SCOTTISH NATIONAL DEMO
EDINBURGH
Stay Ignited. Come United. Show the Zionists/Epsteins of today your power in numbers!
Sat 18th April
1pm
Foot of the mound – March to the Scottish Parliament
GLASGOW FOLKS
Travel Information
Trains leaving from Glasgow Queen St. – Edinburgh Waverley
11:30AM -> 12:22PM
11:45AM -> 12:35PM
12:00PM -> 12:49PM
Journey time 50 Mins
GREENS CONCERN OVER FREEDOM OF SPEECH CONSTRAINTS
Councillors in Edinburgh were not allowed to debate a Green motion at Thursday’s full council meeting due to concerns over the latest UK Government guidance around proscribed organisations.
Instead, Green Councillors withdrew the motion following pressure from other political parties who demanded that there should be no discussion – citing fear of arrest under anti-terror legislation.
The motion, prompted by people undertaking hunger strikes to protest their treatment in prison, stated that the Council “opposes the curtailing of human rights, intimidation, discrimination and victimisation of those currently imprisoned as a result of opposing genocide”, and “expresses concern for the health, wellbeing and human rights of prisoners who have undertaken hunger strikes”.
Due to concerns that being seen to provide moral support for a proscribed organisation – now classed as a terrorist offence – could open the entire Council to a criminal offence charge, the Lord Provost took the unusual step of changing the Council meeting process to remove the opportunity for debate.
However, both the Labour and Conservative groups proposed that the motion should instead be withdrawn, citing fear of risk of arrest from individual councillors.
Cllr Alys Mumford, who was due to move the motion, said: “If we needed any further proof that Labour’s obsession with cracking down on protest has gone too far, it is this.
“We’ve already seen countless protestors criminalised and arrested for peacefully holding pieces of paper, and now elected members of Scotland’s capital city are prevented from even discussing a motion highlighting important issues of human rights.”
Cllr Mumford continued: “Just yesterday we saw pro-Palestinian activists in Bristol being cleared of aggravated burglary, with lawyers instead comparing them to Suffragettes for their actions to protest UK involvement in the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
“This should highlight the ludicrous nature of anti-terror legislation being used in this way by the UK Government. For Councillors to be unable to discuss whether or not we agree with the UK Government is antithetical to everything we are supposed to uphold as a nation of free speech and democracy.”
In withdrawing the motion, co-convener of the Green Group Chas Booth said: ““Lord Provost, thank you, reluctantly our group has made the decision to withdraw the motion at 8.1 on the agenda.
“We understand from advice that the motion is competent as re-drafted and we have been advised the risk of considering the motion is very low. However, we appreciate that there are individual councillors in other parties who are uncomfortable with the situation, and we feel a duty of care towards our colleagues.
“We regret that the council is facing this situation, and we remain concerned about the impact on democracy and freedom of speech message.”
Speaking about the withdrawal, Cllr Mumford said: “This motion was simply meant to be a way to express our support for human rights, and for the ongoing plight of people being mistreated in UK prisons. Instead, it has descended into a surreal conversation about what we can and cannot say within the City Chambers.
“We hope that – despite being unable to say what we want to during the meeting – this situation will serve to highlight the fight of the hunger strikers for humane treatment, and make people think twice about the ramifications of restricting the rights to protest in the UK.”
The UNOCHA fund helps to coordinate the humanitarian response by international and national organisations to those in the affected areas.
Dr Ramiz Alakbarov, Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory said: “Scotland’s generous support to the Occupied Palestinian Territories Humanitarian Fund is a lifeline for Palestinians facing immense hardship.
“This solidarity from the Scottish Government and people enables us to deliver critical, life-saving assistance to those who need it most. We are deeply grateful for this meaningful contribution.”
External Affairs Secretary Angus Robertson said: “At this crucial time, Scottish Government funding will support the scaling up of the humanitarian response in Gaza. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and the organisations on the ground will only be able to provide desperately needed assistance if the ceasefire holds and aid is allowed to enter.
