A NUMBER of Pro-Palestine demonstrations have taken place across Scotland on Saturday amid renewed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza.
It comes after Humza Yousaf urged the UK Government to hold Israel to account and described their repeated refusal to call for an immediate ceasefire as “shameful”.
Many protesters gathered in George Square in Glasgow while others took part in a demonstration in Edinburgh.
The First Minister has called on UK ministers to use their position to demand an end to the “indiscriminate attacks” that have seen thousands of Palestinians killed.
SNP MP Tommy Sheppard was among those to attend the demonstration in Glasgow. In a post on Twitter/X, he said: “Great turnout in support of Palestine on the first Saturday of 2024 in Edinburgh today.
Demonstrations also took place in London where protesters staged a sit-in at Westminster bridge.
Hundreds of protesters blocked off the bridge and surrounding roads following a march from London’s St James’s Park on Saturday.
Several initial arrests were made by Metropolitan Police officers at the park, protesters then marched through Westminster before being stopped by officers next to Big Ben.
Many of the protesters then gradually joined a sit-in that was fenced off on three sides by a police cordon.
Other protesters wore face masks of leading politicians including Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden and held up hands covered in red paint.
The Met Police said on Saturday afternoon: “All protesters have now left the area around Westminster Bridge. Officers remain on-duty in central London and are ready to respond to any further demonstrations.”
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