A live Edinburgh Fringe Festival event featuring Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney was repeatedly disrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters.
The disruption occurred during an on-stage interview with comedian Susan Morrison and took place five separate times, with six different groups of activists intervening.
The demonstrators held up letters spelling the word genocide and shouted at the First Minister, calling for an end to government support for arms companies through the public economic agency Scottish Enterprise.
Police officers were present at the event as tensions escalated between the protesters and members of the audience. Reports indicate that the First Minister’s security team was involved in managing the situation and preventing protesters from approaching the stage.
Footage posted on social media showed John Swinney remaining calm during the protests as the confrontation unfolded around him.
The First Minister has previously spoken out about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza. He has expressed support for an immediate ceasefire and has urged the UK Government to officially recognise Palestine as a sovereign state. Just days before the event, Swinney had also discussed the Gaza conflict with Donald Trump during the former US president’s visit to Scotland.
The incident came shortly after Swinney gave a high-profile speech to open the Edinburgh festivals, where he emphasised the importance of freedom of expression and the need to protect the right to free speech in Scotland. He stressed that Scotland must remain a place where robust debate, artistic challenge, and diverse perspectives are welcomed and defended.
The Fringe protest highlights growing tensions in the UK surrounding international conflicts and the role of government in foreign policy and defence-related funding. It also raises questions about the balance between freedom of speech, public protest, and maintaining security at cultural events.
