SCOTS have slammed the founder of the far-right group Proud Boys, Gavin McInnes, for his “absolute pish” claims about Glasgow.
A clip from McInnes’ podcast, Get Off My Lawn, has resurfaced today in which the far-right commentator attempts to offer advice to a viewer who intends to visit Scotland’s largest city.
However, the 53-year-old’s misguided comments about the “violent town” full of “lunatics” only resulted in getting Scots’ backs up with his extraordinary claims.
In one of these claims, he alleges that carrying an umbrella is tantamount to “wearing a Klansman uniform” in the New York neighbourhood of Harlem.
In the video, McInnes responds to a woman who plans to go to Scotland to research some ancestry, starting off by dragging the city’s safety into question, warning her to “have your wits about you.
He says: “It’s a very violent town, and when they get drunk, they get real ornery (sic).”
He recalls a story in which he claims to have been at a bar, saying: “They have a lot of barmaids there.
“For some reason, women are better at calming down these lunatics than men.”
In an impressively realistic Scottish accent, he recreates the exchange between a local and a barmaid, peppering it with sly digs at the city.
He comments: “Now you’ve got to keep Glaswegians on a short leash.”
The local, who had been swearing and was put in his place by the barmaid, apologised to McInnes, who didn’t want to be dragged into any disagreements.
He said: “I’m constantly trying to avoid violence in Glasgow.
“And I go, ‘Don’t apologise to me, I don’t care’.
“I think I even did a Scottish accent because I don’t want to alert him that I’m not from that town.”
McInnes impersonates the Glaswegian again, claiming that the local denied he was even in the wrong: “And he goes, ‘I’m not apologising’
“What? You just said, ‘I apologise’. And now he wants to f***ing throw down.”
McInnes then offers what he believes to be his most vital piece of advice, this time directed at the woman’s husband.
He says sternly: “Make sure your husband does not use an umbrella or wear a rain hat or raincoat. That is verboten.”
He then bizarrely compares this to the outfit of white supremacist group, the KKK, saying: “Carrying an umbrella in Glasgow is like wearing a Klansman uniform in Harlem.
“You’re dead. Don’t do it.”
In the final flourish of his Scottish accent, he warns of ludicrous consequences, his face completely deadpan the whole time.
He says: “At best they’ll scream ‘It’s only water’. And at worst, they’ll fight you.”
The video has since received a host of comments from hacked-off Glaswegians quick to defend their city.
One wrote: “F**k sake… this is absolute pish.
“Come to Glasgow, be yourself. Wear what you want and have a great time.”
Another said: “You really need to get your facts straight. What a load of rubbish to be talking. What a shame you’re so ignorant.”
A third commented: “I’ve never seen anyone getting the s***e kicked out of them over an umbrella.”
Another questioned McInnes’ claims, offering more genuine-sounding advice: “I’m not convinced this guy has been to Glasgow.
“There is an edge to it though… people don’t take any shit here. Be respectful and you’ll be fine.”
A fifth simply issued a classic Glaswegian insult: “Pure walloper.”
McInnes, who was born in England to Scottish parents, but immigrated to Canada as a child, co-founded lifestyle magazine Vice in 1994, before later launching American far-right militant organisation the Proud Boys in 2016.
McInnes has been described as a “far-right provocateur”, and has been accused of racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and has supported the white genocide conspiracy theory.
As a result, he has been banned from X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram for violating terms of use related to promoting violent extremist groups and hate speech.
