THOUSANDS of trade unionists, from Aberdeen to Glasgow, took to the streets on Saturday in anti-racist rallies across Scotland to celebrate St Andrew’s Day.

Leading the STUC’s march through Glasgow, general secretary Roz Foyer was flanked by First Minister John Swinney and Scottish Green co-leader Gillian Mackay.

The marches came amid ongoing, weekly, protests outside a Falkirk hotel housing people seeking asylum, which have been faced down by the town’s trades council as well as local independent councillor Laura Murtagh.

Addressing the Glasgow rally, she challenged politicians of all parties to “speak up” and consider using exclusion zone legislation — brought forward to protect women attending family planning clinics from anti-choice protests — to protect the hotels.

Mr Swinney said he would give the matter “detailed consideration” in his address, as he paid tribute to Falkirk’s anti-racist counter protesters for representing “the true values of Scotland.”

Joining him on the platform was Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who said: “John and I are going to have lots of arguments over the next six months, but there is one thing that I know that I will always stand shoulder to shoulder with him on and he will always stand shoulder to shoulder with me on, because some things are bigger that party politics in Scotland — and that is challenging prejudice and hate.”

Ms Foyer told the rally: “St Andrew’s Day belongs to us all. 

“Today we’ve shown that when working people unite together, we speak in one voice against hatred and division.

“Scotland is a welcoming country. Today we stood together to prove that.”