Protesters banned from chamber as SNP use majority to pass anti-bigotry bill
A Dundee academic was banned from the Scottish Parliament chamber on Wednesday as the SNP forced through controversial legislation to crack down on bigotry.
- By David Clegg, political editor
- Published in the Courier : 15.12.11
- Published online : 15.12.11 @ 11.39am
Abertay University lecturer Stuart Waiton was barred from sitting in the public gallery because he was accompanying fans protesting against the legislation aimed at stamping out hate crime at football matches.
The group was forbidden to enter the chamber by parliament officials because they were wearing shirts branded with messages attacking the Offensive Behaviour bill.
Mr Waiton had spearheaded a campaign against the law which saw a petition attract 3,500 signatures.
But SNP MSPs used their parliamentary majority to give final approval to the legislation despite united opposition from other parties.
Community Safety Minister Roseanna Cunningham said the law, passed in a 64-57 vote, would send a clear message to bigots.
''To be clear: these are clear and specific improvements on the existing law,'' the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire MSP said.
''Much of what we see at football celebrates nothing more than hate and division and is done to antagonise and provoke old wounds. That is unacceptable and that must stop.''
But Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and independent MSP Margo MacDonald issued a joint statement attacking the Government for ''railroading'' the legislation through the parliament.
It read: ''The SNP has used its majority to force through bad law that risks doing more harm than good. It sets a worrying precedent for this parliament.''
It added:''We believe a far more effective response is to focus on education and young people, working with the churches and football authorities on positive, practical, evidence-based measures that tackle the root causes of sectarianism, as well as robust application of existing laws.''
Dr Waiton, who previously described the legislation as a ''snobs' law'', said the fact football fans were banned from the chamber only highlighted the problems with the bill.
''What I think is interesting about this is that if the football fans were environmentalists taking part in a protest they would be invited into the chamber with open arms,'' he said.
''It is very like the problems with the bill, in that football fans are being criminalised.''
The fans — mostly Celtic supporters from Glasgow — were wearing T-shirts that together spelt out Fans Not Criminals on one side and SNP — Shame On You on the other.
Mr Waiton, who gave evidence to the Parliament's Justice Committee at an earlier stage of the bill, was wearing a T-shirt bearing a quote from the French philosopher Voltaire.
It read: ''I may hate what you have to say but I will defend to the death your right to say it.''
The bill will create two offences relating to behaviour deemed to ''incite religious, racial or other forms of hatred'' in and around football grounds and online. Those convicted could spend as long as five years in prison and be banned from football grounds.
A spokeswoman said the parliament ''fully supports'' the right to protest but it is not permitted in the gallery of the chamber.
11.59am - 15.12.2011 Concerned Citizen - Forfar, Scotland Report This
Mr Walton, an academic, who seems more interested in constantly keeping his name in the press than in providing empirical data to support his point of view. Using "Snobs law" is simply trying to stoke up class divisions, where there are none ala "the poor smoke as its one of their few pleasures"
12.03pm - 15.12.2011 Stuart Allan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
The opposition want to concentrate on education and working with churches instead. How often has that been tried and failed? Many times. It is opposition for oppositions sake, pure and simple. At last there is legislation that can be used against these bigots.
02.58pm - 15.12.2011 mark - dundee, scotland Report This
a sad day for free speech, the country is going into a deep recession with 1000s out of work and more reported daily and all they can do is concentrate on legislation about name calling - get a grip! we have far too many MPs who have too much time on their hands, get rid of half of them, save money
06.56pm - 15.12.2011 Stuart Allan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Mark, I think you'll find our politicians can deal with an assortment of issues at any one time. The specious claim that dealing with one issue means another isn't being addressed is lazy criticism. Bigotry isn't just name calling. It is deliberate intimidation leading to violence and even murder.
11.21pm - 15.12.2011 Scott Ewan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
Democracy reduced to the tyranny of the majority. Get rid of religious schools, stop making people feel different based on religion and funded by the state. Education should be secular if it is state funded.......there is no argument against that.
11.06am - 16.12.2011 Ian MacD - Dundee, Scotland UK Report This
@ Stuart says, "At last there is legislation that can be used against these bigots." Actually, legislation to tackle sectarianism is already there. There was no need for this. The REAL question is why the SNP decided to take this route: what is their agenda?
03.38pm - 16.12.2011 Stuart Allan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
@Ian; you seem to be taking the well trodden path of creating a sense of unease and uncertainty with absolutely no evidence to back the dubious implication. Is this what the SNP's opposition has been reduced to? Manufacturing mythical issues to hide the fact they have nothing of substance to say?
05.35pm - 20.12.2011 Ian MacD - Dundee, Scotland UK Report This
@ Stuart. Is the best the SNP's supporters can do is parry away criticism without even attempting to answer the charge that existing legislation is already in place?
08.43pm - 27.12.2011 Stuart Allan - Dundee, Scotland Report This
@Ian; no "parrying" is necessary. The existing legislation did not address the issues raised by last years depressing sectarian issues. The new legislation does. I would think that would be pretty self evident.
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