Horror at swastika graffiti at major city road

Jason Cumming | Wednesday, 28 April 2004 Source: Scotsman

HORRIFIED community leaders today condemned racist vandals who daubed swastikas along one of the main routes into the Capital.

A road sign and several utility boxes in Calder Road near Sighthill were defaced with the Nazi symbols.

Campaigners warned the incident could mark the beginning of a major drive by sympathisers of the far-right British National Party prior to June's European elections.

But local residents also expressed outrage that the symbols were not removed for more than four days after they were first reported to council officials. Under local authority guidelines, racist graffiti is to be removed from council property within 24 hours.

Community leaders claimed they reported five swastikas on a road sign near the Bankhead roundabout to the citys Clarence lighting and roads service at around noon on Thursday.

Others were later spotted on utility boxes nearby.

Keith Bell, secretary of the Broomhouse, Sighthill and Parkhead Community Council, today admitted the sick graffiti left many residents stunned.

But he claimed there was "no excuse" for the local authority's delay in removing the symbols, which stretched over the weekend.

He said: "This is a multi-cultural community. We have people from all races and backgrounds here.

"Racist graffiti doesn't stop being racist from 3.30pm on a Friday until 8am on a Monday morning.

"At the very least someone could have come out and put a black bag or some sticky tape over it as a temporary measure to hide it.

"The council are very good at coming up with anti-racist slogans but what they say and what they do doesn't seem to be the same thing."

Campaigners claimed that far-right groups including Combat 18 and the National Front are known to have members in the area.

Residents said similar graffiti was daubed across the neighbourhood about 18 months ago.

Prominent city anti-racism activist Willie Adams

described the lack of urgent action by the city's environment department as "a shocking indictment" of the local authority.

Mr Adams, who lives in Muirhouse, said: "The council has a policy of removing racist graffiti within 24 hours, so I'm shocked they have not reacted quicker.

Racist graffiti can bring fear to a community and will be very distressing for local people including members of ethnic minority groups.

"This sounds like the BNP flexing its muscles in the run-up to the European elections.

"Anyone who uses a swastika is sending a real message of hate.

"We need to stand up against these people and defend our communities."

Local councillor Brian Fallon branded the graffiti as "deplorable" and urged anyone with information on the incidents to contact police.

A spokeswoman for the city councils environment department said: "On Thursday we received a report about racist graffiti on a junction box and road sign.

"An inspector assessed the damage on Friday and as a result of his report the junction box was due to be cleaned yesterday. We have informed Edinburgh Road Services about the graffiti on the road sign."

Statistics compiled by the Board of Deputies of British Jews revealed that 375 anti-semitic incidents were recorded last year across the UK - the second highest total in about two decades.

A spokesman for the organisation added: "This is a worrying manifestation of anti-semitism."

Last month, it emerged that the BNP had formed a branch in West Lothian and would target voters in the European elections in June.

Heriot-Watt University graduate and IT consultant Steve Blake is among five BNP candidates who will fight the election on the Scotland-wide list.