MAN CHARGED OVER TRAFFIC CONE ATTACK ON GLASGOW DELIVERY DRIVER
Police in Glasgow have charged a 29-year-old man with racially-aggravated assault following an attack on a delivery driver during disorder in the city centre last month. A traffic cone was thrown at Muhammad Jawad Yaqoob on 25 July during an anti-immigration protest at Glasgow Green. The incident was filmed and widely shared on social media. Officers arrested the suspect in the Govan area of the city, and Police Scotland said a major investigation team is attempting to identify further suspects with additional arrests planned.
The attack took place during a day of disorder involving anti-racism protesters and counter-protesters. Police Scotland said "disparate groups" engaged in acts of violence, disorder, intimidation and hate-motivated offences at various locations coinciding with the opening weekend of the Commonwealth Games. The force recorded approximately 1,700 people in attendance at Glasgow Green and deployed an operation to support public safety and minimise disruption. Fifteen people were arrested on the day of the protests.
Yaqoob, a delivery driver who moved to Glasgow from Pakistan, told the BBC he felt too afraid to leave his home or return to work following the incident. He had been collecting an order from a restaurant on Bridge Street when he encountered the protesters. He stated that while he has generally found Scotland to be welcoming, his recent experience had been "not welcoming at all". Police Scotland's inquiry into the disorder remains ongoing.