A far-right activist from Northern Ireland is raising funds to buy equipment for vigilante-style night patrol groups in Glasgow that have been accused of targeting migrants and promoting far-right narratives.

Jim Dowson, a former co-founder of Britain First who led flag protests at Belfast City Hall in 2012, now fronts the Christian nationalist organisation Knights Templar International (KTI). Former British National Party leader Nick Griffin is also involved in KTI and appears in its videos. Dowson has been using the slogan “unite the clans” to encourage Protestant and Catholic communities to unite against migration from Muslim and other third world countries.

In TikTok videos posted on KTI’s account, Dowson details financial support for the Scottish patrols, including the provision of stab vests, cameras and high-visibility jackets. He thanks KTI members in the UK, Eastern Europe, Canada and the United States for their donations, and asks them to continue contributing so that Glasgow residents can “keep their women and children safe”. He also claims authorities are housing Africans and undocumented males in the city’s Calton area.

On Saturday, several hundred anti-immigration protesters gathered in Glasgow for an event organised by the far-right group Unite the Clans. Speakers Josh Fernie of the Homeland Party and Richard McFarlane of Patriotic Alternative called for the remigration of all people of colour and led chants of “send them back”. Some protesters were filmed abusing passers-by, including throwing a traffic cone at a delivery driver.

Police Scotland made 15 arrests over what it described as significant disorder at the anti-immigration and anti-racism protests. The force warned that further arrests were expected.

Several attendees at the rally wore Knights Templar insignia, and one person was draped in a cape bearing the organisation’s logo. The night patrol groups ScotsActive and Scottish Crusade supported the protest.

A few thousand counter-protesters organised by Stand Up to Racism, Women Against the Far Right and others gathered at Glasgow Green to oppose the rally.

Dowson, who travelled to Glasgow for the event, filmed TikTok videos on the green. He said he was there to help four different groups involved in Christian patrols, and later met with them. In one video, he used the Latin phrase “deus vult”, which has been adopted by white supremacist movements.

ScotsActive co-founder Darren Docherty confirmed that Dowson had contacted him via social media. He said he agreed with Dowson about illegal migrants but did not agree with everything he stood for. Docherty condemned the violence after the protest, stating that everyone should be able to express their views without being attacked, and that no one should be attacked because of their skin colour.

Dowson confirmed that he seeks the remigration of all new migrants, not only those without legal status. He said he had no objection to skilled migrants such as doctors and engineers, but objected to what he called useless migrants from third world countries. He added that many held different views on the treatment of women. Asked about domestic abusers, he said the Bible prescribes execution for abusers.

A spokesperson for Women Against the Far-Right Scotland said the night patrols did nothing to keep women safe and were instead weaponising the issue of violence against women to spread racist ideology and intimidate migrants, Muslims and people of colour. The spokesperson added that many men involved in far-right organising had previously been reported for domestic abuse.