The Kenmure Street protests: A community against the state

Abstract

Including the rent strikes of 1915 and the Battle of George Square in 1919, Glasgow has a long history of struggle and resistance, but by 2020 it had been some decades since the city had come together in such a show of solidarity. On 13 May 2021, however, the people of Kenmure Street, Pollokshields, in the Southside of Glasgow, found themselves united in struggle against a brutal and oppressive arm of the state. The multicultural community had been almost torn apart in 2004 following the brutal murder of 15-year-old Kriss Donald, though the death eventually brought people together and a new community was forged. This spirit was central to an impressive victory for the working class that went beyond race, religion and identity. Through a range of newspaper articles and four non-structured interviews, this oral history article explores the community spirit and organisation in the lead-up to the events that transpired on Kenmure Street, and the impact this peaceful protest has had at a local and national level.