MORE than 600 people gathered in George Square to pay their tributes to the 49 people who were shot dead at a gay nightclub in Florida on Sunday.

Omar Mateen targeted Orlando's Pulse club before being killed by police.

More than 600 people attended the hour-long vigil, billed as "Glasgow Stands With Pulse Orlando".

The rainbow Pride flag, a symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, has been flying over the Scottish government's headquarters and Glasgow City Chambers.

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There were a few whispers as two police officers stood amongst the gathering, but that turned to applause as they showed their solidarity by becoming one of many who laid candles beneath the Walter Scott monument in the square.

Glasgow Times:

(Photo: James Chapelard/SWNS)

Inspector Iain Arnott of Greater Glasgow Police Division who joined colleague Pc Ross Jackson in paying tribute said: "We have a very large LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community and we have a long history of engagement with that community and it is very important to show how much we support as a police service that community and stand beside them in condemning such a horrendous, horrendous attack.

"Our department has responsibility for equality, diversity and community engagement and under that banner it includes hate crime.

READ MORE: Rainbow flag flown at half-mast from Glasgow City Chambers as mark of respect

"It is monitoring hate crime and trying to increase the reporting of hate crime. It is an abhorrent crime and at its worst we see what has happened at Orlando and it is something we don't tolerate in Scotland at all. We have very robust procedures for dealing with hate crime.

"I would urge that if people have suffered hate crime, or knows someone who has suffered hate crime, please report it to the police or to report it through our website or to report it to a third party reporting centre."

Nicole Hailstones, a student who was one of the first to lay her tribute said: "Let's make George Square a place ofnot only mourning but celebration and pride. We can't ever stop being who we are and who we are is big, beautiful, loud and proud! And really f***ing angry."

Earlier Organisers of Glasgow Stands With Pulse Orlando said: "With the tragic news of the shooting at the gay club Pulse in Orlando, we're holding a vigil in George Square tomorrow evening (Monday) to show our support for LGBTQ people worldwide, and to provide a space for us to mourn with our community.

Glasgow Times:

(Photo: James Chapelard/SWNS)

"This attack is a reflection of the violence LGBTQ people face daily, not just in the US but across the world, and this violence feels personal for many of us.

"This was a hate crime against our community, and an extension of the messages that we hear daily that we should not be visible, we should not be out, we should not exist."

The statement ended: "The inclusive support of our whole community, and of the wider Glasgow community, is vital as we mourn the loss of so many lives, and continue to fight the bigotry that allows such attacks to happen in the first place."