Officers investigating disorder following the Hibernian versus Motherwell football match that took place in Edinburgh on Saturday, 5 October, 2024, have made more arrests.
Four men, two aged 19, one aged 18 and one aged 24, along with a 16-year-old male youth, have been arrested and charged in connection with incidents in the St Andrew Square area.
They have been released on an undertaking to appear in court on a later date. Football banning orders are being sought.
Chief Inspector Craig Rogerson said: “Officers work hard to create a safe environment not just at football matches but also after the event.
“These arrests send a strong message that we will not tolerate football related disorder in any form.”
Scotland’s capital city is gearing up to host what has become a firm fixture in its calendar.
Supporting the Scottish Poppy Appeal and the work of Poppyscotland, Edinburgh Poppy Day will return on Thursday, October 31, live from St Andrew’s Square and other city centre locations throughout the day.
Working in partnership with Poppyscotland to provide the day’s concert and roadshow will be Forces Radio BFBS Scotland.
There will be music from The Band of the Royal Regiment of Scotland in the Square, as well as entertainment from The Bands of HM Royal Marines Scotland, Edinburgh Military Wives Choir, Rosyth Military Wives Choir, Alan Brydon Music, Royal Marine veteran Richard Kerr and George Heriot’s School Pipe Band from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
Scores of volunteers will also be out on the day to collect the vital funds the charity needs to continue supporting the Armed Forces community in Scotland.
Poppyscotland’s Head of Fundraising and Learning, Gordon Michie, said: “We can’t wait to get back out onto the streets of our capital to mark the hugely popular Edinburgh Poppy Day.
“It really is a day where people come together and enjoy all that Poppyscotland has to offer in the build up to our national day of remembrance.”
Gordon added: “It’s not too late for more people to volunteer their time. Even if it is just an hour or two, more volunteers mean more vital funds raised for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces community. Just come along to St Andrew Square and we’ll make sure you have a great day.”
Money raised from the Scottish Poppy Appeal and Poppyscotland’s year-round fundraising enables them to deliver support to members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland by providing tailored funding and assistance. The charity also funds services in advice, employment, housing, mental health and mobility.
POLICE are appealing for information following disorder after the football match between Hibernian and Motherwell at the weekend.
On Saturday, 5 October 2024, incidents of violence and disorder were directed towards officers in the St Andrew Square area after the conclusion of the game.
Four officers suffered minor injuries as a result and four men aged 16, 17, 18 and 22 were charged in connection with incidents of violence and disorder. They were released on an undertaking to appear in court at a later date.
Two other people were also arrested and later released without charge.
Chief Inspector Craig Rogerson said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to violence of any kind and are working to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.
“A proportionate policing plan was in place and officers being targeted with violence while carrying out their duties is wholly unacceptable.
“Officers acted swiftly in challenging circumstances to deal with what amounted to totally unacceptable behaviour.
“A dedicated team of officers are carrying out enquiries to identify those involved and appropriate action will be taken.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact 101 quoting reference 1311 of 5 October 2024.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m glad that a replacement plaque has been installed this morning. Since the original plaque was stolen last September, I’ve been clear that we will not allow the actions of a minority to derail the important ongoing work to address the legacies of slavery and colonialism in our city.
“Following the refusal of the Melville Monument Committee to return the original plaque, we filed an official report with Police Scotland in October. This investigation is ongoing, and our legal team will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“We’ll also be seeking to recover the costs of this replacement plaque from the Melville Monument Committee.
“We’re rightly proud of the steps we’ve taken to properly address the legacies of slavery and colonialism here in Edinburgh.
Chair of ESCLRIG, Irene Mosota said: “Today is a really significant milestone for our city, with the return of the plaque to the base of the Melville Monument. It’s only through properly acknowledging and exploring our collective past that we can address the challenges of the present and putting ourselves in a strong position to shape a positive future.
“This is a very exciting time for ESCLRIG as we now look towards implementing the recommendations of the independent review. Together, I’m confident that we can forge the foundations for a more tolerant, just, and equal Edinburgh that we can all be proud of.”