“I am also pleased to report that following a request from UNICEF, 10 child patients from Gaza are now receiving treatment from NHS Scotland.
“This is part of our broader humanitarian response to the crisis ensuring vulnerable children receive the specialist medical care that they urgently need.”
The First Minister announcement of a package of measures in response to the crisis in Gaza – Support for defence companies involved in Israel halted – gov.scot
The last 20 living hostages held by Hamas in Gaza are now back in Israel after spending more than two years in captivity.
The hostages were kidnapped by Hamas during the 7 October2023 attacks
Hamas says it will also hand over the remains of four dead hostages later today, but has told mediators it does not know the location of some of the other 24.
Israel has released almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of President Donald Trump’s peace plan.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has welcomed the release of hostages in Gaza.
Starmer, who has travelled to the middle east, said: “I share the deep feeling of relief as hostages are released today.
“It is now crucial that we work together to implement President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza.”
First Minister John Swinney has said unity must prevail to ensure long-lasting peace is secured in the Middle East.
His words come as the world prepares to remember all those who lost their lives during the 7 October 2023 attacks in Israel, and those who have died in the violence that has followed.
Reflecting on the two-year anniversary, Mr Swinney said this year will be even more distressing for Scotland’s Jewish communities following the attacks at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
First Minister John Swinney said: “As we mark the second anniversary of the heinous attacks, we must always remember that 7 October resulted in the worst single loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.
“Our Jewish communities remain extremely traumatised by these attacks – and the events that have followed – and I know that this year will be even more emotionally distressing after the horrific attack carried out at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester.
“It was an attack made all the more cruel for being perpetrated on the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur, and my thoughts remain with the victims and their families, and with Jewish communities across the United Kingdom.
“As we mourn all those who have lost their lives since 7 October, we must stand united in defiance of violent division. We must respond to the devastating conflict occurring across the Middle East by showing that long lasting peace is the only solution.
“We must see an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It is the only way to stop death and displacement, violence and fear, unrest and division. Israelis and Palestinians must be allowed to live safely side by side, with long-lasting peace, prosperity, and security.
“Events in the Middle East cannot ever justify antisemitism, prejudice or any acts of violence. All of Scotland’s communities must feel safe and protected.
“Scotland’s diversity and our inclusive outlook is one of our greatest strengths. All of our communities are equally integral, valued and permanent parts of our national life – their members are our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues.
“In remembering all those who lost their lives on 7 October and since, we do so in equal condemnation of all forms of terror and violence.”
Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, spoke at a vigil for the victims of the terrorist attack at Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in Crumpsall:
Friends, we must stand together today.
We must stand in grief, in solidarity and in defiance.
Grief – for the innocent lives that were taken so cruelly.
Senseless murders carried out on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish year.
Grief that causes so much pain, so much suffering.
Today our hearts, our thoughts, our prayers must be with the families of those who were killed.
And of course with this Jewish community, both here in Manchester at the Heaton Park Synagogue and right across our nation.
And as the Member of Parliament for Tottenham, I know that suffering in Crumpsall is the same as the pain and the worry on the frightened faces in my own constituency, in Stamford Hill.
In that sense the London and Manchester communities are twin communities, grieving as one.
And, us, the whole nation – with them.
That’s why we stand in solidarity – with the Jewish people.
Because an attack like this is never felt alone.
Wherever they are in our country, Jewish people, our friends, our neighbours, our loved ones, are terrified by the events of yesterday.
Of becoming targets, victims of antisemitic hate, simply for who they are.
But I know this about Britain’s Jewish community:
A community I have known all of my life.
You are strong, you are resilient, you will never be cowed.
And I want you to know today, that your country, those of all colours, all faiths and none, stand with you.
We stand with you against terrorism.
We stand with you against those who think bombs and blasts will break us.
And we stand against all those who would minimise, coddle or obfuscate on anti-Jewish hate.
We know terrorism in this country. We know it in this city, we saw it at the Arena.
And now we have seen it in Heaton Park.
