George "attacked" at Glasgow airport

[Comsatangel]

Probe into Galloway attack claims

Police are investigating allegations that Respect MP George Galloway was kicked and taunted during an unprovoked sectarian attack. He said the attack occured after he arrived at Glasgow Airport on Sunday. The Bethnal Green and Bow MP said he believed he was targeted by men returning from an Orange Walk in London for being a known Celtic supporter. Police confirmed that they were investigating the alleged assault and studying CCTV footage.

Mr Galloway told the Daily Record: "There was one guy I would describe as a ringleader who said 'I don't like your radio talk, I don't like your newspaper talk, I have a religious duty to knock you down'." The Respect MP, who used to Labour MP for Glasgow Kelvin, had arrived from London on a British Midland flight to give a talk at the city's Royal Concert Hall. The MP has a high media profile including an appearance on last year's Celebrity Big Brother, and host of a TalkSport radio phone-in.

Mr Galloway said the "terrifying experience" began on the plane after he was recognised and a group of men began taunting and threatening him. He added: "I had a feeling of dread. I hurried off the plane and got to the luggage carousel as quickly as possible and prayed my bag would come first but, of course, it didn't. "The group came up behind me and they were straight in with the sectarian insults and threats. I felt one man kick me on one ankle and I was then kicked on the other ankle."

Mr Galloway said that by the time he complained to the police, a separate complaint had been made by a traffic warden about a group of men shouting sectarian slogans outside. A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said that an incident at Glasgow Airport was being investigated. She added: "We can confirm we have received a complaint from Mr Galloway and inquiries are ongoing."

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Anyone else know anything about this?

[faceless]

that's pretty shocking - but sadly not surprising from that type of Orangeman.

Some of you may remember Galloway issuing an apology for having made comments about 'Are you a Rangers supporter?' on the show - and I'd guess that pre-empting this kind of attack is exactly why he apologised. Just a pity for him that these thugs didn't hear it.

These orange thugs are exactly that. There was once a load in my local shop racially abusing the woman who worked there. When I came in and saw what they were doing I launched into attack and chased this group of 4 out the place. They are nothing but bullies and cowards.

[faceless]

MP GEORGE BEATEN UP BY AIRPORT YOBS
Exclusive by Mark Mcgivern
www.dailyrecord.co.uk

MAVERICK MP George Galloway was kicked and shoved by a jeering sectarian mob yesterday. He was threatened and taunted by six men and almost pushed on to a luggage carousel as he arrived at Glasgow Airport. Respect MP Galloway said: "It was a terrifying experience and quite disgraceful for these people to behave like this. There was one guy I would describe as a ringleader who said, 'I don't like your radio talk, I don't like your newspaper talk, I have a religious duty to knock you down.' "

Former Celebrity Big Brother star Galloway was called a "Fenian bastard" and believes he was targeted for being a known Celtic supporter. Last night, police were investigating the sickening ordeal and studying CCTV footage.

The MP had arrived from London on a British Midland flight to give a talk at Glasgow's Royal Concert Hall. Though shaken, he went ahead with his one-man show last night. The MP hosts a TalkSport radio phone-in and regularly gets involved in heated discussions with both sides of the sectarian divide, particularly over Ireland.

He said: "A group of men on the plane recognised me and the problem started right away. They were taunting me and threatening me during the flight and I should probably have arranged for police in Glasgow to be notified in advance. They were referring tome as a 'Fenian bastard' and 'fucking Fenian scumbag' and other vile names and threatening to attack me when I got to Glasgow. They were shouting at me, 'Were you down for the walk?' The rest of the passengers were dumbfounded.

"I gather there was some Orange march in London over the weekend and people from Glasgow had travelled down for it. I had a feeling of dread. I hurried off the plane and got to the luggage carousel as quickly as possible and prayed my bag would come first but, of course, it didn't. The group came up behind me and they were straight in with the sectarian insults and threats. I felt one man kick me on one ankle and I was then kicked on the other ankle. The next thing I knew, I was bounced in the back by someone's belly and virtually knocked on to the carousel itself."

Galloway tried to make his way past the ringleader but was continually blocked by his stomach. He said: "I tried to get round him on one side and then the other and he blocked me with his belly. By the time I made a complaint to police, a separate complaint had been made by a traffic warden over the conduct of a group of men shouting sectarian slogans outside. I'm amazed they would behave like this in an airport, where every angle is covered by CCTV. I gather the police were given the tapes." Last night, a police spokeswoman said: "We were made aware of allegations arising from an incident at Glasgow Airport. These are being investigated."

Galloway is set to be the keynote speaker at a summer youth camp run by Irish Republicans. He is billed as the "main event" at this year's Campa Naisiunta Oige - National Youth Camp - in Ballintoy, County Antrim.

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I would have thought he'd have had security sorted right enough, but you just don't imagine that anyone would be so stupid as to attack anyone in such a public place - but that's your typical orange thugs for you. Brainless, bigoted knuckle-draggers.

[Mandy]

[DavidGig]

Would someone give me a little sociology lesson. Does "Orangeman" just mean Northern Ireland Protestant Unionist, or is it a subset? What is the connection with Glasgow?

The article says "for being a known Celtic supporter". Is hooliganism like this mainly associated with football team allegiance? Would they be beating on Galloway because he supports Celtic, or because he's a Catholic? Or is it more just garden variety gang behavior that could pick on anyone? Would you assume that they were probably drunk?

[faceless]

here goes - you're right about Orangemen being as you said. The connection with Scotland is that a lot of the original illegal occupiers of Ireland were sent from Scotland and the connection remains very strong. As far as football's concerned - basically, Orangemen support Rangers and Catholics support Celtic (in Scotland). The football grounds have recently been working pretty hard to get rid of the obvious connections though (i.e. banning flags for opposing paramilitary groups being flown etc)

[DavidGig]

Thanks faceless. What about alcohol -- are emotions high enough that something like this could occur sober? (Actually, it didn't sound very violent. Over here, we'd probably call it "hassling" someone.)

[luke]

[faceless]

Here's the BBC Scotland news report about the incident that was just on - Galloway talks about what happened...

http://couchtripper.com/video/2007-06-11-GeorgeGalloway-GlasgowAirportAttack.wmv

I've tagged this video as it seems that Goblin guy on youtube is still skimming the content here without giving credit.

[luke]

theres two more videos on here, check down the bottom for the full interview

http://www.stv.tv/content/news/main/display.html?id=opencms:/news/MPxs_airport_security_concern_following_

[faceless]

good find Luke, I should have checked there, but STV news is usually pretty pish

here's the direct download link to the full file

http://wm.stv.tv/110607gallowayfull.wmv

[Comsatangel]

So, basically, George was attacked because he was the "wrong" sort of Christian? Good grief! This is just another reminder why I despise religion, with its small petty inter and intra squabbles, so very much.

I've never heard of Richard Dawkins being attacked at the baggage carousel of Heathrow airport by a splinter group of athiests, kicking and jostling him simply because he espouses the "wrong" kind of atheism, or supports a different atheist football team.

[nekokate]

[luke]

wow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d56Bslys4GU

[faceless]

just saw a bit of that video there Luke, the guy's advocating terror tactics from behind a veil... I wonder if he ran that past BNP headquarters first?