Edinburgh Council, together with Sir Geoff Palmer and heritage experts, agreed the wording for a new plaque which was installed on the monument in 2021, to expose Dundas’ role in slavery and to recognise those who suffered enslavement as a consequence. The new replacement plaque has the same wording.
Foysol Choudhury, Labour list MSP for Lothian, supported the retention of the plaque after a descendent of Dundas submitted a planning application to remove it last year.
Following the news that a replacement plaque was installed yesterday (18 March) Mr Choudhury commented: “I am glad a replacement plaque has now been installed on the Melville Monument.
“We cannot allow people to silence history – we must address Scotland’s past and build the trust of communities across Scotland who are affected by modern-day consequences, such as racism, of this past.
“The removal of the plaque was a step backwards in our fight to address Scotland’s historical role in slavery and colonialism and caused severe damage to trust from the communities who this past has affected.
“I’m glad that a replacement plaque has now been installed to address historical prejudices and educate the public on parts of Scottish history which have caused decades of hate, racism and discrimination.
“I hope that this important work continues to build a more equitable, just future for Edinburgh and Scotland which addresses past wrongs and their modern-day consequences.”
Officers in Edinburgh have released images of a man they would like to speak to as part of an ongoing investigation into an incident that involved vandalism within St Andrew Square.
The incident happened at about 4.50pm last Saturday (9 December, 2023).
The man in the images is described as white and aged between 20 – 30 years old with short brown hair. He was wearing a flat cap, knee-length coat, blue jeans and carrying a backpack.
Anyone who can help in identifying and tracing the man should report this to Police Scotland via 101, quoting incident number 2618 of 9 December, 2023.
Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted on 0800 555 111, where anonymity can be maintained.
Royal Bank of Scotland is joining forces with Social Bite to host a Christmas dinner for people who’ve experienced homelessness. The bank will be opening the boardroom at St Andrew’s Square in Edinburgh and welcoming those Social Bite and the bank have supported this year.
It is part of the bank’s long-term support for the work Social Bite is doing to end homelessness. Since 2016, Royal Bank has supported Social Bite through donations, gifts-in-kind, and strategic help totalling over £1million.
Royal Bank employees have raised more than £100,000 through sponsored sleepouts, abseils and Christmas appeals.
Taking place on 19 December 2023, those attending include residents and staff from Social Bite’s Village in Edinburgh, run in partnership with Cyrenians to provide a supported community which helps people affected by homelessness to lead an independent life. Social Bite plans to open two new Villages in South Lanarkshire and Dundee over the next two years.
This Christmas, the bank is also supporting Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness which will provide meals, gifts and essentials for people who are homeless at Christmas and throughout the winter, alongside homes and jobs.
Josh Littlejohn MBE, Co-Founder of Social Bite, said: “We are so grateful for Royal Bank’s support.
“They have played a key part in a number of transformational projects helping people break the cycle of homelessness, and it is really special that they have created this Christmas experience for the residents of the Village.”
Judith Cruickshank, Chair of the Royal Bank of Scotland Board, said: “Building on our long-term support for Social Bite we are helping to make Christmas a little more enjoyable for some of the most vulnerable.”
Police in Edinburgh are investigating a reported robbery which took place in the city centre and are urging two victims of the crime to come forward.
At around 8.20pm last night (Wednesday, 6 December, 2023), a woman witnessed a physical altercation between two male suspects and a man and a woman, described as being an older couple, which took place on South St Andrew Street.
One of the men has assaulted the older man and the suspects have stolen the man’s rucksack during the incident.
A number of witnesses and bystanders are reported to have helped the couple, however the pair have not been traced and no reported incident has come directly to police from the victims.
Officers are reviewing available CCTV in the area and are asking anyone who saw what happened to come forward.
Acting Detective Sergeant Mike Campbell from Gayfield CID said: “This incident happened in a busy area at the junction of St Andrew Square and West Register Street, outside a number of restaurants.
