AROUND 100 people have gathered to protest against a meeting of the "Building Bridges With Israel" group at Holyrood.
Protesters could be seen waving Palestine flags and chanting "Stop the Genocide" outside the Scottish Parliament on Monday evening, as MSPs from the Building Bridges With Israel cross-party group prepared to meet online.
The group is made up of Independent MSPs John Mason and Fergus Ewing, Labour’s Paul O’Kane, LibDem Jamie Greene and Tories Russell Findlay, Tess White, Murdo Fraser, Rachael Hamilton, Douglas Ross and convener Jackson Carlaw.
The stated purpose of the group is to “engage with Israel and build links based on business, culture and academia” as well as “exploring and countering issues of antisemitism at home and abroad”.
The National previously told how calls were made for the group to be suspended ahead of Monday's meeting, in light of Israel's brutal assault on Gaza.
More than 66,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since October 7, 2023, with a UN inquiry recently confirming Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
Monday's cross-party meeting, which had previously been rescheduled, comes less than a month after the Scottish Parliament voted to immediately boycott Israel and companies complicit in genocide.
The protest, organised by Mothers Against Genocide, also featured clothes lines with baby socks pegged on, to signify the thousands of babies and children who have been killed in Palestine by Israel.
Protesters also heard audio messages from the four Scottish activists taking part in the historic Global Sumud Flotilla: Sid Khan, Jim Hickey, Yvonne Ridley and Margaret Pancetta.
Khan said: "When a state is committing genocide against a population it has tortured and starved for decades, you do not try to build bridges with it.
"You do not ask it nicely to stop, you do everything in your power to protect the civilian population – the babies, the women, the men – that it is seeking to destroy."
He added: "As Scots, we all understand the desire and right to be a free nation. Fortunately for us, we are not facing a genocide.
"We must use our voices and any powers we have to support an unconditionally free Palestine, and to say 'no' to any form of normalisation with Israel so long as it occupies and brutalises the Palestinian people."
Meanwhile, Hickey addressed the 10 MSPs who make up the cross-party group: "Have you no decency or soul? No love, or sense of kinship with humanity?
"This badge of shame will rest forever upon your door."
Ridley said: "Building bridges? Do they know how many bridges Israel has destroyed? This country doesn't know anything about building bridges."
Pancetta added: "Israel has already threatened us with 18 months' jail. They've also said they want to take all the cargo off – we won't give it to them.
"We're going to Gaza, 100%. Break the siege – everyone, help us break the siege."
A Scottish Parliament spokesperson told The National: “The Scottish Parliament is an open, accessible and participative parliament.
“Cross-party groups are entitled to meet in person at Holyrood, or online.
“With regard to protests, our policy reflects we will seek to facilitate peaceful, organised protests outside the Parliament building on its land.”
