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A MARCH by a far-right group has been banned after police said it would have incited violence.

The Scottish Defence League planned to demonstrate in Glasgow on Saturday against what they claim is the cover up of child-grooming gangs operating in Scotland.

But senior officers objected to the march taking place on the grounds that it “may incite or provoke reaction from the local Muslim community”.

Yesterday, Glasgow City Council’s public procession committee agreed and stopped the parade taking place.

Councillor Jim Coleman said: “The march has been refused because of the clear risk to the public and to the peaceful life of the community.”

Police Scotland voiced their concerns after monitoring exchanges between SDL members on social media.

Officers told the committee: “There is clear evidence from Facebook postings that there is a high likelihood of confrontation and provocation, posing an identifiable risk to public safety and public order.

“The Scottish Defence League 2 Facebook page raises the likelihood that it might be interpreted as being likely to incite racial tension by referring to Middle Eastern and Asian grooming gangs.

“Given the SDL’s understood purpose from their Facebook pages as being to ‘oppose the threat to our country by Islamic Extremists’, there is a perceived identifiable risk that this may incite or provoke reaction from the local Muslim community and/or other groups, leading to a threat to public order.”

The SDL intended to march between the city’s North Hanover Street and Pitt Street at 3pm and around 100 people were expected to take part.

Members of the group failed to attend the meeting to give evidence in support of their planned parade.

The committee prohibited the march after hearing evidence from Police Scotland that counter-demonstrations would be likely and would pose a risk to “public safety and public order and cause significant disruption in the city centre”.

Welcoming the decision, Superintendant Jim Cobrugh last night said: “Police Scotland will always facilitate lawful, peaceful events. However any event which could pose serious and significant risk to the public will always be a concern for the police and we are satisfied with today’s decision to prohibit the proposed procession.”