Demonstration supporting Palestine Action takes place in Edinburgh

Demonstrators gathered outside the US consulate in Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon to show support for the proscribed group Palestine Action. Many of the protesters held placards bearing the message, "I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action." This protest took place following a similar demonstration outside the US embassy in London. Expressing support for the group is a violation of the Terrorism Act, as Palestine Action was proscribed in June 2025.

The protests precede an appeal at the Supreme Court against Palestine Action’s designation as a terror group, set for November 4. Defend Our Juries Scotland, the organization organizing the Edinburgh demonstration, said they were holding a "peaceful vigil today to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people" and in opposition to the "absurd ban" on Palestine Action.

The group stated they will continue to defy the ban and will not be silenced, emphasizing that legal proceedings in Scotland have been delayed pending hearings in the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

The UK Government has been asked for comment on the matter. In June, five Court of Appeal judges ruled that the ban on Palestine Action as a terror group was a "justified and proportionate" interference on freedom of expression rights. This overturned a previous judgment by three High Court judges who had ruled in February that the then-home secretary Yvette Cooper's decision to ban Palestine Action was unlawful after a legal challenge from the group's co-founder, Huda Ammori.