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Glasgow Lockdown Extension Highlights The Lunacy Of The Peepul’s Party Plan.

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Today we found out that the Celtic Shop in the city centre is to close this weekend because the Peepul are expected to be partying.

As I pointed out earlier in the week, the same decision is now being faced by dozens of local business from bars to cafes to restaurants to shops, all of which have only recently re-opened as we start to emerge from lockdown.

Some of these companies have been bleeding out over the course of this year.

These businesses will suffer for this, and needlessly.

If Police Scotland prevented the illegal march from Ibrox, and if they set up their cordons around George Square so that nobody could gather there then there would be no crowds to speak of, and these businesses could stay open.

In addition to this, it has just been announced that the city will remain in Level 3 lockdown for another week after a spike in cases believed to be related to the Indian variant of the bug.

This makes it even more critical that the Scottish Government and the police close down any illegal gathering as swiftly as possible; allowing the Peepul free reign on Saturday could have disastrous consequences for the city, and indeed for the country, especially if the Indian variant is more transmissible, as many experts think is the case.

I cannot think of anything more potentially dangerous at this time than thousands of people gathering in a city centre.

It would be a scandal if the march was allowed to go ahead, and it would be an absolute outrage if the “party” in George Square went ahead and Police Scotland and the politicians would have very serious questions to answer if it did.

On top of that, I have seen their club’s statement and it’s nowhere near strong enough. Gerrard’s statement was pretty weak too.

Additionally, there are members of the media who continue to talk up these plans instead of condemning them, and their recklessness is almost beyond belief.

It is worth pointing out that at least one journalist, Steven Mair of The Daily Record, actually wrote something flagrantly dishonest today when he said that, “Supporters partied in the square back in March when Steven Gerrard’s side were officially declared champions. While there was no spike in Covid cases associated with the celebrations, their actions were criticised by both police and government.”

In fact, as we know there was a spike both in the local area and amongst the serving police officers who were present that day.

This is precisely the kind of grossly irresponsible commentary that gives people license to believe that this is no big deal and that they can therefore behave however they want.

The paper should be taken to task for publishing that; even the tone of it is designed to give the impression that no actual harm will be done if the law is broken this weekend.

Glasgow has been explicitly singled out for national scrutiny; it is one of only two places on the whole of this island which isn’t automatically moving to a new lockdown phase come Monday … and as such it would be inconceivably selfish if the Peepul continued with their plans and beyond belief if the authorities allow them to do so unhindered.

Everyone is watching what happens here now.

Hard questions will be asked of all involved, and a harsh light shone down on them, if that “party” goes ahead.

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