“It is imperative we trace the couple involved to ensure their welfare and I would ask them to get in touch with police.
“The suspects are reported to have been aged in their mid to late teens, dressed all in black, and may have left the scene in the area towards Waverley Steps.
“I’d ask anyone who saw what happened, or possibly the suspects leaving the area with a rucksack along Princes St towards Waverley Station, to get in touch.”
Those with information should contact Police Scotland on 101, quoting incident number 3450 of 6 December 2023. Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111.
Social Bite reveals first-look of new ‘Nest House’ design in Edinburgh for Villages in Dundee and South Lanarkshire
‘Nest House’ unveiled as part of charity’s Festival of Kindness campaign which aims to provide 300,000 gifts, meals and essential items to homeless and vulnerable people this Christmas
Leading homelessness charity, Social Bite, has unveiled its new ‘Nest House’ prototype, as part of the launch of its fourth annual Festival of Kindness.
Kicking off the campaign in Edinburgh yesterday, Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, unveiled the new Nest House design which will feature in two planned new villages – one soon to be announced in South Lanarkshire, and the other in the recently announced Recovery Village in Dundee.
Located in St Andrews Square in Scotland’s capital, the Nest House will give an insight into the plans for the new village in South Lanarkshire, as well as the state-of-the-art Recovery Village in Dundee, both planned to open in early 2025.
As part of the charity’s Festival of Kindness campaign, the public are being encouraged to ‘give the gift of home’ and can make a donation to the new Villages which put dignity and support at the core of recovery and people’s journey out of homelessness.
Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness campaign has run nationally every year for the past four years with the aim of providing 300,000 gifts, meals and other essential items to homeless and vulnerable people this Christmas.
Donations can be brought to the tree itself located outside Charing Cross Station on the Strand or made online, with a wish list of gifts published that homeless and vulnerable people need most at Christmas.
In addition, five ‘Trees of Kindness’ have been installed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and London where donors can bring a physical gift which will all be distributed to homeless and vulnerable people in time for Christmas.
Donation stations will launch today (Saturday 18th November) in Edinburgh’s St Andrews Square. A donation station was also launched at Charing Cross station on The Strand in London yesterday.
Donations will be able to be made in other major cities this month from:
29th November – Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow
30th November – City Square, Dundee
1st December – St. Nicholas Street, Aberdeen
For those who can’t make it along to the Festival of Kindness donation points, contributions can also be made online to the ‘Festival of Kindness’.
The charity has published a wish list of items and gifts that vulnerable people and those experiencing homelessness need most at this time of year. These include a warm pair of gloves, a hot water bottle and a torch, good quality socks and toys for children living in temporary accommodation to open on Christmas morning.
Donors can also buy a Christmas dinner, a gift, a pack of essential items and overnight emergency accommodation for £28.
With homelessness in Scotland reaching record levels, more children than ever living in temporary accommodation and rhetoric of ‘lifestyle choices’ of those experiencing homelessness making headlines, Social Bite is on an urgent mission to raise funds and donations for those who need it most, and is calling on big-hearted Scots to help them provide essential items and some much needed joy to those who need it most.
Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said:“This year we have seen an increase in homelessness in Scotland to record levels.
“From Covid, to the cost of living crisis, and now unfortunately, misleading commentary from some high-profiled politicians, those experiencing homelessness have been subject to the toughest few years we’ve seen; so once again we are asking the people of Scotland to join us in helping raise critical funds for those that need it most at Christmas.
“As well as donating towards Christmas dinners and gifts, this year we are also asking the public to give the gift of home by donating towards two new villages.
“The proposed new Villages will be amongst our most important projects to date and that’s why we wanted to give donors the option of helping us create these crucial facilities. We are thrilled to welcome the public to see our prototype house being displayed in St Andrews Square.
“We believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances should be treated with respect and dignity, which these homes reflect in their design.”
