime Act following a demonstration in Aberdeen earlier this month. The pair, aged 37 and 39, were arrested in connection with 'inciting racial hatred' during the protest, which took place in Links Road on Saturday August 2. The 37-year-old has also been charged in connection with an assault on the day. Police officers are continuing their investigations into the demonstration and further charges may follow. They have said they are 'pursuing positive lines of inquiry to identify other individuals involved in offences that too place during the event'. Chief Inspector Darren Bruce, local area commander for Aberdeen City North, said: 'Police Scotland supports everyone's right to lawful protest. 'But when criminality occurs during these events, we will take appropriate action to identify those responsible and bring them to justice. 'There is no place for hate crime in our society. 'Our inquiries are continuing in relation to other reports of criminality that took place last Saturday.' Police are asking anyone with information about offences and individuals involved in the incident to come forward. Information can be passed to the police by calling 101 or anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The National
4 days ago
- Politics
- The National
English police bracing for disorder ahead of far-right demos
Anti-racism activists have planned counter-demos and police have placed restrictions in a number of locations on Friday, including Norwich. A demonstration set to take place outside council offices in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on Saturday has caused particular concern, following now-dismissed claims from a Reform UK councillor that police officers kept information over the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl. READ MORE: 2 men charged under Hate Crime Act after far-right protest in Aberdeen According to reports from The Guardian, the protests have had an excessive amount of promotion from far-right groups – including supporters of known agitator Tommy Robinson – despite being attended by mostly local individuals. Chief constable BJ Harrington, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council operations coordination committee, said: 'We urge communities to carefully consider the information they read, share and trust from online sources.' Harrington went on to encourage members of the public to 'remain aware' of the motivations behind far-right content, noting that the spread of disinformation 'significantly' contributes to tensions within communities. The constable also asserted that police were intending to uphold the right to peaceful protest, though added that officers were monitoring intelligence and teams of evidence gatherers are set to respond to incidents that involve public disorder. Hope Not Hate, a group that monitors far-right racist groups online, told the Guardian that it's hard to gauge how many attendees these demonstrations might draw. 'These protests continue to look more like the anti-migrant protests of 2023 and less like the violent disorder and rioting of 2024', director Georgie Laming said. The latest protests follow days of clashes last month in Essex, where groups of men attacked police and vandalised police vehicles after violence broke out following a demonstration outside a hotel in Epping housing asylum seekers. Anti-racism activists and trade unionists outnumbered a recent protest outside the same hotel, but Epping is one of several towns where the far right is promoting another protest on Friday. A similar racist demonstration took place in Glasgow last month, led by Ukip leader Nick Tenconi, and was also met by counter-protests from Stand Up To Racism. Members of the far-right Homeland Party are among those playing a central role in Epping, while a rival group, Patriotic Alternative, has been attempting to exploit protests in the north of England. There were also clashes outside a hotel in Islington, north London, where far-right agitators and a Stand Up To Racism protest confronted each other. Elsewhere in London, another protest is expected outside a hotel in Canary Wharf over suspicions that it is being used to house asylum seekers. Women and children have taken part in what has been promoted online as a 'pink protest', although far-right influencers have also participated in actions both at the hotel and online. READ MORE: Rupert Lowe mistakes charity rowing crew for 'illegal migrants' In Warwickshire, chief constable Alex Franklin-Smith responded to a claim by Reform's George Finch, the county council leader, that the force withheld information about the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl, stating that officers 'did not and will not cover up such criminality'. However, the case remains a source of ongoing tension. Norfolk police will introduce powers on Friday evening during a protest in Bowthorpe, Norwich, including requiring individuals to remove face coverings when asked by officers. Another order will allow police to direct anyone committing, or likely to commit, antisocial behaviour to leave the area between 2pm on Friday and 2am on Saturday.
