Govanhill Carnival: a riot of colour and community activism with an important message
Featuring a unicorn, Mothers Against Genocide, Latina dancers and trans rights activists, GIFC 25 started with a bang last Saturday with the carnival parade and festival in Govanhill Park. It has to be the most colourful day of the year, but there’s an important anti-racist message behind it all.
Snapshot from the carnival procession on Vicky Road last Saturday, by Karen Gordon.
By Sadia Sikandar and Devon McCole | Photos by the Greater Govanhill Photography team
The annual Govanhill International Festival & Carnival (GIFC) parade took place on Saturday, kicking off the festival with flair and displays of solidarity.
In a change from previous events, this year it started at the entrance to Queen’s Park, winding its way through the streets of Govanhill before reaching its final destination: Govanhill Park.
Everybody was decked out in different costumes and wearing t-shirts plastered with messaging, proudly representing their causes, countries and identities – including a ‘real’ life unicorn, representing Scotland’s national animal.
Gallery by Karen Gordon
Greater Govanhill writer Sadia Sikandar, spoke with CEO of Govanhill Baths Community Trust, Fatima Uygun, about this year’s festival:
“The festival has been a huge success and attracted the people we wanted here, which is the ordinary people of Govanhill, and by ordinary I just don't mean boring.
“Govanhill is full of some of the most diverse communities in the whole of Scotland, it's also full of artists, it's full of people who are kind and loving, huge supporters of Palestine.
“The Govanhill Festival is Govanhill through and through.”
The parade reflected the diversity and vibrancy of Govanhill, with local organisations like Romano Lav, Govanhill Housing Association, Glasgow Autonomous Space (GAS), Govanhill Youth Club, Scottish Arab Women’s Association, different LGBTQ+ organisations and many others holding up their banners, chanting and making noise – visible and proud.
Gallery by Cathel Robertson
Govanhill Baths manager, Fatima Uygun told us: "Our message is that we're anti-racist. We are for immigration. We are for making Scotland as diverse a place as possible.We don’t really believe in borders. We don't believe in nations. We believe in a home and welcoming people, and I think this shows you the humanity that's alive in our community, but also in the streets and in our park today.”
There was a sea of Palestine flags at this year’s carnival which were tied to the fence surrounding Govanhill Park once the parade reached its destination. The park itself was full with people young and old enjoying the stalls in the Play and Protest area.
Greater Govanhill hosted a stall in the Play and Protest area, handing out copies of the latest issue and asking people to share what they wanted the next issue to be about. Visitor shared some brilliant ideas, and would love to hear your thoughts. We also held a competition asking young people to design their own Greater Govanhill magazine cover, which went down a treat. The winner is being announced today.
Gallery of Greater Govanhill stall in the Play and Protest area
The main stage was graced by local acts like the Govanhill Voices choir, alongside a wide range of acts including Obia Sounds, Samba Sene and Diwan. There was also the new local samba group, Bloco Dandara as well as the incredible, colourful Latino Dance Project.
Niaz from Al-Khair, the younger brother of Tallat Haq, gave an emotional speech paying tribute to his sister, who sadly passed away earlier this year. Tallat was a dedicated community activist and managress of Al-Khair for over 10 years.
He called for action on free speech, racism and all injustice which his sister, “a woman of incredible grace” and “fierce conviction”, fought for in her lifetime.
Gallery by Laura Vroomen
He welcomed everybody to visit Al-Khair on Victoria Road at the newly named Tallat’s Humanitarian Hub:
“Today we honour her legacy by carrying forward the causes she held close. One of those causes close to her heart and to ours is the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza.
“Right now as we speak, tens of thousands of lives have been lost, many of them children. Gaza is not just suffering, it is being starved. Over 21,000 children are missing…”
He spoke with such raw truth, his words lifting hearts and leaving them somewhere between sorrow and hope.
In the true spirit of the festival, campaign groups like Better Buses, Mothers Against genocide and Stand Up To Racism were also present. As well as local politicians Cllr Soryia Siddique and MSP Kaukab Stewart, who both gave speeches on the main stage.
Gallery by Rob Reid
Cllr Soryia Siddique delivered a particularly moving speech in the Park about the festival and spirit of solidarity in Govanhill: “What I see and what I hear is something powerful – a community that stands shoulder to shoulder with its neighbours.
“[I see] a community that builds bridges, not walls – that reaches out with confidence and kindness, and stands tall against division and fear.
“Govanhill has always stood for exactly what the carnival represents.”
Gallery by Mags Higgins
Soryia, who earlier this year came face to face with hateful far-right rhetoric online, finished her speech with an urgent call to continue the anti-racist spirit of the Govanhill Festival beyond the festivities, especially during times like these – when politicians seek to capitalise on hatred and fear, further sowing seeds of division for political gain:
“I have never felt more proud than I do right now, standing here in this moment with all of you, because in this moment, I feel seen… I feel safe, I feel heard, and I feel hope.
“Let us carry this spirit beyond today. Let us make the carnival not just an event but a way of life. Let us always be seen, let us always be heard, let us always be vibrant – let us always be Govanhill.”
Gallery by Sadia Sikandar
After attending the festival, community reporter Sadia reflected on the day:
“Everyone should feel proud of being a part of the Govanhill community. The way Govanhill celebrates diversity is something we don’t often see in other communities across Scotland, or outside of Scotland.
“The festival parade ended at Govanhill Park with a clear message: it’s the heart of Glasgow and refugees and migrants are welcome here.”