Royal Bank of Scotland transfers the ground behind Dundas House in the final step before work begins on site
City’s first new concert hall in over 100 years will complete James Craig’s plans for Edinburgh’s iconic New Town
IMPACT Scotland and Royal Bank of Scotland today marked the transfer of the land behind the Royal Bank of Scotland’s iconic Dundas House, clearing the final step to allow work to begin preparing the New Town site for the construction of Dunard Centre which will begin later in 2023.
The music venue, which was given the green light by Edinburgh’s planning authorities in November 2021 is set transform the city’s cultural offering with the construction of its first purpose built concert hall in over 100 years.
Alison Rose, Chief Executive of the NatWest Group, of which the Royal Bank of Scotland is part,visited the site with Gavin Reid, Co-Chair of IMPACT Scotland and Chief Executive of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, to mark the moment the site was handed over.
Alison Rose said: “Edinburgh is a global capital and world stage for international arts, culture and music. The Dunard Centre will provide further space to continue that tradition and offer further opportunity for more musicians and artists to develop and create.
“This project is a great example of what can be achieved with close collaboration across the city’s public and private sectors. Royal Bank of Scotland is delighted to play a part in helping bring this project to life.”
Gavin Reid said: “Together, we are building a bold and brilliant venue which is an expression of faith in our city, our country and our future. The Dunard Centre will be a place where musicians and audiences come together to create and share extraordinary experiences.
“Through this final design stage we are enjoying the challenge of ensuring excellence in every surface, corridor, seat and handrail. Every detail of the building will be finely tuned to make sure that concert going is an inspirational and exhilarating experience.”
RBS as per order of itinerary , Copyright photo Paul Chappells
A specialist team led by award winning David Chipperfield Architects and Nagata Acoustics has designed the Dunard Centre to rival any in the world for design, intimacy and clarity of sound.
With seating for 1000 people, the venue will be a transformational new home for Scottish Chamber Orchestra, an iconic new venue for Edinburgh International Festival and a gift to music lovers and performers of all genres.
It is expected that all clearance work will complete later in 2023 and that work will begin on the new concert hall soon after.
Dunard Centre is being funded through substantial philanthropic donations, including the visionary support of Dunard Fund, and underpinned by £25 million support from the Scottish and UK governments and the City of Edinburgh Council, as part of the City Region Deal.
Royal Bank of Scotland is supporting the project by providing a long-term lease for the land which sits directly behind Dundas House on St Andrew Square. A campaign is well underway to secure the remaining funds required before construction begins later in 2023.
Campaigners have released further details of the issues to be highlighted by the Climate Justice March in Edinburgh this Saturday (12/11/22) as part of Global Day of Action during the UN Climate Conference COP27.
The March, which is being organised by several campaign and activist groups, will highlight the corporates, banks and governments who are driving climate breakdown, as well as the resulting impacts on people and places who did not cause this crisis.
The event will also draw attention to the importance of upholding human rights in responding to the climate crisis, here in the UK and world-wide, as the issue of brutal repression of civil society in Egypt, where COP27 is being hosted, comes under the spotlight.
The route of the march will pass six points that highlight different demands for climate justice.
++ HSBC bank, Hanover St: Cancel all Debt to Global South Countries
Countries in the Global South are currently spending 5 times more on unjust debt repayments than they are addressing the impact of the climate crisis. HSBC is one of the private creditors charging high interest rates for debt repayments from African countries, including continuing to demand debt repayments throughout the pandemic. Campaigners at Global Justice Now are calling for HSBC bank to cancel the debt of African countries.
Liz Murray, head of Scottish campaigns Global Justice Now said: “We’re joining with thousands of others around the world demanding action from those in power to tackle the interlocking crises of climate, energy and the cost of living.
“All three are the result of an economic system that puts profit before people’s lives and the health of the planet.
“This profit-driven system is hurting us all – here in the UK and around the world. And countries in the global south are getting hit particularly hard.
“They’re suffering some of the worst impacts of climate change, despite having played almost no part in causing it, and they’re additionally burdened by enormous debts. Banks here in Scotland are implicated in that – with companies like HSBC, who we’ll be passing as we march on November 12, and BlackRock making big profits from the interest on those debts and refusing to cancel them.”
