Irate men growl abuse at police officers as they attempt to break through barriers erected around a hotel housing asylum seekers.
In scenes familiar to dozens of Britain’s towns and cities, protesters wearing football shirts or draped in flags bellow obscenities and chant “Send them home” and “No Islam in Europe”.
One, his face obscured with a hood, shouts: “If they want a war we will fight.”
However, the two ringleaders — both wearing crucifix necklaces — whipping up the frenzy at Aberdeen beachfront are far from typical.
Last year Lewis Carty was honoured for submitting the highest-graded law dissertation in his year at the University of Aberdeen, paving the way for him to complete a diploma in professional legal practice.
Footage captured last month shows him hurling abuse at a building housing asylum seekers, accusing those within of being motivated by a desire to molest children and obtain designer handbags.
“I want to say a big thank you to all the police officers here, but do you want to know why we need to have so many?” he boomed into a megaphone.
“Because they knew that the migrants in there [the hotel] would immediately start a fight because they are low-IQ inbred f***s.
“They immediately resort to violence; they throw stones. In Islamic countries where they don’t agree with you, you get stoned.”
Carty, a former member of the Aberdeen University Weightlifting Club, insisted that the migrants were not genuinely seeking refuge, alleging: “They are coming here for a GP, for a dentist, for a Gucci bag and to rape your child.”
Turning his attention to counterprotesters, who chanted “Nazi scum off our streets”, he said: “I understand that not a single one of you has worked a day in your life, but do you understand money is not an unlimited resource? It is being used to house people who would kill us.”
A video showed Lewis and Chris, below, Carty heckling counterprotesters
When questioned about his own employment he volunteered that he had been “chilling” since leaving university.
One staff member at the university, rated 15th in the UK and second in Scotland in the The Sunday Times Good University Guide, was left deeply saddened by the protest footage.
“Lewis was an excellent student; bright, hard working and polite,” they said. “I expected him to go on to do great things, but he seems to have sabotaged his career before it even got going. It is horrible to see such talent and potential go to waste.”
He was accompanied by his younger brother Chris, a business and politics student and president of the Aberdeen University eSports Society, a club for competitive video games enthusiasts.
In videos taken at a demonstration in Aberdeen last month Chris appeared to suggest the world was run by a powerful group of Jewish businessmen.
When counterprotesters suggested that billionaires should be made to pay more tax he shouted: “Are they white men? No, they are not.
“You with the Palestine flag, tell me what kind of people they actually are? Who owns BlackRock? What is his second name?”
He was referring to the American multinational investment company, the world’s largest asset manager, whose chief executive, Larry Fink, is Jewish.
Chris added: “It’s not white men actually running the world buddy.”
Backing his brother, Lewis said: “You have to be incredibly f***ing stupid to believe the list of the richest people in the world are actually the richest, most powerful and influential people in the world.
“Are you seriously that blind to how society and elitism works? Israelis may be the very ones funding your protest.”
Chris, who referred to himself and his brother as “God’s Own Warriors”, snorted with derision when opponents likened him to the right-wing American commentator Ben Shapiro.
“So I’m Jewish?” he said. “Have you been listening? Have you been listening?”
On social media, Lewis Carty follows President Trump and a number of right-wing groups including Abortion Resistance, Aberdeen Against Illegal Migration and the conservative Catholic group Rosary Crusade.
• The ex-soldier who has raised £30k to fund anti-migrant protests
Former classmates were perplexed by his adoption of radical causes.
“The Lewis I knew was softly spoken and slightly nervous,” one said. “Now he has started speaking in a ludicrously deep voice and seems to be basing his entire persona on Bane, the villain from the Batman films. The whole thing would be quite funny if the things he said weren’t so disgusting.”
She added: “I feel a bit of sympathy for Chris, who appears to be easily led. He completely idolises his big brother and seems desperate to impress him.”
Sanaa Al-Azawi, a PhD student at Aberdeen University, called on the university to “dishonour” Lewis, whose trophy for best dissertation was put on display in the Taylor Library, for making “false claims” against refugees.
Lewis Carty denied being a member of any far-right party and claimed his actions were motivated, as a resident living close to the hotel, by his partner being “sexually harassed and followed by migrants”.
Lewis conceded that he “did not always use the most academic language” but added: “I was upset and essentially forced into a shouting match with venomous counterprotesters who were screaming ‘Nazi’, ‘fascist’ etc, simply because I was there. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
He also alleged to have witnessed individuals throwing stones at the protesters from inside the hotel, adding: “I potentially put my future legal career in jeopardy because I believe citizens of all political persuasions and social views should — in a free and fair society — be able to engage in dialogue on matters and voice their views without fear of legal repercussions or loss of employment.”
His younger brother denied holding antisemitic views or being racist but maintained that Jewish individuals maintain a disproportionate presence among the ultra-rich.
• Anti-migrant protesters earning thousands per month from YouTube videos
“Many on the progressive left constantly push the narrative that white people — particularly white men — are disproportionately wealthy and powerful, both globally and in western society,” he said.
“Yet, not only is this untrue but there exist groups far more economically and politically successful than white people. This is readily available at a glance on the Forbes 400 top billionaires in America. This is not circulating conspiracy theories and is in no way antisemitic but merely an observation.”
Chris insisted his motivation for attending protests was to represent the “women and children who now feel unsafe walking and playing in the area”.
The brothers also attended an anti-immigration event in Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, on August 9 where Chris alleged that women and children were being “desecrated in the most vile of ways in every city across our nation”.
“Wars have been started for less than what is happening to our people,” he added.
Lewis, left, and Chris, centre, Carty at a protest in Peterhead
Other speakers alleged that the Westminster and Holyrood governments were run by a cabal of paedophiles and called for asylum seekers to be rounded up and placed on ships.
Those housed in the beachfront hotel have since been moved to other accommodation in Aberdeen city centre which was picketed last week by other individuals who chanted “white lives matter”.
Kirsty Blackman, the SNP MP for Aberdeen North, was horrified by the incidents. “Refugees are fleeing horrors most of us cannot begin to understand,” she said. “Protesters with megaphones shouting racist slogans are causing fear and harm in our multicultural community.”
Christian Allard, co-leader of the city’s SNP and Liberal Democrat council, also expressed concern. “Following the recent protests, residents, students, our own staff and asylum seekers are not feeling safe,” he said.
The University of Aberdeen said it could not discuss individual students but said any reports of racist or abusive behaviour would be fully investigated.
“We acknowledge the importance of freedom of speech and academic freedom within legal and ethical boundaries,” a spokeswoman said. “However, this freedom does not protect hate speech or other forms of harmful or abusive conduct.”