Members of far-right groups Patriotic Alternative, Britain First and the Homeland Party plotting to attend and stage hate filled events across the country.
04:30, 24 Aug 2025Updated 17:31, 25 Aug 2025
Demonstrations at the Cladhan Hotel on August 16, 2025 in Falkirk, Scotland.(Image: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Neo-Nazis and a convicted violent thug have organised and backed a growing wave of anti-immigrant protests outside Scottish hotels.
A Sunday Mail investigation has uncovered members of far-right groups Patriotic Alternative, Britain First and the Homeland Party plotting to attend and stage hate filled events across the country.
Around 150 people gathered outside the Radisson Blu in Perth yesterday where asylum seekers are being housed to hold up “Get Them Out” signs.
And we can also reveal the head of the “community group” which organised the anti-immigrant protest outside the Cladhan Hotel in Falkirk is a 28-year-old thug with a string of convictions including assault and biting a police officer.
In 2021, father of two Connor Graham, who runs ‘Save our Future and Our Kids Future’ campaign, was fined £600 for biting a police officer’s hand while he was being held at Falkirk police station.
During the case at Falkirk Sheriff Court, the sheriff said his criminal record contained “quite a few assaults” including “one in 2018 for which he received various custodial sentences”.
The Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) last night warned people who have experienced “unimaginable trauma” are being victimised.
Colin Macfarlane, SRC’s director of external affairs said: “We stand in solidarity with people seeking safety who have been the target of deliberately harmful language and misinformation.
“People who have faced unimaginable trauma are being scapegoated when the real problems lie with a broken asylum system.
“People seeking asylum are unable to work, cannot claim Universal Credit and are often living in extreme poverty.
“We need to focus on facts and positive solutions – like giving people in the asylum system the right to work – rather than feeding into toxic rhetoric.”
When we confronted Graham he claimed his criminal background was being used “to discredit” him and said: “Obviously that’s not going to work.”
He said locals had been ignored by authorities over their genuine concerns about migrants staying in the area.
Graham insisted he was not “racist or far-right” and said: “What I would ask is what is the definition of far right?
“This term seems to be used by many people. It’s been used against me and other people I’m connected to. But I’m not racist, I’m not far right. I have a multicultural friendship group. I’ve got friends in Syria, Turkey. I’ve got Pakistani friends.
“This is a multicultural country and it always has been. To call someone racist and far right for raising genuine concerns is completely wrong.”
Graham also said he “didn’t know” those from extremist groups who turned up at the Falkirk protest and he had no connection to them.
But yesterday his Facebook group encouraged Falkirk residents to take part in a campaign called ‘raise the colours’ which has previously seen union jacks and St. George’s flags hung all over towns and cities in England.
According to anti-racism group Hope not Hate the campaign was started by Tommy Robinson ally Andrew Currien, a former English Defence League chief now involved in security for Britain First.
He was convicted in 2009 of being involved in an incident which led to the death of a 59-year-old black man in England.
Stainton Barrett had racist abuse shouted at him and was beaten up before being crushed with a car outside his home in Wolverhampton.
Protesters were seen at the Falkirk event wearing Britain First t-shirts and performing Nazi salutes.
Two people were seen holding a banner which read ‘Kill ‘Em All. Let God Sort Them Out’. The banner has been linked to terrorist group the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) and is now being probed by Police Scotland.
Britain First members were among those who attended the Falkirk protest alongside members of Patriotic Alternative, a neo-nazi group launched by a former British National Party (BNP) member, and the Homeland Party – a splinter group of Patriotic Alternative.
Simon Crane(Image: Tony Nicoletti Daily Record)
Scottish organiser for Homeland party, Simon Crane attended the Falkirk event as well as Richard McFarlane, a key activist for Patriotic Alternative who took the mic and addressed attendees.
Obscure online chat groups seen by the Sunday Mail show Patriotic Alternative has pledged to “participate in more demonstrations” across the country, while Save Our Future and Our Kids Future is planning a further event in Falkirk later this month.
Meanwhile UK A Force For Good, another far-right group led by holocaust denier Alistair McConnachie, is planning to stage a mass rally against migration outside Holyrood next month, and further protests have been scheduled outside hotels housing migrants across Scotland.
Yesterday another protest took place outside a hotel in Perth housing migrants.
Around 150 people gathered outside the Radisson Blu on the city’s Leonard Street holding signs which said “Get Them Out”.
They chanted “send them home” while around 250 counter-protesters also held signs reading “no to racism” and “refugees welcome”.
Police Scotland were in attendance, with officers confirming they were aware of protests planned in Aberdeen and Stirling too.
The Scottish Greens have previously called for the government to make a statement on the rising number of protests.
Maggie Chapman
MSP Maggie Chapman said: “Ministers need to make clear that they stand with refugees and lay out what they will do to support and protect them and tackle the hatred and hostility that these protests represent.
“Successive UK governments, both Tory and Labour, have spent years punching downwards and building a racist, inhumane and cruel system that is designed to punish and humiliate people seeking asylum.
“Meanwhile they have allowed exploitative private providers to rake in huge profits from human misery.
“Nobody should be trapped in a hotel for months on end.
“They should be supported and homed in communities without the threat of protests or the racist restrictions that stop them from being able to work and live freely.”
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