++ UK Government Office, Sibbald Place: No New Fossil Fuel Projects.
Since COP26 the UK Government has opened new oil and gas fields, encouraged further exploration and is considering approving the huge Rosebank oil field that contains 500 million barrels of oil.
Campaigners are demanding an end to new fossil fuels projects. Mary O’Brien, a grandmother of 10 who is involved in the Stop Rosebank campaign said: “If the UK Government were to approve the vast new Rosebank field it would be adding fuel to the fire that is engulfing our planet.
“Climate science is perfectly clear that new oil and gas is incompatible with the urgent action we need to take to cut climate pollution. Projects like Rosebank only benefit oil companies at a time when they are already making billions in profits and causing widespread harm.
“Given the urgency and seriousness of the climate emergency, it is unbelievable that we are even having to fight against new oil and gas projects. But thousands of people across the UK and around the world are coming together to stop these climate-wrecking projects and to build that better future.
“I’m doing this for my grandchildren and for future generations, so that they can have a liveable planet. Join us on the march as we demand a rapid and fair transition away from fossil fuels to reliable, affordable renewables.”
++ Santander bank, Hanover St: End Fossil Fuel Finance.
Santander provides billions to some of the world’s most polluting companies. It has pumped $43 billion into fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement despite committing to “net zero by 2050”. Santander also finances the world’s largest meat packing company JBS, who are hugely complicit in Amazon deforestation in Brazil.
Natasha Ion, climate campaigner at Banktrack, said their organisation would be highlighting the fact that world’s largest banks have pumped $4.6 trillion dollars into fossil fuels since the Paris Agreement was signed: “The climate march will tell banks that they must go beyond burning, and stop financing the extractivism that is wrecking the planet.
“The fossil fuel industry is one of the main drivers of climate change, and has been implicated in endless human rights violations, primarily against Indigenous communities and those on the frontlines of extraction in the Global South.
“Commercial banks also finance major companies guilty of mass deforestation in regions such as Latin America. The highly polluting meat and dairy industry, with massive business like JBS at the centre, has consistently encroached on indigenous lands and been active in illegal deforestation.
“Likewise, biomass companies have been accused of land grabbing and causing social conflict in Latin America, while falsely promoting themselves as a “green” fuel alternative.
“None of this would be possible without key financing from commercial banks, often based in richer countries in the Global North that feel the impacts of climate change far less acutely. ”
++ Market St: Human Rights and Solidarity with Egypt.
Civic participation is essential to solving the climate crisis, and human rights are central to climate justice. Yet around the world, including here in the UK, governments are increasingly persecuting activists, cracking down on protest and restricting civic space.
Civil society activists in Egypt, hosts of this year’s COP, face persecution from one of the most repressive regimes in the world. Demonstrators will demand freedom for all political prisoners unjustly detained by the Egyptian regime, including the high profile case of British-Egyptian blogger Alaa Abd El Fattah who is on hunger strike in prison.
++ St Andrew Square: International Climate Justice
Making polluters pay for the damage that they have caused. Communities in the global south need urgent climate finance and reparations for the loss and damages that have caused mass destruction of lives and livelihoods. This is one of the priority issues for Global South countries at COP27. We will begin the march by demanding action on a global scale for climate justice.
++ Scottish Parliament: End the Cost of Living Scandal – Just Transition Now
The fossil fuel energy price crisis is driving the cost of living pressures being felt by people across Scotland. Protesters will surround the Scottish Parliament with demands that can be delivered by MSPs. This action will remind the Scottish Government that action they take at home can cut emissions and improve lives such as insulating homes and improving public transport.
The Edinburgh March will be one of over 40 across the UK and Ireland on the Global Day of Action for Climate Justice.
It is organised by the Edinburgh Climate Coalition, Climate Justice Coalition, Stop Climate Chaos Scotland, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Global Justice Now, Extinction Rebellion Scotland, Tipping Point, BankTrack, Jubilee Scotland, Scot.E3.
