Protesters gathered outside the home of two men charged in connection with the rape of a woman in a Glasgow alley
UK police drew batons amid a clash with enraged locals at a protest in Glasgow, Scotland on Tuesday, as officers evacuated two men accused of being involved in a rape away from the furious crowd.
The protesters gathered outside an apartment block in the city’s East End over concerns that someone living in the building posed a public risk, according to the Glasgow Times.
Videos from the protest show the police pushing scores of angry locals aside as they lead two young men out of the building and into a police van while the men try to cover their faces.
The crowd is heard chanting “Beast! Beast! Beast!” In Scottish slang, the word refers to a rapist or child molester.
When one protester rushed at one of the men and struck at him, the police drew their batons and shouted “get back” at the crowd.
A 50-year-old was charged in connection with a police assault after the incident, a police spokesperson said in a statement cited by the media.
Jebril Abdelrahman, 19, was charged with rape and Denison Charles, 20, was charged with assault at Glasgow Sheriff Court, the Scottish Sun reported on Wednesday.
Abdelrahman, who The Sun said is from Glasgow, was reportedly remanded in custody. Local social media accounts, including British anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson, however, referred to him as a migrant.
“As a Cranhill lad – what we witnessed yesterday was the latest sign of community frustration at an establishment who has turned their back on them,” Reform UK Scotland deputy leader Thomas Kerr said on X. “Locals are saying enough is enough, I hope those in power are listening.”
Nigel Farage’s anti-immigration Reform party has made significant advances in recent months, winning more than 1,452 seats in local elections across England in May amid Labour’s sinking popularity. Growing anger over immigration has stoked protests and riots across the UK in recent years, inflamed by a series of high-profile violent crimes and sexual assault cases involving migrants and asylum seekers.
