The leader of a controversial political party has defiantly pledged to hold an event at an Aberdeen hotel – despite its cancellation.
Members of the public had threatened to boycott the hotel if the SFP event, which would lay out its position on education, went ahead.
The party has come in for controversy over its stances on LGBTQ+ education in schools and feminism, with Aberdeen City councillor Stephen Flynn branding its views “from the 18th Century”.
Despite the cancellation, party leader Richard Lucas says the meeting will still take place at the hotel – but in the bar instead.
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Mr Lucas has even asked the hotel for use of a projector.
He said: “We advertised it was going to be at this venue.
“There isn’t any way we would be able to communicate with people to let them know we were moving.
“Even if there was some way we could let people know, then the same troublemakers would probably do the same thing to them, and I imagine that the management will be as spineless and cancel it again.”
He said: “They just told us that they don’t think it would be the best space for us to use – they never told us that we couldn’t come.
“But we don’t have any idea how many people will come – it could be five people, or it could be 25 people.”
Despite the uproar that has been caused by the group’s meeting, Mr Lucas does not anticipate any protesters showing up.
A further rally has been scheduled by the group to take place in Peterhead on Saturday, which is expected to go ahead.
A spokesman for the Aberdeen Altens Hotel declined to comment.
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