Sarwar speech interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters in Glasgow

Protesters have disrupted a speech by the Scottish Labour leader in Glasgow as he set out his key focus for the Holyrood election next year.

Anas Sarwar was speaking at Glasgow Caledonian University about Labour’s ambitions for Scotland’s future when he was drowned out by protesters chanting outside.

Mr Sarwar was only seven minutes into his speech when he was forced to speak out about the conflict in the Middle East as a pro-Palestinian protester walked into the room mid-speech.

The demonstrator demanded that Mr Sarwar should address “the genocide happening in Gaza” and asked if the Scottish Labour leader had “told your party leader (Sir Keir Starmer) there’s a genocide happening in Gaza?”

Mr Sarwar responded by saying: “I believe there is a genocide happening in Gaza, I believe Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal.”

He was addressing Labour’s focus ahead of the Scottish Parliament returning on Tuesday, and with an election approaching next May.

Labour were also celebrating the success of new Labour councillor Julie Ann McHale as she beat SNP and Reform in the Barrhead by-election last week.

Mr Sarwar laid out his plans for the election lead-up and beyond, addressing the NHS, Scotland’s housing crisis and the economy.

He said: “Our economy is stuck, we face a housing crisis, our schools are in disarray and the NHS is on life support. That is two decades of the SNP in government.

“If these are the issues that matter to you, then who the next Scottish Government is matters. That’s why I’ve set out how we will tackle the housing crisis by ending rough sleeping and building the homes we need.

“How we will get our economy thriving by supporting businesses, ending business rate inequality and backing entrepreneurship. How we will fix our schools by banning mobile phones, supporting teachers and tackling anti-social behaviour.

The protests outside continued throughout, with the chanting drowning out Mr Sarwar’s speech at times.

Answering press questions at the end, he said that when it came to Palestine: “I can understand why people are angry, why they’re frustrated, and why what they see on their television screens and social media screens would raise them to despair and a sense of hopelessness, and they feel as if they have to express that anger and frustration.

“I’ll always support people to do safe and peaceful protest. But let’s be really clear who the victims are here and who the perpetrators are here.

“The victims here who we should be focusing on are the children of Gaza who are being starved deliberately by an Israeli government that is out of control. The population is being collectively punished because the abhorrent actions by Hamas, a terrorist organisation.

“The perpetrators here, therefore, are Hamas for their actions on October 7, but also (Israeli prime minister) Benjamin Netanyahu, who is in clear breach of international law, clearly has no desire for peace and is only interested in staying in power and staying out of jail rather than doing the right thing for his population.”

Addressing what the Labour Government in Westminster is doing with regards to the ongoing conflict, Mr Sarwar said it would require “global pressure” for change.

He said: “I welcome some of the action by a UK Labour Government, and I think it’s not about giving people credit because that war still continues, and ultimately we need the war to end again.

“If you look at the actions of our incoming UK Labour Government, we reinstated UNRWA, the humanitarian agency, ended the block the UK Government had on both the ICC and the ICJ, sanctioned individual ministers in the Israeli government, have been clear that those that are acting in the West Bank as settlers are terrorising that population and should be treated as such, and will put scrutiny on Benjamin Netanyahu, that’s why there’s been the ending of arms sales.

“And of course the recognition of a Palestinian state that will happen before the UN General Assembly next month.”