A 59-year-old man in Oban has been arrested and charged as part of an ongoing investigation into those involved in encouraging support for Palestine Action.
21:32, 02 Sep 2025Updated 21:40, 02 Sep 2025
A man has been arrested and charged in Oban for “encouraging support for Palestine Action”(Image: PA Wire)
A man has been arrested in connection with “encouraging support for Palestine Action” in Oban.
Officers say they executed a warrant in the area on Tuesday, September 2.
Police then arrested and charged a 59-year-old man as part of an ongoing investigation into those involved in encouraging support for the group.
The government banned Palestine Action under terrorism laws after paint was daubed on jets at RAF Brize Norton. Police said the act caused £7m worth of damage.
Membership or support for Palestine Action is now a crime that can lead to up to 14 years in jail.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “On Tuesday, 2 September, 2025, officers executed a warrant in the Oban area and arrested and charged a 59-year-old man as part of an ongoing investigation into those involved in encouraging support for Palestine Action.
“He is due to appear at Oban Sheriff Court on Wednesday, September 3, and a report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You’ll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you’re on mobile, select ‘Join Community’ and you’re in!
If you’re on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click ‘Join Community’.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
The arrests follows a series of protests over the summer against the ban.
Last month, Palestine Action won permission to challenge the ban, with the case to be heard at the High Court in November.
The group, among others, argue the ban breaches the right to free speech and has gagged legitimate protest.
The judge refused an appeal to temporarily lift the ban and it remains proscribed before a full review at the High Court in November.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has repeatedly defended the proscription of Palestine Action and has described it as more than a “regular protest group known for occasional stunts”.
The arrest also comes days after former First Minister Humza Yousaf called on Scotland’s top law officer to decriminalise support for the pro-Palestine group.
Yousaf said treating non-violent protestors as terrorist sympathisers for backing Palestine Action is an “abuse” of power and a “charade”.
The SNP MSP called for Dorothy Bain, Scotland’s top prosecutor, not to prosecute people for holding placards or wearing T-shirts that do not incite violence, adding he respected the independence of the Crown Office, but urged action.
He said: “I am writing to invite you to publish a prosecution policy clarifying that, as a general matter, it will not be in the public interest to prosecute non-violent individuals whose conduct consists solely of expressing support for Palestine Action, for example, wearing a T-shirt, carrying a placard, or making a peaceful statement that does not incite violence, fundraise, organise, or facilitate criminal acts.
“Recent events have created substantial confusion and a chilling effect on lawful expression. Pensioners, priests, and playwrights, all of whom have no previous criminal convictions have been arrested after peacefully expressing solidarity with Palestine Action.
“In my view, prosecutions of this nature are difficult to reconcile with Articles 10 and 11 [of the] ECHR, under which political speech – especially expression aimed at ending large-scale human suffering – enjoys the highest level of protection.”
He added: “Criminalising a placard or statement that neither incites nor assists violence fails that test and risks misusing counter-terror powers against people of conscience.”
Amnesty International estimates more than 700 people across the UK, including dozens in Scotland, have been arrested since the ban.