SCOTTISH Labour councillors have failed in their attempt to block a motion condemning the UK Government's decision to proscribe Palestine Action.
On Monday, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper announced plans to designate the group as a terrorist organisation, with a draft proscription order set to be laid in Parliament next week.
It came after Palestine Action claimed responsibility for breaking into RAF Brize Norton last week, where they sprayed red paint into the engines of two military planes.
The decision to proscribe the activist group has been widely condemned, with former first minister Humza Yousaf saying the Labour Government had "lost its conscience", while Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the move was "deeply authoritarian".
The SNP also opposed the decision, telling The National that it is "absolutely vital that legitimate expressions of support for Palestine and the Palestinian people are not criminalised".
And on Thursday, councillors at Glasgow City Council voted on an emergency motion condemning the Labour Government's decision.
It also called on the Lord Advocate to "consider the appropriateness of issuing non-prosecution guidance on this matter", effectively decriminalising support for the group.
The motion read: "Council recognises Glasgow’s proud tradition of standing up against apartheid and injustice around the world, as evidenced through Glaswegians’ involvement in the Anti-Apartheid Movement and support for Nelson Mandela."
It added that "Glaswegians have continued that tradition in standing up against apartheid in Palestine through regular peaceful protests".
The motion continued: "Council condemns the UK Government’s intention to proscribe Palestine Action as a terrorist group. Council believes this is a pathetic, authoritarian over-reaction to spray paint-based peaceful protest against the UK Government’s active military support for the genocide in Gaza.
"Council supports those – including those in Glasgow – who peacefully protest in support of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. Council believes that if Palestine Action are proscribed as a terror group that this would constitute an unacceptable attack on the right to protest and would support Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in not charging or prosecuting peaceful protestors."
The SNP submitted an amendment to the motion which asked Aitken to also write to Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville for her views on the UK Government's decision.
Scottish Labour also submitted an amendment calling for the entire motion to be deleted and replaced with text which made no mention of Palestine Action or the UK Government's decision to proscribe the group.
That amendment reads: “Council condemns the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reiterates its call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, unimpeded access to humanitarian aid, and a political solution that recognises the rights and security of both Palestinians and Israelis.
"Council recognises the deep concern held by many in society over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and supports the right to free and fair demonstration in accordance with democratic principles.”
The Greens motion passed with 47 votes, amended by the SNP.
Scottish Labour's amendment fell through, receiving just 31 votes.
Commenting after the vote, Greens councillor Blair Anderson – who proposed the emergency motion – told The National that listing Palestine Action as a terrorist group is "a ludicrously pathetic attempt by the UK Government to crack down on people calling out our complicity in the genocide in Gaza".
“Spray paint is not terrorism. The real terrorists here are the Israeli military forces slaughtering thousands of Palestinian children, and the Israeli political leaders who want to eliminate the Palestinian people," he said.
"The UK Government, our military and our arms dealers are all complicit in the horrors we are seeing in Palestine."
Anderson said thousands of Glaswegians "have come out week after week for years" to condemn Israel's actions in Gaza, adding that he supported protesters and Palestine Action members "who are standing up against war crimes committed in our name".
He continued: “If the Home Secretary thinks I should be jailed for saying that I support Palestine Action, we are through the looking glass and Scots’ rights to peaceful protest are under attack.
"That’s why the Greens are calling on the Lord Advocate to issue non-prosecution guidance, decriminalising support for and membership of Palestine Action and any other peaceful protest."
Greens councillor Holly Bruce, who seconded the motion, said: “What the UK and Scottish Governments should be halting is all arms sales to Israel instead of limiting people’s right to protest.
"They should be divesting from arms companies and carrying out human rights checks on all its agencies. It should be facilitating, not limiting, peaceful protest.”
