Patrick Friend, 26, of Grange in Edinburgh, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
22:51, 03 Sep 2025Updated 23:08, 03 Sep 2025
Last month, Palestine Action won permission to challenge their status as a banned group(Image: PA Wire)
A Scottish man is among six people who have been charged with terrorism offences in connection with supporting banned group Palestine Action.
The offences relate to allegedly arranging public demonstrations in London, Manchester and Cardiff, as well as managing 13 Zoom meetings, between July and August in support of the proscribed group, the Crown Prosecution Service said.
Patrick Friend, 26, of Grange in Edinburgh, is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
He is facing two counts of managing a meeting to support a proscribed organisation and one count of assisting in arranging a meeting knowing the purpose was to support a proscribed organisation.
Also set to appear at the court are Timothy Crosland, 55, from Southwark, south-east London, Gwen Harrison, 48, from Kendal, Cumbria; David Nixon, 39, from Barnsley in South Yorkshire; Dawn Manners, 56, from Hackney, east London; and Melanie Griffith, 62, from Southwark, south-east London.
The arrests comes ahead of a planned protest on Saturday where organisers have said they are expecting more than 1,000 people to demonstrate in support of Palestine Action in London’s Parliament Square.
The government banned the organisation 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.
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.
It comes after a 59-year-old man was arrested in connection with allegedly “encouraging support for Palestine Action” in Oban. Police arrested and charged the man on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into those involved in encouraging support for the group.
There have been a number 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.
Amnesty International estimates more than 700 people across the UK, including dozens in Scotland, have been arrested since the ban.