We all know terrorism. We all feel terrorism. I lost my childhood best friend, James Adams who was blown to smithereens on the 7/7 bombings.
And I vow to you, every Christian, Muslim, Jew, every Mancunian, every Brit, we will never stop fighting it.
That’s why we stand in defiance of those terrorists who seek to divide us.
Who want to pit neighbour against neighbour, to weaken the bonds that bind us together.
As one nation, one people, one United Kingdom, we cannot, we must not let them divide us.
On days like today, we must show who we really are, not what they want us to believe.
But Britain’s true nature: A tolerant nation, built on mutual respect, common understanding, where people live not in fear, but in freedom.
That is who we are, that is who we will always be and it cannot be eroded by violence.
It cannot be erased by vile acts such as those carried out here yesterday.
I want to close with this thought: When I have lost loved ones in the past, Jewish friends have often used a phrase to comfort me: ‘May their memory be a blessing.’
Nothing will ever take away the pain of what happened here.
But how we respond now, how we stand together, yes, in grief and in solidarity, but also in defiance and a shared mission: Against terror, in the name of us all.
That response honours those we have lost.
May their memory be a blessing.
Not just to their families, not just to the Jewish community, but to our entire nation.
Always.
And for those that are considering marching over the weekend:
I ask them to reflect with all human dignity, grace and understanding, to stop and to stand back.
‘The new US initiative to deliver an end to the war in Gaza is profoundly welcome and I am grateful for President Trump’s leadership.
‘We strongly support his efforts to end the fighting, release the hostages and ensure the provision of urgent humanitarian assistance for the people of Gaza. This is our top priority and should happen immediately.
‘We call on all sides to come together and to work with the US Administration to finalise this agreement and bring it into reality. Hamas should now agree to the plan and end the misery, by laying down their arms and releasing all remaining hostages.
‘Together with our partners, we will continue work to build consensus to put into place a permanent ceasefire. We are all committed to a collective effort to end the war in Gaza and deliver a sustainable peace, where Palestinians and Israelis can live side by side in safety and security.’
Statement by The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, at the High-Level International Conference for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution:
Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Your Excellencies, President Macron and Prince Faisal. I stand before you today, beneath the emblem of the United Nations, to confirm the historic decision of the British government to recognise the State of Palestine.
This step, alongside friends and partners, reflects a longstanding truth.
That statehood is the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and that two states is the only path to security and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
But it also reflects a grave reality.
The two-state solution that for decades has commanded global support is in profound peril.
From continued bloodshed, man-made famine, terrorism and hostage taking, settlement expansion and settler violence.
And Hamas terrorists continue to hold hostages seized in the barbaric attack of October 7th, prolonging the unimaginable anguish of their families.
And in Gaza, the unbearable humanitarian catastrophe worsens as the Netanyahu government chooses to escalate war and hold back aid.
Children dying of starvation while food rots at the border.
And settlement expansion threatens the very viability of a Palestinian state.
The two-state solution risks disappearing beneath the rubble.
That is what extremists on all sides want.
But we refuse to let hope be lost.
Recognition is borne of urgency and principle.
Alongside our unwavering support for the security of Israel and its people.
This pathway is the opposite of Hamas’s hateful vision.
And this process around recognition has helped cement the rejection of Hamas across the Arab world.
Alongside new reforms to the Palestinian Authority.
Because there can be no role for Hamas in the future governance of Palestine.
But recognition must be a spur, not a substitute for urgent action.
A ceasefire now, the release of all hostages, the restoration of aid and a lasting framework for peace.
Recognition is about the future, but it is rooted in our past.
75 years ago, Britain was rightly proud to recognise the State of Israel.
But the promise of upholding Palestinian rights has gone unfulfilled.
For decades, my country supported a two-state solution but only recognised one state.
That changes now.
As we join more than 150 Member States in recognising the State of Palestine and protecting the pathway to peace.
Formal recognition of the state of Palestine must be accompanied by sanctions on Israeli security cabinet members, a ban on the trade in goods from illegal settlements, and the suspension of the UK–Israel trade deal, First Minister John Swinney said yesterday as he attended a ceremony at the Palestinian Mission in London.
