An attack on a parish priest in Glasgow during an Orange parade led to "heightened tensions" in the city, an academic has claimed. 

In a study commissioned by the Scottish Government, Dr Michael Rosie reviewed the marches and parades that took place across the city from 2016 and 2019. 

It reviews progress made from a similar report which was published in 2016. 

The sectarian attack on the priest of St Alphonsus Church by a follower of the city's main Orange parade in July 2018 raised tensions in the East End of the city, according to the report. 

Dr Rosies's report found that it was "imperative" that Glasgow does not have a third season of sectarian marches "marred by recrimination, criminality and the prospect of disorder". 

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"Yet it is also clear that this is an issue largely specific to Glasgow," he added. 

"Police, local authorities and march organisers do not report such tensions elsewhere in Scotland."

The Review of the 2016 Independent Report on Marches, Parades and Static Demonstrations in Scotland emphasised the importance of "constructive dialogue" between all of those three groups. 

It was based on input from local authorities, police, the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland and the Apprentice Boys of Derry.

Dr Rosie argues that calls for legislation changes which followed a series of Loyal Order parades in Glasgow were misplaced but that decisions to re-route parades away from a Catholic Church were "necessary and proportionate". 

He wrote: "This is not a crisis of the processes and policies around marches and parades in Glasgow, let alone all of Scotland."

It was found that is crucial that each march needs to be evaluated for its own merits and that they cannot be group together for the sake of a blanket ban. 

The solution to the city's problems is the rebuilding of relationships and the maintenance of trust between all key parties. 

Dr Rosie said: "This review heard a genuine desire from all key parties to marches and parades across Scotland – march organisers, Police Scotland and local authorities – for increased dialogue and discussion, and a willingness to invest time and energy in doing so."

The review itself makes no recommendations for legislative change to the system of administrating marches and parades in Scotland. 

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Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf welcomed the report, he said: "We do not have to agree with each other to recognise the importance of protecting each other's rights to free speech and expression, but we do need to recognise that such rights are not absolute and there is a balance to be struck between exercising our own rights and infringing on those of others.

"The Scottish Government is keen to work with relevant parties on the implementation of these recommendations and look at how we can work more effectively to ensure all events are peaceful and run with the minimum of disruption to communities," he added. 

"The review provides a good basis for constructive dialogue and cooperative work based on mutual respect to achieve our shared goal of exercising our rights in a peaceful and respectful way."