Having attended many Palestinian solidarity demonstrations in Edinburgh and Glasgow over the last nine months, I was delighted to be asked to speak at the recent rally outside the Scottish Parliament on Saturday 29 June 2024, in support of an immediate cease fire and to show solidarity with the Palestinian people, said Ian Mullen, branch education officer.
Earlier that week our branch had contacted several of our councillors from different political parties asking that they raise a question at the Full Council meeting on 27 June 2024, in relation to flying the Palestinian flag alongside the Ukrainian flag from the top of the City Chambers. Councillors were also asked to submit a motion asking that the City of Edinburgh Council formally recognise Palestine as an independent state.
The requests were supported by the council’s SNP and Green groups and our branch thanked them for their support. Disappointingly, an addendum to the motions was submitted and when it came to a vote the addendum was supported by the other three political parties within the council and carried. As a result, these motions cannot be re-submitted back to Full Council within the next six months.
However, a motion on flying the Palestinian flag can be submitted to the August meeting of the full council and we will be in contact with elected members in due course. The public webcast of the full council meeting can be accessed here with a question raised to the council leader and two motions under item 8.
Finally, we live in a democracy where no individual should have their right of speech or protest suppressed, nor should an individual be described as an extremist for taking part in peaceful protests calling for an immediate cease fire and an end to the genocide in Gaza, contrary to what one elected member stated. Perhaps they should read the latest Lancet article on Gaza.