THOUSANDS took to the streets of Edinburgh on Saturday to unite against racism in the wake of last week’s attacks in Leith.

The rally, organised by Stand Up to Racism Scotland (SUTR) and backed by screenwriter Paul Laverty, comedian Frankie Boyle and former first minister Humza Yousaf, was called after a machete-wielding man went on a hate-filled Islamophobic rampage starting near the city’s Broomhouse Mosque, injuring five and declaring he was “protecting our country from these Muslim raping bastards.”

A 36-year-old man was arrested and faces five charges of attempted murder.

The incident led to an outpouring of solidarity with the city’s Muslim community and a determination to face down the rising tide of right-wing violence across the country, displayed by the widespread support for the rally.

About 5,000 people from city communities marched down Leith Walk, the site of some of last week’s violence, alongside members of trade unions CWU, Unite, PCS, Unison, UCU, RMT as well as Stop the War Scotland, the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign and tenants’ union Living Rent in solidarity with the men injured and the communities attacked.

The rally heard speeches from rights lawyer Aamer Anwar and STUC deputy general secretary Linda Somerville.

Ms Somerville told the assembly: “Anti-racist campaigners were not surprised by these recent attacks. We have had years of the drip-feed of racist language in the press. 

“The vile scapegoating of refugees and migrants has become mainstream, and social media is a toxic battlefield of misinformation promoted by grifters looking for clickbait to stroke their ego and increase their income.

“Among all of that and what we saw last week, it was heartening to see the response to these attacks, the outpouring of solidarity online and in person: people visiting the site of the attack in Leith, the mosque taking solidarity and coming together today to change the story.”

After the rally, a SUTR spokesperson said: “We are proud of our role in organising and mobilising a mass response to the racist stabbings in Leith and Edinburgh — and all the 5,000 people who took to the streets should join us in feeling proud.

“One of the slogans of our movement is ‘an injury to one is an injury to all,’ and today we showed that’s not just a slogan.”