Scotland's Palestine Action supporters claim right to protest genocide is being denied

Glasgow, Scotland – A year ago, Cathy Allen, 70, held a banner reading “I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action” in Edinburgh. The July 19 protest was the first in Scotland organized by Defend Our Juries, a group leading a civil disobedience campaign against the ban on Palestine Action.

Days later, Allen was arrested, becoming one of the first people in Scotland to be detained for supporting the organization that the British government considers terrorist. “We have seen what is happening in Palestine, in Gaza and felt horrified,” she told Al Jazeera. “If our government is trying to take away the right to protest genocide, that seems a step too far. It is important to take a stand.”

Allen and Justin Kenrick, who held the banner with her, will argue before Scotland’s High Court that their arrest is incompatible with the rights of free speech and assembly. They believe a positive outcome would set a precedent for future cases in Scotland and have a ripple effect in England and Wales.

The ‘chilling’ impact of the ban in Scotland

Data collected by the investigative organization The Detail shows 103 reports of terrorism offenses linked to Palestine Action, more than half of the total 193 terrorism charges filed in Scotland since the Terrorism Act came into force in 2000. While the data does not reveal case outcomes, Catherine Smith KC, a lawyer representing Scotland, said there are currently 54 prosecutions related to Palestine Action.

Defend Our Juries said 24 people are facing charges for holding banners like Allen, while another 16 face similar charges for wearing T-shirts reading “Genocide in Palestine. Time to act.” “The ban on Palestine Action should never have happened,” said Marie, a member of the Gaza Genocide Emergency Committee Scotland. “The fact that it is being abused and misinterpreted to arrest people just for wearing T-shirts is bizarre.”

Across the United Kingdom, more than 3,300 people have been arrested for protesting the ban on Palestine Action since July 2025, a direct action group that says it targets facilities linked to the Israeli military. Of those, over 1,200 have been charged with terrorism-related offenses, which many legal experts and human rights groups call an illiberal abuse of power.

Palestine Action is currently appealing the ban in London courts. On Friday, activists linked to the group were sentenced to prison for “terrorism” offenses, though they were convicted of criminal acts. Scottish supporters in the Palestine solidarity movement say the ban creates confusion and anxiety due to potential legal consequences for protest action.

Mick Napier, spokesperson for the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, who is among those charged with terrorism, said: “Anyone charged with terrorism faces difficulties traveling internationally, and people cannot apply for jobs hoping to succeed if they work in certain sectors like health, teaching, because you have to declare any pending charges.” Only one person in Scotland said their terrorism charges have been dropped. A Police Scotland spokesperson told Al Jazeera that “since the court ruled the ban will remain in effect, Police Scotland will continue to enforce the law proportionately.”

Challenging the ban in court

After last year’s ban, co-founder Huda Ammori appealed. The High Court ruled the ban “unlawful” in February. The British government is appealing this ruling to the Court of Appeal, with a decision expected Monday. The ban will remain in effect until the appeal concludes.

In January, a parallel case in Scotland was allowed to proceed, with an initial hearing scheduled for March. However, in May, proceedings were paused until Ammori’s case is resolved. This decision came after a British government minister personally appeared to argue. “We foresaw that, so we weren’t too disappointed that day,” Napier said. “But it would still be great to get a legal win.”

Joanna Cherry KC, representing Craig Murray, a former diplomat who filed a judicial review request in Scotland, described the ban’s impact as “chilling.” She argued that a fair balance had not been struck between preventing “terrorism” and protecting free speech rights. Helen Gourlay from the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign said she supported Murray in court because she believes the ban violates fundamental human rights. “I feel that we, in Scotland and the United Kingdom, are having our free speech rights trampled on,” she said. “I truly support the Palestinian people, and I think genocide must be opposed... because our government is complicit.”

Napier hopes the Court of Appeal in London will rule in favor of Ammori of Palestine Action on Monday, but he believes the government will try to appeal once more. “If that happens, we’ll be a bit disappointed,” he said. “But we will keep campaigning. Nothing can stop the vast number of people who have been educated by this genocide.”

Meanwhile, protests against arms trading continue in Scotland, with activists targeting Keysight Technologies, which is said to supply a drone factory owned by Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest weapons manufacturer, and a Leonardo factory in Edinburgh. According to the Campaign Against Arms Trade, the Leonardo facility produces laser targeting systems for F-35 fighter jets “which Israel is using to drop 2,000-pound bombs on children.”

Unlike Westminster, the Scottish government has recognized genocide and voted to boycott Israel. However, it is unclear what concrete actions have been taken since the vote. “If Holyrood’s declarations on genocide and boycott mean anything, the Scottish government must make clear it will not allow peaceful protesters to be prosecuted under anti-terror laws which it has the moral authority to challenge,” Defend Our Juries said.