A FUNDRAISING campaign for a city centre statue in honour of one of Glasgow’s ‘greatest heroes’ has banked almost £12,000 in five weeks.

The appeal hopes to raise £48,480 for a “life-sized" statue of teacher and revolutionary socialist John Maclean, who played an important role in the Red Clydeside movement.

Campaigners have now raised almost a quarter of their target total.

A statement on their website says: “We are delighted to announce that the crowdfunder has received £11,667 from 143 supporters, standing at 24 percent funded with three weeks to go.”

Glasgow Times:

John MacLean was born in 1879, into a working class family in Pollokshaws. He worked as a schoolteacher at Lorne Street Primary until trumped up charges of sedition forced him to lose his job and spend time in prison. John played a part in Glasgow’s rent strikes and was an outspoken opponent of the First World War.

The all-but-forgotten revolutionary was one of the leading Red Clydesiders. He first got into politics through the Pollokshaws Progressive Union, believing that living standards of the working-classes could only be improved by social revolution. After his sacking, he became a full-time Marxist lecturer and organiser. He would later found the Scottish Labour College.

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In a speech to the court during his famous trial for sedition he said: “I am not here as the accused; I am here as the accuser of capitalism dripping with blood from head to foot.”

In Peterhead Prison he went on hunger strike and was force-fed twice daily using a stomach tube. His wife Agnes wrote that her husband was being subjected to torture and described the feeding process as “slow murder”.

After the war John was released from prison to great public fanfare. Songwriter Hamish Henderson, in the John MacLean March, wrote that “the great John MacLean has come hame tae the Clyde” and folk singer and poet Matt McGinn described him as “fightin’ dominie”. He died aged 44 in 1923.

A number of politicians and musicians have added their support to the campaign’s website.

Singer-songwriter Jim McLean wrote: “As the most important Scottish socialist, it is only fitting that we honour him in perpetuity by erecting a statue."

Author Murray Armstrong said: “A hundred years after his death, it is high time we saw a statue to the revolutionary socialist John Maclean in a prominent position.”

Kenny MacAskill, Alba Party MP for East Lothian, said: “There’s plenty of statues in Scotland to lords and ladies but few to those who represented the people. It’s time to recognise a hero who fought for a better Scotland, not those who exploited other lands.”

Songwriter Edward Cairney said: “He’s probably Glasgow’s greatest son and should be recognised with a statue in the heart of his own city.”

The campaign originally needed £58,480, but has received a donation of £10,000 from a supporter who wished to remain anonymous.

The website states: “The John Maclean Statue Campaign is appealing for donations large and small, as well as supporters sharing the project to make others aware of the initiative, and encouraging people to pledge their support for this most worthy campaign. We wish to thank each and every one of you who donate and support the project.”