National Front march bid rejected

Dave MacDonald applied for a licence to hold the march

Councillors in Aberdeen have voted unanimously to ban a National Front march in the city next month.

The city's licensing committee took legal advice in private before making the decision on Monday afternoon.

Earlier, members had heard a police report which said football casuals were planning to support the march, planned as a celebration of St Andrew's Day.

The Scottish Trades Union Congress and the Grampian Senior Citizens Forum had asked the council to reject the move.

The National Front's Dave MacDonald applied earlier in the year for a licence to hold the march on 28 November.

He insisted that the National Front had no link to football hooligans, whom he branded mindless thugs.

Senior citizens

The matter was discussed by members of Aberdeen City Council's licensing authority in August, but a decision was deferred.

The Chief Constable of Grampian Police, Colin McKerracher, had told the council that he believed there would be trouble on the day, even if the march did not get permission.

Frank Doran, Labour MP for Aberdeen Central, had urged the council to reject the application.

The STUC wrote to Aberdeen's council leader and to Grampian Police asking them to reject the application on the ground of public order.

And the Grampian Senior Citizens Forum protested outside the council meeting on Monday.

The organisation's Bill Knight said there was "fierce opposition" in Aberdeen to the march and rejecting the application was the only option.

'Christmas shopping'

After the meeting, Mr MacDonald said that National Front members would still have a presence in the centre of Aberdeen on 28 November.

"There is not going to be any official event in the city with banners or anything like that but there will be members in town that day," he said.

"We are planning to go shopping for Christmas."

Duncan Rowan: "Say no to the fascists"

The council's decision to ban the march was welcomed by Duncan Rowan, from Aberdeen United Against Fascism.

He said: "The city council has taken the stance that fascists will not be allowed to march and to spoil and defile our streets in Scotland.

"If we can make a stand here in Aberdeen, we can make a stand across the whole of Scotland and say no to the fascists.

"They're not going to get to march and they're not going to get to organise."