The Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland is extremely concerned by the decision taken by Police Scotland not to pursue a prosecution against Professor Jeanette Findlay as defined by Section 4(2) of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021, in what many, including members of the general public and indeed members of our own organisation, consider a prime example of hate speech directed towards the Protestant community of Scotland.
On the 7th September 2024, in the vicinity of George Square in Glasgow, Ms Findlay, Professor of Economics at Glasgow University, specifically targeted the Orange Order for no reason whatsoever in what can be best described as a rant against a section of the very people she would have you believe she strives to protect and should be protecting by her own trade union duties – the Protestant working class of Scotland. In her speech on that day, this individual, in the eyes of the many members of the public who contacted Police Scotland, was clearly motivated by malice and ill will and displayed a vitriolic hatred specifically towards the Orange Order and effectively the Protestant community in Scotland, in her hostile and belligerent exhortations to a substantial gathering of supporters where her extreme views were expressed.
Furthermore, we would proffer that it is perfectly logical to contend that in specifically encouraging her audience on a personal level to act against legally sanctioned public processions, Ms Findlay is 'stirring up hatred' as defined in the Public Order Act 1986, subsequently codified in the 2021 Act, thereby representing a direct refutation of our national traditions of freedom of speech and freedom of conscience. The foregoing we would consider manifestly represents both an implied as well as an overt threat to the emotional as well as the physical wellbeing of members of sections of the Protestant community. This cannot be tolerated in a liberal and multicultural democratic society just because of her self-avowed endeavour to foment public disorder at legally notified public processions which are not to her own personal liking.
However, unbelievably, there appears to be a calculated effort by some politicians and certain sections of the media and indeed now, Police Scotland, that to present any form of criticism, challenge or disagreement of Ms Findlay’s repetitive aggressive and reprehensible views is construed somehow as a personal threat, intimidation or harassment to this individual due to her proclaimed Roman Catholic and Irish background. This approach of conflating the legitimate with the improper, deliberately blurs the line between acceptable and robust public discourse, and unacceptable criminal behaviour in our view. Our organisation is also of the opinion that this is a deliberate tactic, the purpose of which is to insulate Ms Findlay from any form or challenge or criticism, and thus allow her ideas and political objectives alone to exclusively dominate the public arena without reproach. This in turn creates the undeniable impression she cannot be taken to task by the police in her long standing and well publicised history of extreme antagonism towards the 'Loyalist' community of Scotland as witnessed by today’s blatant example of 2 tier prosecution.
Currently, it seems it is acceptable for this individual to repeatedly attack the Orange community and treat us as second-class citizens in what feels a continuous cold house for Protestants in Scotland and in which, after today’s decision, will be perceived by many as an absolute betrayal by Police Scotland in not taking individuals like Ms Findlay to task. This action could quite conceivably be considered by the neutral observer as an act of utter cowardice for the aforesaid reasons. With this in mind, we have therefore today sought an urgent meeting with Police Scotland and the Lord Advocate of Scotland, for an explanation of Police Scotland’s handling of the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 on this specific matter.
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