3 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Police Scotland monitoring of Palestine protests revealed
Dubbed Operation Tarlac, the coordinated approach was developed by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), and sought to support local police and counter-terrorism forces to ensure 'public safety and community cohesion.'
A briefing document viewed by The Herald outlines Police Scotland's response to mass protests in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen on Saturday, October 14th, one week after the conflict erupted.
Pro-Palestine protests have taken place across the UK. (Image: Lucy North / PA) A command centre was set up in Govan after the force received intelligence of potential counter-protests and 'disorder' on the morning of the 14th.
Operational notes explain that 250 people gathered in Aberdeen and 300 took to the streets in Dundee, while 500 people marched to the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
Meanwhile, approximately 6,000 people gathered at the Buchanan Street Steps before proceeding to the BBC's headquarters on Pacific Quay. No counter protest was identified, and all events ended peacefully.
Assistant Chief Superintendent David Robertson told colleagues: 'In spite of significantly greater numbers than anticipated, the event passed off peacefully with a proportionate policing deployment.
'It resulted in only one fixed penalty notice for a breach of the peace directed towards officers.'
In total, police attended nearly 500 planned pro-Palestine protests across Scotland between October 2023 and May 2025, as well as an unspecified number of 'spontaneous' demonstrations.
Officers were called out to 178 protests in the Greater Glasgow region, as well as 98 in the North East, 75 in Edinburgh, 54 in Tayside, and 46 in Dumfries and Galloway.
'Operation Tarlac' was launched amid nationwide concern over ethnic tensions in the wake of the Hamas attacks.
A letter to NPCC members, sent on October 8th, reads: 'What we have learnt from our monitoring of UK communities during times of previous conflict, notably in 2014 and 2021, is that there is likely to be an adverse reaction here in the UK, as well as the potential for individuals and extremist groups around the world to use the conflict to justify their own violence.
'It is vital that we play an active and informed role to reassure affected communities and by responding robustly to any incidents that seek to increase tensions rather than to share empathy.
'I would urge all forces to reach out locally to affected communities and maintain effective communications to reassure them that we will not tolerate illegal activity, regardless of how distressing the international violence is to our communities.'
Police Scotland have attended more than 500 protests. (Image: Newsquest) Police Scotland has been criticised by pro-Palestine activists in recent months.
In March, campaigners called for a review of the force's conduct at protests.
At the time, Scottish Friends of Palestine said: 'There are currently about 40 Palestine supporters facing court cases. It is worth noting that over the past 16 months hardly any arrests have resulted in convictions by the Scottish courts.
'This is a huge waste of public resources that could easily be avoided if Police Scotland got their act together and provided their officers and commanders with adequate training about the public's right to protest and the limitations of officers' powers when dealing with political protests.'
Others have spoken out since the Palestine Action group was proscribed in July. Kimberley Davidson of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign told The Herald that activists have had to have 'difficult conversations' in the wake of the ban.
She said: 'There is a very clear approach that has been taken by police up and down the UK. People have been arrested for wearing T-shirts and others have been challenged by police over Palestine flags and anti-Israel placards.'
More than 200 people have been arrested across the UK on suspicion of expressing support for Palestine Action since the ban came into force.
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A Police Scotland spokesperson told The Herald: 'We have a legal duty to protect the rights of people who wish to peacefully protest and we'll engage with protest groups.
'Campaigning and demonstration is a legitimate, necessary and vital part of life.
'However, abusive, threatening behaviour or activity intended to disrupt an event that poses a risk to safety is not legitimate protest.
'Every situation is unique and we will respond proportionately.'
