Demonstrators hold vigil outside US consulate in Edinburgh in support of Palestine Action
Edinburgh protest takes place at same time as demonstration in London
Demonstrators have held a vigil in support of proscribed group Palestine Action outside the US consulate in Edinburgh.
Protesters, many holding placards with the message, “I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action” gathered by the building on Saturday afternoon.
It came as a similar demonstration was taking place outside the US embassy in Nine Elms, London.
Expressing support for the group is an offence under the Terrorism Act after it was proscribed in June 2025.
The protests come ahead of an appeal at the Supreme Court against Palestine Action’s designation as a terror group on November 4.
A spokesperson for Defend Our Juries Scotland, which was organising the demonstration in Edinburgh, said they were sitting in “peaceful vigil today to show our solidarity with the Palestinian people” and in opposition to the “absurd ban” on Palestine Action.
The spokesperson added: “We will continue to defy this ban, and we will not be silenced.
“Whilst legal proceedings in Scotland have been delayed pending the hearings in the Supreme Court of England and Wales this coming week, we will continue to mount pressure from all angles.
“The ban must be lifted, and our Government must take meaningful action to end its complicity in genocide.”
In June, five Court of Appeal judges said the ban on Palestine Action as a terror group was a “justified and proportionate” interference on freedom of expression rights.
This overturned the judgment of three judges at the High Court who 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.
The Metropolitan Police said 48 people had been arrested at the London protest, but there were no arrests at the Edinburgh demonstration.
Police in London had warned in advance that protesters could be arrested even if they did not hold up placards in support of Palestine Action.
Commander Adam Slonecki, from Scotland Yard, said: “All those intending on coming to this event know that supporting a proscribed organisation is unlawful – they are essentially meeting to purposefully commit a crime.
“The public would rightly expect us to be proactive and not just stand by and wait for offences to be committed.
“I want to be clear – it is not just those who hold up placards who should expect to be arrested. Anyone officers consider to be playing a key role in organising the event, giving instructions to others and/or providing logistical support will very likely be committing an offence and face enforcement action.
“This is not about preventing people from expressing their views, but about acting robustly in cases where doing so involves criminality.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officers attended planned protests in Edinburgh on the afternoon of Saturday, 31 October, 2026.
“No arrests were made at the time. However enquiries are ongoing to identify people seen wearing t-shirts and holding banners showing support for a proscribed organisation. Evidence is being reviewed and further action will be taken as appropriate.”