Independence campaigners have hit out at UKIP leader Nigel Farage’s attack on “anti-English” demonstrators whose protests led to him being barricaded in a pub during a campaign trip.
Mr Farage branded the protesters “deeply racist with a total hatred of the English and a desire for Scotland to be independent from Westminster”.
It later emerged that one of the protesters, who was arrested for allegedly pouring a drink over a UKIP member, is English.
The SNP and the official Yes Scotland campaign have faced calls to distance themselves from Radical Independence, while the campaign group itself rejected Mr Farage’s allegations of racism.
Mike Shaw, president of Edinburgh University Students’ Association’s Socialist Society, said: “UKIP protest yesterday branded as ‘anti-English’. As a proud Englishman, arrested yesterday for protesting, I dispute these claims.”Holyrood Blog:A close-up view of the Farage fiascoRadical Independence spokesman Liam O’Hare said: “Farage’s attempts to paint our protest as anti-English is pathetic. Our vision is for a Scotland that welcomes people from across the world, including England.
“This is the exact opposite of Farage and UKIP’s vision for Scotland, which is a parochial, bigoted British nationalism. We’re against his racist ideas, not where he comes from.”
Mr Farage acknowledged the SNP did not appear to have been involved in the protest but challenged SNP leader Alex Salmond to condemn the action.
His call was echoed by Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie who claimed the “anti-racists turned racist” and urged Mr Salmond to “speak out against this attack on free speech”.
Mr Salmond said Mr Farage is “someone who is out-with the context of normal politics”.
He added: “We can frankly do without UKIP who dislike everybody and know absolutely nothing about Scotland.”
A Yes Scotland spokesman said: “We had no knowledge or involvement in any of the scenes on the Royal Mile during (Mr Farage’s) visit to Edinburgh.
“Yes Scotland continues to run a positive campaign and we condemn any and all forms of intimidation.”
Police said two men were arrested for alleged assault and breach of the peace.