The National
17-06-2025
- The National
Hate crime figures fall but disability attacks reach record high
HATE crime has decreased almost across the board since a controversial Holyrood law came into force, figures have shown. Statistics from the Scottish Government reveal that despite a fall in nearly all categories, hate crimes recorded against disabled people have surged to record levels. The statistics are the first to include crimes under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which came into force on April 1 last year. Overall, there were 6019 hate crimes recorded in 2024-25 – down 1.2% on the year before. But charges aggravated by disability rose by 15% to 1069 – the highest annual number recorded since the legislation creating the aggravation came into force in 2010. Recorded hate crimes against disabled people have risen consistently since the start of the last decade. READ MORE: Scottish council rejects plans for huge 1000-home development with pub and park Race continued to be the most commonly reported hate crime in Scotland, with 3357 such charges being recorded over the last year. The figure, accounting for 55% of hate crimes, represents a decrease of 2.2% compared to the year before. Hate crimes over sexual orientation, the second most common type, decreased by 8.7% to 1699 – the lowest number of charges since 2020. Religious hate crime charges also decreased by 5.1% to 505, the lowest annual number since 2004. Hate crime charges against transgender people were down by one to 86. There were 88 charges related to age and 13 related to variations in sex characteristics, both of which are new aggravators included in the Hate Crime Act. There were 27 charges of stirring up hatred relating to race and another 65 for stirring up hatred against 'other protected characteristics' – both new charges under the Act. The Lord Advocate, Scotland's top law officer, urged the public to be vigilant over hate crime. (Image: PA) Dorothy Bain KC (above) said hate-fuelled crime continued to be a blight on Scotland's communities and urged the public to report any incidents to the police. She said: 'There is no room for complacency in our response to – and recognition of – hate crime. 'Last year, prosecutors at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) received reports with more than 6,000 charges fuelled by hatred and targeted at people who are simply being themselves. 'Today's publication highlights the shameful prejudice which persists and – in relation to those affected by disability – has been exposed in increasing numbers. READ MORE: Scottish fishing body accuses David Attenborough of 'propaganda' over new film 'Those of us who wish to live in a tolerant society find this abhorrent. Hate crime has hugely damaging effects on victims, their families and the wider community. 'COPFS will play its part in helping to make Scotland a safer place by prosecuting robustly those who victimise others through their own ignorance or bigotry.' Scottish Conservative Tory MSP Liam Kerr said: 'These figures reveal Humza Yousaf's Hate Crime Act for what it is – a completely unnecessary law that's a drain on police resources. 'We repeatedly warned that this bad law was unworkable and would lead to the police having to deal with a slew of spurious complaints. 'The relatively small number of charges being brought appears to bear this out. 'Instead of asking the police to continually enforce flawed legislation, SNP ministers should prioritise funding our police force so they can properly keep our communities safe.'
The Herald Scotland
17-06-2025
- The Herald Scotland
Disability attacks increase despite hate crime being down overall
The statistics are the first to includes crimes under the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act, which came into force on April 1 last year. Overall, there were 6,019 hate crimes recorded in 2024-25 – down 1.2% on the year before. But charges aggravated by disability rose by 15% to 1,069 – the highest annual number recorded since the legislation creating the aggravation came into force in 2010. Recorded hate crime against disabled people has risen consistently since the start of the last decade. Race continued to be the most commonly reported hate crime in Scotland, with 3,357 such charges being recorded over the last year. The figure, accounting for 55% of hate crimes, represents a decrease of 2.2% compared to the year before. Read More Hate crimes over sexual orientation, the second most common type, decreased by 8.7% to 1,699 – the lowest number of charges since 2020. Religious hate crime charges also decreased by 5.1% to 505, the lowest annual number since 2004. Hate crime charges against transgender people were down by one to 86. There were 88 charges related to age and 13 related to variations in sex characteristics, both of which are new aggravators included in the Hate Crime Act. There were 27 charges of stirring up hatred relating to race and another 65 for stirring up hatred against 'other protected characteristics' – both new charges under the Act. The Lord Advocate, Scotland's top law officer, urged the public to be vigilant over hate crime. Dorothy Bain KC said hate-fuelled crime continued to be a blight on Scotland's communities and urged the public to report any incidents to the police. She said: 'There is no room for complacency in our response to – and recognition of – hate crime. 'Last year, prosecutors at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) received reports with more than 6,000 charges fuelled by hatred and targeted at people who are simply being themselves. 'Today's publication highlights the shameful prejudice which persists and – in relation to those affected by disability – has been exposed in increasing numbers. 'Those of us who wish to live in a tolerant society find this abhorrent. Hate crime has hugely damaging effects on victims, their families and the wider community. 'COPFS will play its part in helping to make Scotland a safer place by prosecuting robustly those who victimise others through their own ignorance or bigotry.' Scottish Conservative Tory MSP Liam Kerr said: 'These figures reveal Humza Yousaf's Hate Crime Act for what it is – a completely unnecessary law that's a drain on police resources. 'We repeatedly warned that this bad law was unworkable and would lead to the police having to deal with a slew of spurious complaints. 'The relatively small number of charges being brought appears to bear this out. 'Instead of asking the police to continually enforce flawed legislation, SNP ministers should prioritise funding our police force so they can properly keep our communities safe.'
