Hundreds protest ‘national emergency’ of violence against women and girls in Glasgow

Hundreds of protestors gathered in Glasgow, declaring violence against women and girls a “national emergency” on Monday night.

A number of women’s organisations came together on Buchanan Street on Monday to demonstrate against cuts to lifeline services and rising numbers of rape, domestic abuse and sexual assault.

The protest, organised by Sisters Against Cuts, was supported by the Scottish TUC, Women Against the Far Right Scotland, Springburn Anti-Racism Group and the NASUWT Scotland.

Figures released last month showed the number of rapes and attempted rapes reported in Scotland rose by almost one third in four years, to 3,240 for the year to June 2026.

Meanwhile, sexual crimes overall have increased 11% in the past four years and 9% just in the last 12 months, with 16,560 recorded in the year to June.

Speaking at the event, Green Party MSP Iris Duane described violence against women and girls as an “epidemic”.

She added: “We have seen those who have too often opposed this fight for years deciding that they are now our protectors, deciding that after standing behind Donald Trump, Andrew Tate and Tristan Tate, they now speak for the women who are hidden away in our society. Shame on them.

“Extremists are now using the fight that we have been going at for years to fuel the fire and rage that too many of us feel. They’re telling us to blame migrants, the refugees, the trans people – anyone who looks different and blame anything but the structures that have permitted this.”

Human rights lawyer Aamer Anwar was among the event’s speakers, where he called for funding for rape crisis centres, women’s refuges, rehabs, lighting for alleyways where “women are dragged” and nighttime transport.

Mr Anwar also spoke of his fight for justice on behalf of the family of Emma Caldwell, who was murdered by Iain Packer in 2005.

Packer was convicted of her killing in 2024, along with a string of sexual offences against other women.

He told the crowd: “In 2016, I was instructed by Emma’s mother, Margaret, on behalf of us to help bring her daughter’s killers to justice.

“No grieving mother should have to set up a campaign just to get justice, let alone a campaign that lasts nearly 19 years. The toxic culture of misogyny, corruption and arrogance meant that police officers effectively allowed Ian Packer to prey on vulnerable women.

“Margaret believes that the officers have blood on their hands. Emma mattered; the 25 women who spoke up mattered; and many, many voices were never heard. We all honour them today with this protest.”

NASUWT member Kim told the Reclaim the Night crowd: “We need to reclaim our voices, we need to reclaim the services being stripped from women and the right to be treated with common decency.

“I think we’re all very much in agreement and understanding that none of the protests outside hotels, none of the groups throwing out Nazi salutes and none of the cuts to these services are to protect women and girls. And sadly, I think we all agree that walking down the street is a lot less safe.

“For our trans sisters, it has become outright terrifying. These groups want women to believe that we need them and their protection, well, know the saying ‘with friends like that who needs enemies’.

“They don’t want to protect us; they want domination over us. I wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment, if women were going to submit, we would’ve done it already.”

‘National emergency’

First Minister John Swinney has described the rate of violence against women and girls in Scotland as a “national emergency”.

Swinney previously gave a “cast-iron personal commitment” to lead Scottish Government efforts to tackle the issue of violence against women and girls.

He said the education system would be a primary focus for changing attitudes, and that the issue is of such “seismic significance” that there needs to be alignment between the Government and local authority partners.

The First Minister also spoke to the family of murdered mother Stacy Hunter, who was killed by her estranged husband in Houston in July.

Jim Mair had appeared at Paisley Sheriff Court weeks earlier, charged with assaulting the 35-year-old mother, and had been granted bail weeks before her death.

Sean Hunter, Stacy’s brother, and their mother, Ann, have supported calls for a dedicated GPS electronic monitoring scheme for domestic abuse perpetrators who are assessed as posing a significant risk to a partner or former partner.

Swinney announced in Parliament that regulations will be lodged to enable the piloting of GPS monitoring for individuals on bail, including those suspected of domestic abuse.

He said the GPS pilot will start this month in the Tayside and Fife areas, and if the Scottish Government is confident in the system, he hopes to see the initiative rolled out as widely and as quickly as possible.

Sexual crimes court

Legislation establishing a dedicated court for crimes such as rape was also passed in September 2025.

However, the head of Scotland’s court services told Holyrood’s Public Audit Committee there was currently no timeline for setting it up.

Catriona Dalrymple, director for justice at the Scottish Government, said no money to create the court had been allocated yet.

Malcolm Graham, chief executive of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS), has described the “volumes and nature of cases” as having “dramatically changed”.

He said that included the doubling of the number of sexual offence cases at the High Court.