The event to mark the historic step towards keeping the two-state solution alive follows the UK Government’s announcement of formal recognition of Palestine.
The First Minister pressed the UK Government for stronger action to end the conflict and protect civilian lives, and urged the UK to join South Africa’s International Court of Justice case and implementing International Criminal Court arrest warrants.
The decision to recognise Palestinian statehood brings the UK into line with the vast majority of countries at the United Nations, over 75% of whom now recognise the State of Palestine. The First Minister said it marks the first step towards establishing a viable two state-solution where both states can live in peace, prosperity and securely.
The ceremony follows the arrival of Gazan children and their families into Scotland for NHS treatment and comes as Scotland prepares to welcome the first students from Gaza to study at Scottish universities.
First Minister John Swinney said: “This is a historic moment for the people of Palestine which should have come long ago.
“I have been clear that the UK’s recognition of the State of Palestine should have been unconditional, but this decision goes some way towards acknowledging the UK’s solemn and historic responsibility towards all peoples of the region.
“While this announcement is welcome news, this is just the first step towards establishing the two-state solution. I urge the UK Government to take further action to accelerate peace including continuing to call for an immediate ceasefire and the resumption of free flowing aid.
“The international community must use all its energy to persuade and pressurise Israel to end the violence and return to a peace process. A two-state solution is the only option that can provide peace, prosperity and security for both the State of Palestine and the State of Israel.
“Hamas must play no role in the future of the Palestinian state. I have consistently and unequivocally condemned the brutal terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in October 2023 and I join the international community in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
“Scotland stands with the people of Palestine, and everyone in the region who yearns for peace, and I will continue to do all that I can to support those suffering in Gaza and the West Bank.”
The UK has formally recognised Palestine to protect the viability of a two-state solution and create a path towards lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people.
The historic decision, announced alongside Canada and Australia, comes as the situation on the ground in Gaza continues to worsen, Israel continues to expand its illegal settlements in the West Bank, and Hamas continues to hold the hostages.
In July, the Prime Minister pledged to act if the situation did not change and firmly believes that the UK has a moral responsibility to do everything it can to support a peaceful future for Israel and Palestine – the prospect of which is slipping further away.
A two-state solution, with a safe and secure Israel alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state led by a reformed Palestinian Authority, is the only path to a lasting peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people – free from the horrendous violence and suffering of the last two years.
Recognising Palestine is a historic decision, firmly grounded in the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination, which the government committed to as part of its manifesto.
In a statement this afternoon, the Prime Minister was clear this decision is not about Hamas. They are a brutal terrorist organisation that wants to see Israel destroyed. Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace with recognised borders is the exact opposite of their hateful vision.
The government’s demands on them have not changed. It must release all hostages, agree to an immediate ceasefire, accept it will have no role in governing Gaza, and commit to disarmament.
The UK is also expected to take further action to sanction senior figures in the Hamas leadership in the coming weeks and keep doing everything possible to bring the hostages home.
Our support for Israel’s and the security of its people remains steadfast. But the Israeli government must also change course – halting their offensive in Gaza, letting the desperately needed humanitarian aid in, and stopping their illegal settlement expansion in the West Bank.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Today’s historic decision, taken alongside some of our closest allies, to recognise a Palestinian State, reflects our unwavering commitment to a two-state solution and affirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
“Recognition is an important step to preserve the prospect of a two-state solution, at a time when it is now under unprecedented threat. Two states is the only way to safeguard long term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
“We are clear that Hamas can have no role in Palestine’s future – they are a barbaric terrorist organisation who oppose the very idea of two states. They must release the hostages and relinquish any hold on Gaza. But Hamas are not the Palestinian people.
“Recognition is only one part of what must be a stronger and wider push for peace. We need to end the conflict in Gaza, secure the release of all hostages and get humanitarian aid to all those who desperately need it.
“That requires not just an immediate ceasefire, but a plan for a durable peace, which will be a key to my diplomatic drive at the UN this week.”
