Police Suppression of Palestine Solidarity: A Threat to Our Democratic Rights

Across Scotland, police forces are deploying aggressive and unjustifiable tactics to suppress solidarity actions with Palestine. From armed officers at peaceful protests to politically motivated arrests and the use of hate crime legislation to criminalise dissent, Police Scotland’s actions amount to a coordinated effort to intimidate campaigners and stifle opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the West Bank. This crackdown is not just an attack on pro-Palestine activism – it is an attack on the fundamental democratic rights of all citizens.

1. Targeting Peaceful Protesters in Aberdeen

In Aberdeen, campaigners who engaged in lawful protests against the sale of Israeli goods have faced unprecedented police repression. Weekly demonstrations aimed at raising public awareness and promoting the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement have been met with a disturbing escalation in police interference. Protesters have been subjected to harassment, intimidation, and outright criminalisation for exercising their democratic rights. Notable incidents include:

• Armed police officers being deployed to arrest peaceful protesters.
• The unjust arrest of nine campaigners, including the remand of a 62-year-old woman currently held in Peterhead prison, for a peaceful protest within Home Bargains. 
• Repeated police visits to a campaigner’s home despite assurances that no charges were pending – a blatant act of harassment.
• Coercion of arrested activists into accepting highly restrictive bail conditions.

This pattern of excessive policing is not new. Police Scotland has been previously reprimanded by the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) for its treatment of pro-Palestine activists in Aberdeen, yet the crackdown has only intensified. No other campaign group in Aberdeen faces this level of targeted repression, making it clear that these actions are discriminatory and politically motivated.

Over the past 16 months, 16 spurious charges have been brought against peaceful campaigners in Aberdeen – none of which have been upheld. This proves what we already know: the Scottish authorities are attempting to suppress a movement that continues to grow in strength and resilience.

2. The Leonardo 5: Criminalising Resistance

Elsewhere in Scotland, the persecution of Palestine Action’s Leonardo 5 is another glaring example of state repression. These activists blockaded the Leonardo arms factory in Edinburgh to disrupt the production of laser targeting systems for Israel’s F-35 fighter jets, which are instrumental in carrying out attacks against Palestinians. Rather than recognising their moral stand against complicity in war crimes, the state has charged them under Scotland’s hate crime legislation, falsely equating their actions with racial or ethnic prejudice. This dangerous precedent aims to:

• Distort hate crime laws to suppress legitimate protest.
• Criminalise solidarity with Palestine by framing opposition to genocide as ‘prejudice.’
• Deter future acts of resistance by setting an example through harsh and unjustified prosecution.

The charges against the Leonardo 5 are not just baseless but a clear attempt to shield Israel’s war crimes from scrutiny. By standing against these politically motivated attacks, we affirm that opposing genocide is not a crime – it is a legal and moral obligation.

3. The Persecution of Mick Napier: Escalating Criminalisation

Veteran activist Mick Napier has also been a target of Scotland’s escalating criminalisation of pro-Palestinian voices. Upon returning from Lebanon, where he attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, Napier was detained at Edinburgh Airport. His phone, tablet, and passport were seized under the guise of ‘anti-terrorism’ laws – an act of blatant political repression.

More recently, Napier was arrested again, this time accused of ‘hate crimes’ related to protests at Barclays Bank in Glasgow. The complaints were made by Sammy Stein, a member of the ultra-racist Glasgow Friends of Israel, further exposing the political bias behind these charges. Napier is now banned from Glasgow city centre, a direct attack on his right to protest.

This pattern of criminalisation follows a broader global trend: authorities are increasingly weaponising legal systems to silence critics of Israeli apartheid. However, as the backlash against repression grows, so too does the strength of our movement.

Our Right to Resist

International law recognises the legitimacy of BDS as a tool of civil resistance against human rights violations. Under the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, freedom of expression and peaceful protest are protected. By attempting to criminalise these activities, Police Scotland is not only violating fundamental democratic rights but also aligning itself with an oppressive agenda that seeks to silence dissent.

The heavy-handed policing we are witnessing is not just about Palestine (and we have seen outrageous sentences handed out to Palestine Action activists) – it is about suppressing activism as a whole. We have already seen a clampdown on climate activists and political attempts to legislate against activism and severely limit human rights. This is why we must resist not only for Palestine but for our collective right to protest.

Solidarity is Our Strength

Despite the intimidation tactics, public support surged. Nearly 50 protesters recently gathered late at night outside an Aberdeen police station, demanding justice for those detained. 

The growing repression of Palestine solidarity activism in Scotland is a cause for alarm, but it is also a testament to the power of our movement. Despite arrests, intimidation, and smear campaigns, we continue to mobilise. We continue to stand with Palestine. And we will not be silenced. We call on all supporters of justice to:

• Attend court hearings and demonstrations in support of those facing politically motivated charges.
• Challenge the misuse of police power and demand accountability from elected representatives.
• Strengthen grassroots activism to ensure the campaign for Palestinian liberation cannot be suppressed.
• Donate to SPSC's Fighting Fund, to help cover the legal costs of those targeted - click here. 

In the face of repression, our response must be unwavering solidarity. We will not be silenced. Scotland will not be complicit. Together, we will resist injustice and stand steadfast in the struggle for Palestinian freedom.

For justice and liberation – we are all Palestinians.