Police promise more arrests over Glasgow 'rampage'

A senior police officer has warned people who rampaged through Glasgow causing "fear and alarm" that they will be brought to justice.

Ch Supt Emma Croft said the suspects, many of whom were masked, had targeted people for the colour of their skin as a peaceful anti-racism demonstration was held on Glasgow Green.

She said a dedicated team was assessing CCTV, as well as footage and stills from the public, in a bid to identify those responsible for the violence.

Police Scotland have so far made 15 arrests for offences including breach of the peace, assault, carrying an offensive weapon and hate crime.

A dedicated team has been set up to identity those behind the violence, which coincided with the opening weekend of the Commonwealth Games.

Croft told the BBC's Radio Scotland Breakfast programme: "I am looking for arrests to be quick, within the coming days."

Anti-racism demonstrators gathered at Glasgow Green at 11:00 on Saturday. An hour later, a counter-demonstration by anti-immigration protesters got under way at the same location.

The force said 1,700 people were in attendance and an operation was put in place to support public safety and minimise disruption.

Police said "disparate groups" engaged in acts of violence, disorder, intimidation and hate-motivated offences at various locations.

This included a large group of about 100 people who made their way through the city centre.

A number of containment measures were put in place, including in Oswald Street, as officers attempted to quell the trouble.

Ch Supt Croft said: "What we planned for were peaceful and lawful demonstrations within Glasgow Green.

"What we saw was a number of people arrive to partake in those peaceful demonstrations.

"What we saw thereafter was a number of individuals who splintered off from that main body and then took to marauding and rampaging through some elements of the city centre."

The senior officer said the suspects shouted inflammatory messages, intimidated individuals and threw street furniture around.

She added they were responsible for "acts of aggression that would probably cause fear and alarm in communities".

Last month an anti-racism rally in Glasgow was disrupted by a masked group following violence in the city earlier this week.

The event followed race-related attacks in Glasgow, after a knife attack in Belfast which left a man with serious injuries.

Croft said people appeared to have become "emboldened" in recent weeks and that further work had to be done to understand the motivation of the offenders.

"I think there absolutely has been a change," she said.

"This is the first time - and I think we reported on it a few weeks back - that we have seen individuals and groups targeting people because of the colour of their skin.

"A very sad indictment of society, but we are seeing more of that over the last few weeks."

Croft said it had yet to be established who was behind the trouble in Glasgow.

She added: "These groups didn't appear to have a clear organiser and didn't appear to have a clear aim other than to cause disruption and fear."

Police have urged anyone with footage or photos of any of the incidents to upload it via a dedicated online form.

Information can also be passed to officers over the phone and, anonymously, via Crimestoppers.