Having recognised the State of Israel in 1950, the government believes it can no longer credibly continue to support the two-state solution without recognising both States.
The decision does not remove the demands the government has made of the Palestinian Authority to conduct extensive reform. President Abbas has committed to this reform, including organising new elections within a year of a ceasefire.
The UK will continue to provide technical and financial support to the PA as it delivers these reforms and builds the State of Palestine, including through the work of UK Envoy for Palestinian Authority Governance Sir Michael Barber, who is enhancing the PA’s delivery and governance capabilities.
The government has been clear that recognition is not enough to change the situation on the ground on its own.
That’s why the decision comes as part of coordinated international efforts to build consensus around a Framework for Peace, which addresses governance, security, humanitarian access, and ceasefire monitoring in Gaza, and the foundations of a two-state solution.
The UK will continue working closely with its allies to advance this plan, which recognition forms part of as the first, most urgent step towards lasting peace.
In the face of the growing horror in the Middle East…
We are acting to keep alive the possibility of peace and a Two State Solution.
That means a safe and secure Israel…
Alongside a viable Palestinian State –
At the moment, we have neither.
Ordinary people – Israeli and Palestinian…
Deserve to live in peace –
To try to rebuild their lives…
Free from violence and suffering.
That’s what the British people desperately want to see.
Yet, almost two years after the barbaric attacks of 7 October…
Hostages are still held by the terrorists of Hamas.
Recent images show the hostages suffering and emaciated.
Hamas refuse even to release all the bodies of the dead.
I have met British families of the hostages.
I see the torture they endure each and every day…
Pain that strikes deep in people’s hearts across Israel and here in the UK.
The hostages must be released immediately…
And we will keep fighting to bring them home.
Let’s be frank –
Hamas is a brutal terror organisation.
Our call for a genuine Two State Solution…
Is the exact opposite of their hateful vision.
So we are clear –
This solution is not a reward for Hamas…
Because it means Hamas can have no future.
No role in government.
No role in security.
We have already proscribed and sanctioned Hamas…
And we will go further –
I have directed work to sanction other Hamas figures in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile, the man-made humanitarian crisis in Gaza reaches new depths.
The Israeli government’s relentless and increasing…
Bombardment of Gaza…
The offensive of recent weeks…
The starvation and devastation…
Are utterly intolerable.
Tens of thousands have been killed –
Including thousands as they tried to collect food and water.
This death and destruction horrifies us all.
It must end.
We have now evacuated the first group of sick and injured children to the UK…
To be treated by the NHS.
And we continue to increase our humanitarian support.
But still, nowhere near enough aid is getting through.
We call again on the Israeli government…
To lift the unacceptable restrictions at the border…
Stop these cruel tactics…
And let the aid surge in. ***
With the actions of Hamas…
The Israeli government escalating the conflict…
And settlement building being accelerated in the West Bank…
The hope of a Two State Solution is fading.
But we cannot let that light go out.
That’s why we are building consensus with leaders in the region and beyond…
Around our Framework for Peace.
This is a practical plan to bring people together –
Behind a common vision and a series of steps…
Including the reform of the Palestinian Authority…
That take us from a ceasefire in Gaza…
To negotiations on a Two State Solution.
We will keep driving this forward.
As part of this effort…
I set out in July the terms on which we would act –
In line with our Manifesto –
To recognise Palestinian statehood.
That moment has now arrived.
So today –
To revive the hope of peace and a Two State Solution…
I state clearly, as Prime Minister of this great country…
That the United Kingdom…
Formally recognises the State of Palestine.
We recognised the State of Israel more than 75 years ago as a homeland for the Jewish people.
Today we join over 150 countries who recognise a Palestinian State too –
A pledge to the Palestinian and Israeli people…
That there can be a better future.
…
I know the strength of feeling that this conflict provokes.
We have seen it on our streets…
In our schools…
In conversations with friends and family.
It has created division.
Some have used it to stoke hatred and fear.
But that solves nothing.
Not only must we reject hate…
We must redouble our efforts to combat hatred, in all its forms.