The National
09-05-2025
- Automotive
- The National
I'm an activist against Elon Musk. Here's why I'm targeting Tesla
In a reported Tesla first quarter-earnings conference call recently Musk told company bosses that he would be allocating more of his time to Tesla and said he would be 'significantly' cutting back on his work for Donald Trump's government. Musk's leadership of the newly created advisory body – theDepartment for Government Efficiency, or Doge – has been widely criticised as it had overseen widespread cuts to the US government. This, alongside his far-right political views, has sparked protests at Tesla dealerships around the world, and pledges from many to boycott the firm. READ MORE: 'I felt dirty': Alex Cole-Hamilton on why he sold his Tesla Musk may still be the world's wealthiest man, but he no longer represents invincibility to shareholders. His salute in January at the inauguration was a firing-gun for activists who had already been watching Musk 'wreaking havoc on with normal people's jobs, across the US and across government,' Theodora Sutcliffe, a Tesla Takedown organiser, told The National. Protests organised by the grassroots campaign have only grown with action seen across the US, Europe, the UK and Scotland. 'The thing about Musk is whether I talk to people in Australia, or Germany or Spain, or the Netherlands or whatever, they've all got their own spin on something horrific that Elon Musk is doing in that country. 'So, in, England, obviously, specifically, it's Tommy Robinson, in Germany, it's the AFD, etc.' 'Protesting Musk is an opportunity to have an impact globally, it's not exclusively an American thing, which is why it's taking off outside the US as well.' Musk has weighed in on Scotland's Hate Crime Act; criticised Keir Starmer's Government over the UK's handling of child grooming scandals; supported and amplified messages from Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany party; and has publicly supported Romanian far-right outsider Calin Georgescu following allegations of electoral violations and Russian interference, which Moscow has denied. READ MORE: How Tesla sales fell in Europe after Elon Musk's salute Tariffs aren't necessarily helping Tesla either, with market uncertainty also hitting the company. 'Tariffs are still tough on a company when margins are still low,' said Musk in the call. And this is what the Tesla Takedown campaign wants to target. The logic behind a consumer boycott 'You can object to Trump as much as you, but the fact remains he's a democratically- elected president, whereas Musk is not only unelected, but he's hugely vulnerable because of his share price.' The price of a company's high earnings ratio expresses how much you would pay for a share, versus how many years it would take you to get that back through the revenue that is generating. Google's is around 18. Tesla's is 151. Sutcliffe said: 'So even though the company's stock has fallen by 31%, it's really overvalued. That's why when we keep saying it's got a long way to fall, that's what we mean. 'The only reason it's that high is that people believe that maybe they'll be humanoid robots one day which seems unlikely.' Sutcliffe described a picket the group did at a pop-up store in Oxford Street in London, which had a robot in the window, adding: 'I kept waiting for the robot to do something, move or to come at us, and we concluded at the end of the picket it must just be the most expensive mannequin ever.' The group believes the boycott can be effective because of the company's overvalued earnings ratio, so it's achievable to make the stock price collapse to 'something more realistic', like Google has. 'At that point, because the way Musk looks after his money to avoid paying tax, obviously you can't just keep £300 million in the current account at the bank – that's not how it works – what he does is he takes his money out in the form of loans secured on Tesla's share price. 'And if Tesla's share price drops below a certain level, the people who've given him the loans go: 'Oh, we're going to need more collateral'. 'At which point he has a problem. He either has to sell Tesla shares, which then drives panic and drives things down even further, or default on it.' The group currently has 11 organisers across the UK, with Bristol, London and Nottingham most prominent. Protest have taken place in Scotland, albeit with small groups which Sutcliffe put down to the location of the Tesla dealerships. 'These Tesla dealerships tend to be very, very out of the way. There's always a limit to the numbers who are going to be physically protesting." Sutcliffe also highlighted Musk's other businesses, Starlink and Twitter/X, arguing people should be boycotting those as well. READ MORE: Concerns over 'hidden right-wing agenda' of group meeting in Fife The Scottish Government continues to use Tesla and Starlink despite Musk's views. "It needs to start being questioned from a security perspective as well as the ethical one because he's an agent of a power. "Do you really want your broadband to rely on Elon Musk?," she asked. 'But there's other things we're doing, such as leaving leaflets under Tesla screen wipers, asking them to sell their cars.' More Tesla owners are choosing to sell their car, with an increase in the amount of second cars being sold across Scotland. However, not everyone has that option, Sutcliffe stressed. 'We get Tesla drivers coming up to us who say, 'I'm really supportive of what you're doing, but my car is leased, and I literally cannot afford to give it back'. 'They're sort of stuck in this situation. One woman told us she would have to pay them money to give the car back now because of the depreciation of the leasing it." Sutcliffe also points to the groups' campaign calling on Octopus Energy to scrap its leasing deal with Tesla. 'They're such a progressive company, all about green energy. It's very positive, and LGBT+ supportive, and its supportive of the Gaydio Awards in Manchester, and yet they've got a leasing deal where people can buy Tesla's. 'I'd be really, really interested to hear what they say about that because it's something that a company like that should not be doing, not in 2025." Octopus Energy did not respond to a request for comment.
