COUNCIL leader Susan Aitken has condemned abusive marchers at any city parade after she was quizzed on banners held up at a recent independence march.

Glasgow Tories leader Thomas Kerr said "nearly 700,000 Scots and 31,000 Glaswegians" who voted for his party were called "scum" and told to "f*** off" out of the city by banners displayed at All Under One Banner's march earlier this month.

He told councillors there had been "repeated examples" of "offensive and sometimes xenophobic" banners at independence parades.

Ms Aitken said a debrief on the march, attended by council officers, Police Scotland and the organisers, had agreed it was conducted "peacefully and in good nature".

READ MORE: Glasgow councillor hits back at anti-Tory abuse following independence march

"There were some banners on display which many would regard as offensive, although they were not criminal," she added.

"They were however somewhat at odds with the promotion of the event as family friendly."

She said it had been acknowledged the organisers should "try to be more proactive regarding certain banners".

Stewards need to be better trained and communication needs to be improved, the meeting agreed.

The council leader said: "They're planning another parade in May and I would certainly hope, as I would with any parade organiser, that their routes and timings are satisfactory to Police Scotland and the issues that emerged in the debrief are properly addressed.

"I condemn behaviour at any parade in the city, or indeed anywhere in the city, which seeks to abuse or promote discrimination on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, race, religious beliefs or nationality.

"I would strongly encourage anyone taking part in marches, or any other form of political expression, to conduct themselves respectively no matter how high passions run."

She said freedom of political expression was a fundamental right but it has to be conducted, particularly in public, with "respect to those who might witness it".

READ MORE: Thousands attend All Under One Banner march for independence in Glasgow

Swearing, and swearing against a government which people oppose, is "not automatically offensive or abusive", she added.

"There are those that regard it as such and people should always be aware of that.

"It was clear from the debrief there was nothing criminal.

"There was nothing that could be classified as hate speech or promoting discrimination at this particular event."