We must channel our efforts…
United together in hope…
Behind the peaceful future that we want to see:
The release of the hostages…
An end to the violence…
An end to the suffering…
And a shift back towards a Two State Solution…
As the best hope for peace and security for all sides.
THE Green Party responded: “The UK government has confirmed it will finally recognise the state of Palestine – a welcome step.
“But this must be accompanied by real, concrete actions to bring an end to the genocide in Gaza, including boycotts, sanctions and the end of arms sales to Israel.”
Former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Well done to all those who have tirelessly campaigned for the recognition of Palestine — an inalienable right of the Palestinian people.
“Next, the UK should recognise the genocide in Gaza, end its complicity in crimes against humanity, and stop arming Israel.”
The Conservative Party said: “Keir Starmer’s decision to recognise Palestine does nothing to stop the suffering of the innocent people caught in this war.
“It makes freeing the hostages even harder than it was before.
“The only people this benefits? Hamas.”
A REPORT BY MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES
An analysis of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) medical data, patients’ testimonies, and first-hand medical witnessing at two MSF clinics in Gaza, Palestine, point to both targeted and indiscriminate violence by Israeli forces and private American contractors against starved Palestinians at food distribution sites run by the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
MSF calls for the immediate dismantling of the GHF scheme; the restoration of the UN-coordinated aid delivery mechanism; and calls on governments, especially the United States, as well as private donors to suspend all financial and political support for the GHF, whose sites are essentially death traps.
A new MSF report, This is not aid. This is orchestrated killing, documents the horrors witnessed by MSF staff at two clinics that regularly received mass influxes of casualties following violence at sites run by the GHF, an Israeli-US proxy that has militarised food distribution.
Between 7 June and 24 July 2025, 1,380 casualties, including 28 dead, were received at MSF’s Al-Mawasi and Al-Attar clinics in southern Gaza, located near the GHF-run distribution sites.
During those seven weeks, our teams treated 71 children for gunshot wounds, 25 of whom were under the age of 15. Faced with no alternatives to find food, starved families frequently send teenage boys into this lethal environment, as they are often the only males in the household physically able to make the journey.
In May 2025, the genocide in Gaza, Palestine, took a further disturbing turn as Israeli authorities sought to dismantle the UN-led humanitarian response and replace it with a militarised food distribution scheme run by a previously unknown entity — the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). All four distribution sites operated by the GHF are located in areas under full Israeli military control and “secured” by private American armed contractors.
MSF’s report ‘This is not aid. This is orchestrated killing’ draws on medical data, patient testimonies and first-hand medical witnessing to demonstrate that what has been branded as “aid distribution” is in fact a system of institutionalised starvation and dehumanisation.
MSF calls for an immediate cessation of the GHF distribution mechanism and urges states and private donors to refrain from funding what is essentially a death trap.
This is not aid. This is orchestrated killing.pdf — 2.63 MBDownload
MSF operates two primary healthcare centres in southern Gaza located in close proximity to the GHF distribution sites. Between 7 June and 24 July 2025, these health centres received 1,380 injured people, including 28 dead bodies from the GHF sites.
This represents only a fraction of the total number of people killed and injured at the distribution sites. MSF’s two health centres — due to their sheer proximity to the GHF sites — now place biweekly orders for body bags.
Over a seven-week period in June and July 2025, MSF staff treated 174 people for gunshot wounds originating from the GHF sites. The vast majority of those injured — 96 per cent — were young men. This reflects a grim survival strategy: families are sending the youngest and fittest to retrieve food.
The injured who arrive in our clinics are normally covered in sand and dust from time spent lying on the ground while taking cover from bullets.
A significant number of injured patients coming from the Khan Younis distribution centre (SDS3) had gunshot wounds to the lower limbs. The anatomical precision of these injuries strongly suggests intentional targeting of people within the distribution sites, rather than accidental or indiscriminate fire.
Of the 28 dead bodies received in our health centres, all but one were young men (aged 20–30 approximately) with gunshot wounds to the upper body.
