AS a local councillor for Pollokshields, I’m proud of everyone who took to Kenmure Street, which was my home for a decade, to stop the UK Home Office removing two members of our community, Sumit Sehdev and Lakhvir Singh.

Around 9.30am, a tweet from a local resident alerted others to the presence of an immigration enforcement van outside 273 Kenmure Street. A handful of folk started a sit-down protest. By lunchtime more than 100 people were there and word was spreading fast.

Councillors were in our Full Council meeting and in speech after speech we spoke as one, expressing disgust at the actions of the Home Office.

I said that while this would be out of order at any time, to do it in the heart of Glasgow’s most diverse community on Eid al-Fitr was an outrage.

Council leader Susan Aitken added that Glaswegians have stood against Home Office raids before and we will do so again. Labour’s Malcolm Cunning called for an immigration policy based on humanity and human rights.

By mid-afternoon, a huge police presence had assembled, including mounted and specialist public order officers. Protesters were rightly resolute that they would not back down until the men in the van were freed. And those with the power to change that – UK ministers – were staying silent. Not making statements. Not responding to urgent messages. Not available to speak with Scottish ministers.

The decision of Police Scotland to ultimately override immigration enforcement by freeing the men from the van under public order powers was correct.

It took too long, and there will be questions about whether the policing was proportionate, but from what I know, it’s clear that the Home Office knowingly engineered an appalling situation and did nothing to fix it.

Firstly, it gave no notice to local police of the planned removal, on Eid, in a diverse community. Secondly, when it was clear peaceful protesters were going nowhere, it refused flat out to accept any responsibility.

Its officers had a job to do and ending the protest was an operational matter for Police Scotland.

Then, after it was over, it doubled down by briefing about what had happened as the actions of an “unacceptable mob”.

The UK Home Office should be abolished.

Yet under the current UK Government, it is set to become even more draconian and reactionary. The Policing and Borders bills make that clear.

Independence would allow Scotland to build an alternative, based on dignity and respect. The people of Scotland must be able to make that choice.

Until then, we should unite to demand the devolution of remaining Home Office powers, particularly on immigration.

We must guarantee that horrors like this, in which two men were brutalised, locked in a van for almost 10 hours, are never again repeated on our streets.

Because one thing is clear – the people of Glasgow will not stand for it.

I’m proud that my constituents, taking a stand for their neighbours, sent the Home Office packing.

We will always be ready, and we must always resist.