A city centre Community Council says it fears plans to hold an Orange March in the city on the same day as Celtic fans are expected to celebrate their latest Premiership football win “risks making a bad situation even worse.”
The County Grand Lodge of Glasgow is listed as the organiser of a VE (Victory in Europe) Day 80th Anniversary event on Saturday May 17 when Celtic play their final league game of the season against St Mirren at Parkhead.
In the past two years an estimated 25,000 of the team’s fans have converged on Glasgow Cross, resulting in widespread damage and anti-social behaviour.
Merchant City and Trongate Community Council questioned the Orange Lodge’s decision to hold its parade on this day rather than when other VE events are taking place throughout Scotland and the rest of the UK.
A spokesperson commented: “Making it the same date as the anticipated Celtic celebrations risks making a bad situation even worse. Residents and businesses in and around Glasgow Cross are already concerned about serious disruption following the Celtic-St Mirren match. Police are likely to have their hands full just dealing with that.”
Around 2,500 people are expected to take part in the March, with more following alongside. It is due to start near the Royal Infirmary and go through the city centre before heading across the River Clyde to end at Kinning Park.
VE Day is celebrated on May 8 each year, and events in around Glasgow will take place on the weekend of May 10/11 as well as a service of thanksgiving at Glasgow Cathedral on 8 May. On the same day UK Government buildings will observe a two-minute national silence at 12 noon.
The spokesperson added: “The presence of tens of thousands of Celtic and Orange Lodge supporters in the city on the same day is an unwelcome and possibly inflammatory mix. We call on Glasgow City Council and the County Grand Lodge to get together to arrange for the parade to take place on a different date.”
Glasgow Kelvin MSP Kaukab Stewart convened a high level meeting at Hampden Park on 28 March in an attempt to prevent a recurrence of the disruptions of 2023 and 2024 at Glasgow Cross and surrounds.
Among those attending the meeting were the Chief Executive of the Scottish Professional Football League, senior officials of Celtic FC, the Scottish Government, Glasgow City Council, representatives of Celtic and Rangers’ fans, and representatives of Calton and Merchant City and Trongate and Community Councils. However, there was no agreement on practical measures to stop the possibility of more civil disorder on May 17.
In 2019 Glasgow City Council said it was investigating whether a moratorium on public processions could be introduced to ease community tensions while a new long-term approach to parades was considered.
