Glasgow's George Square has been home to some of the biggest protests in Scotland – from 90,000 striking workers in 1919 through to the poll tax rebellions in the 1980s.

But now the days of mass rallies there could become consigned to history as council leaders plan to curtail the use of the city's principal civic space.

Trade unions are, however, unhappy at the plan and are gearing up for a fresh battle for the right to preserve "the historical role of George Square as a centre of protest".

Under plans to tighten up its policy on parades, Glasgow City Council is looking to rule out the square as an appropriate gathering or dispersal point for demonstrations, citing fears over crowd control and the potential for protesters to be involved in an accident with traffic passing on all four sides.

But with the consultation on a new policy in full-swing, the STUC has launched a stout defence for the use of the square, for centuries the scene of public meetings, political gatherings, riots, protests, celebrations, ceremonies, parades and concerts.

In a letter to the council's leader, Gordon Matheson, STUC general secretary Grahame Smith said the organisation would "press in the strongest possible terms" for the right to use George Square as the focal point for a march against Coalition Government austerity measures in the autumn

He added: "We categorically oppose absolute restrictions on the use of George Square as a muster or rally point for key events. Our city has a proud tradition of events being held in the square and we have been involved in many over the years which have passed by without incident or safety concerns. We also oppose the presumption in favour of turning marches into static rallies and routing them away from the city centre."

In its response to the consultation the STUC said it could not be compared with the Orange Order, which is behind most Glasgow marches, adding its events "do not present the same breadth or quality of issues as 'traditional' parades" and that "apart from their relative infrequency, they are not met with the same degree of hostility and do not contain a return march component which is a primary reason for additional resource implications for Strathclyde Police and other bodies".

It said there were many practical reasons why George Square was a muster point, including bus and train links, and that moving events to Glasgow Green or Kelvingrove Park would be "a significant barrier to participation, particularly for those with mobility difficulties".

The response adds: "The STUC disagrees in the strongest possible terms and will be applying to use George Square as a muster or rally point on October 20. The historical role of George Square as a centre of protest is well known. Marches and rallies of significant numbers of people, on occasions too numerous to mention, have been safely and effectively organised in George Square."

Maud Bracke, a lecturer in modern European history at Glasgow University, said there was a "highly charged yet positive symbolism" about George Square, adding it represented "tolerance and diversity" of generations of Glaswegians.

She said: "There were the Rent Strikes during the First World War, the Battle of George Square in 1919 and in 1971 it was the focal point for a gathering of the political energy of the UCS strike. But this specific issue of parades is not about the STUC. It's about other organisations and, because of how the issue is being addressed, the freedom of expression and assembly of others is being curtailed."

A council source cast doubt on the STUC's desire to differentiate itself from other organisations.

The source said: "You might not like what some marches stand for, but the idea that we should create a two-tier system for different marching groups is unrealistic and would, frankly, only end up with us in court."