Three men, 63, 67, 82, charged following protests in Edinburgh
Three men, who were arrested on Saturday, September 6, following a number of protests in Edinburgh, have now been charged.
Two men, aged 67 and 82, were arrested in connection with the Terrorism Act and a 63-year-old man was arrested in connection with a hate crime. All three men have now been charged. The men have been released and reports will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.
Several protests were held on Saturday outside Holyrood and the UK Government headquarters. Groups included Stand Up To Racism Edinburgh, A Force For Good, Scottish independence supporters and campaigners protesting against the war in Gaza - with some members showing support for proscribed direct action group, Palestine Action.
It is not known where the arrests took place and police enquiries remain ongoing. The force advised due to the large crowds present, they are carefully assessing the circumstances and reviewing evidence gathering, adding further action is expected.
Chief Superintendent David Robertson said: “While these protests were conducted peacefully and largely without incident, there were a number of offences identified relating to the Terrorism Act. Substantial evidence of these offences was gathered at the time which will form the basis of a post incident investigation.
“Police Scotland is a rights-based organisation and our role is to ensure public safety while balancing the rights of protesters who wish to peacefully demonstrate. Policing in Scotland has strong relationships with the public and we are grateful for the ongoing support of our communities.”