Glasgow loyalist walk ‘re-routed’ from Catholic church after safety fears as protestors gather

A Glasgow loyalist walk has been rerouted from a Catholic Church following safety concerns and protests outside the church. The Bridgegton Apprentice Boys of Derry, a loyalist group, were initially allowed to march past the Catholic church on November 10. However, due to fears for safety and the presence of angry protestors outside St Alphonsus in the Calton area, the march was rerouted around London Road and Bain Street.

The decision to reroute the march came after a previous incident where a priest at the church was spat on and subjected to sectarian abuse back in 2018. Canon Tom White, the priest affected by the incident, criticized Glasgow council’s decision to allow the march, citing a lack of community engagement and historical divisions caused by such events. Despite objections from the Parish Council for both churches and a recommendation from Police Scotland to ban processions from passing St Mary’s and St Alphonsus due to prior disorder, Glasgow City Council proceeded with allowing the procession to continue.

In response to the protest and rerouting of the march, a police spokesperson stated that a policing plan was in place in the area, without providing further details at that time. Canon Tom White, who has since been appointed parish priest of Holy Cross in Croy after the 2018 incident, has endeavored not to let the incident define him.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions around sectarianism and public events in Glasgow, with concerns for safety and community divisions coming to the forefront. The decision-making processes of local authorities regarding such sensitive matters have also come under scrutiny, with demands for more thorough community engagement and consideration of historical tensions and the potential for disorder during such events.