Edinburgh arrests over Palestine Action reach Scotland’s High Court
Cathy Allen and Justin Kenrick are set to argue before Scotland’s High Court that their arrests over a Palestine Action protest in Edinburgh were not compatible with freedom of expression and assembly. Allen was taken into custody a few days after she raised a placard on July 19 reading, "I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action."
The case reaches court as Scotland faces a sharp rise in Palestine Action-related cases. Figures obtained by The Detail show 103 reports of terrorism charges associated with Palestine Action in Scotland, out of 193 terrorism charges lodged there since the Terrorism Act was introduced in 2000.
Edinburgh protest and custody
Allen’s arrest grew out of the first Scottish action organised by Defend Our Juries against the proscription of Palestine Action. Allen, a 70-year-old supporter of the group, said, "We’ve watched what’s happening in Palestine, in Gaza, and been horrified" and added, "If our government is attempting to take away our right to protest genocide, that seems to me an obvious step too far. It’s really important to take a stand."
Her account now sits inside a wider legal challenge over how far Scotland can go in policing support for Palestine Action. Palestine Action is a direct action group whose stated objective is to target sites connected to Israel’s military, and it is currently fighting the proscription in courts in London.
Scotland’s charge figures
Catherine Smith KC said there are currently 54 live prosecutions relating to Palestine Action. Defend Our Juries says 24 people face charges for holding signs like Allen’s, while an additional 16 people face charges for wearing T-shirts reading, "Genocide in Palestine. Time to take Action."
Mick Napier of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign said, "Anyone who’s charged with terrorism finds some international travel difficult, and people cannot apply for jobs with any hope of success if they work in certain industries – medicine, teaching, so on – because you have to disclose any pending charges." One person in Scotland has reported having terrorism charges dropped.
Police Scotland and UK arrests
Across the United Kingdom, more than 3,300 people have been arrested for opposing the July 2025 ban on Palestine Action, and more than 1,200 people have been charged with terror-related offences linked to that ban. On Friday, activists linked to Palestine Action were jailed on terrorism charges despite being convicted of criminal offences.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said, "as the court has ruled that the proscription order will remain in place, Police Scotland will continue to enforce the law proportionately". That leaves Allen and Kenrick’s hearing as one of the next tests of whether Scottish courts will treat protest arrests tied to Palestine Action as compatible with expression and assembly rights while the ban remains in force.
