Monday June 22nd 2026
Glasgow City Chambers
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Catherine Hunter
Glasgow councillors are being urged to condemn racist violence in Glasgow and further afield following the death of Henry Nowak and severe injury to Ian Ogilvie.
A cross-part motion moved by Councillor Susan Aitken and jointly seconded by councillor Rashid Hussain and councillor Jon Molyneux will be presented to elected members later this week following the brutal attacks in Southampton and Belfast.
They wish to send “their deepest sympathies to Mr Ogilvie and the family of Mr Nowak for the dreadful losses they have suffered” and salute the “courage and humanity” shown by both families in their rejection of violence and prejudice.
The motion reads: “[This] council is therefore deeply disturbed that a small minority, in Glasgow and other cities and towns, have chosen to ignore the wishes of the Nowak and Ogilvie families and have used their tragedies as an excuse to commit racist violence against members of the public from minority ethnic communities.
“Council believes that, regardless of individual views about immigration, there can never be any justification for masked individuals taking to the streets to mete out intimidation, threats and physical attacks and that this can in no way be described as legitimate protest.
“Council notes that Police Scotland has confirmed that these actions were motivated by racism, with Assistant Chief Constable Alan Waddell stating that people were attacked “because of the colour of their skin.”
Members will also be asked to condemn not only the most recent scenes of racist violence but the escalation of far-right activity in Glasgow and across the country which is spreading fear, hatred and intimidation and putting minority communities at risk.
The motion also calls on councillors to condemn the politicians who have sought to incite and inflame violence and hate for their own ends.
On June 2, the Glasgow Partners Conference, organised by the Council’s Hate Crime Working Group, brought together more than 100 representatives from across the city under the theme of ‘Building Resilience: Communities, Cohesion and Shared Responsibility’.
The aim is to promote a wide – ranging collaborative working approach across the secretary to strengthen trust, inclusion and confidence while improving resilience within local communities.
The motion continues: “Council reiterates its commitment to a Glasgow that is open, inclusive and welcoming to everyone for whom our city is home, whether through birth, by choice or as a consequence of displacement; restates our belief that Glasgow’s diverse and integrated communities are one of our greatest strengths, and that all Glaswegians, regardless of their faith or colour, have a fundamental right to live in safety and peace.
“Council also understands the importance of offering practical solidarity to affected communities.
“Therefore council agrees to sign up to Refuweegee’s Safe With Me campaign to cover all our public buildings and agrees to collate a directory of other practical solidarity resources and contacts, such as the Hate Crime Toolkit which is available for anyone who may be affected by hate crime, and to host this on the council website and share it with elected members and community councils.”
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