Palestine protests should be cancelled after Manchester synagogue attack, say Scots MPs
Labour’s Joani Reid and the Lib Dems’ Christine Jardine said the demonstrations should be cancelled as a mark of “respect” and “solidarity” with British Jews
Pro-Palestine protests this weekend should be cancelled as a “mark of respect” after the attack on Manchester synagogue, Scottish MPs have said.
Labour MP Joani Reid said “fear of further attacks is unfortunately likely to be well grounded” among the Jewish community. Lib Dem MP Christine Jardine urged people to “keep calm” and “stop the inflammatory rhetoric”.
Two men were killed on Thursday after a man drove into drove into a group of people outside a Manchester Synagogue before stabbing another person. The attack took place on Yom Kippur, which is Judaism’s holiest day.
Just hours after the attacks there were big pro-Palestine demonstrations across the country, including at Edinburgh Waverley station. These were after activists on a flotilla, including four Scots, delivering aid to Gaza were detained by Israel.
Further protests are planned for Saturday.
East Kilbride MP Ms Reid, who chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on anti-Semitism, said: “Britain’s Jewish community has been telling us for years that anti-Semitic hatred and abuse has been rising, yet too often they have been ignored.
“Now that hatred has overflowed into murder it is essential that all of us clearly state our solidarity and that the state is deployed to protect its Jewish citizens and to bear down heavily on the Jew-haters in our midst.
“The fear of further attacks is unfortunately likely to be well grounded and it’s important that the police are given every assistance in their task of detecting and stopping would-be attackers.
“That means all political leaders with voice and authority should call for any protests planned for Saturday to be cancelled as a mark of solidarity and support for our common effort.
“Above all each of us should reach out to Jewish people we know and tell them we understand the gravity of the moment and will do all we can to protect them. And let’s be clear - when it comes to violence and murder history shows us what starts with the Jews quickly spreads.
“The struggle against anti-Semitism is something every decent person should be part of.”
Edinburgh West MP Jardine, who is an officer on the anti-Semitism APPG, said: “I'm absolutely heartbroken and appalled by what's happened in Manchester. I heard a member of the Jewish community this morning saying that this is the day that they'd feared for a long time, but hoped would never happen. I think that is absolutely right.
“We all feared that this could happen and hoped that it wouldn't, and now I think we're standing on the brink of something that's never happened in this country before, certainly in my lifetime.
“I think we need to keep calm, stop the inflammatory rhetoric and politicians need to come together and work together to support, primarily at this point, the Jewish communities.”
When asked if pro-Palestine protests over the weekend should be cancelled, Ms Jardine said: “It would be nice if they did cancel them as a mark of respect.”
Police Scotland confirmed no arrests had been made at Thursday night’s protest at Edinburgh Waverley.
Chief Superintendent Stevie Dolan said: “A proportionate policing response was in place with partners from British Transport Police, to ensure public safety and minimise disruption. The group later dispersed and there were no arrests.”
Scottish Conservative MSP for Eastwood Jackson Carlaw said: “The Jewish communities in my constituency are deeply alarmed following this act of terror and many feel scared to go about their daily lives. That is completely unacceptable, and everyone has a duty to support Jewish people at this extremely worrying time.
“Their fears were only compounded by the disgusting scenes we saw at railway stations including at Edinburgh Waverley, only hours after events in Manchester. These protests were filled with chants inciting hatred and antisemitic rhetoric that has no place in our society.
“I share my constituents’ concerns that we have been far too complacent in standing up to rising incidents of antisemitism. I urge politicians of all parties to join me in standing in solidarity with Jewish communities at this time and condemning the scenes that occurred across the country.”
Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said:“This morning I met with my brothers and sisters in the Scottish Jewish community at Giffnock Synagogue, not just to express my solidarity on behalf of the UK Government but also to stand with them at this terrible moment.
“With a heavy heart, I listened to their horror at yesterday’s attack. I felt deeply the fear that the community in Scotland expressed around rising anti-Semitism and the way in which yesterday’s attack confirmed those deep anxieties.
“My father was a Church of Scotland Minister and as a child I would walk with him into our church each Sunday. In 2025, it is a source of deep shame that some Scots have to walk to their place of worship in fear each week and are forced to put in place security measures at holy places and even at schools.
“Terrorism always seeks to divide but as communities in both in Manchester and East Renfrewshire have shown us, they will not succeed.”
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