https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/police-scotland-face-backlash-over-32530139
'Police chiefs are facing an angry backlash over their handling of a women's free speech rally on Saturday, which saw feminists and trans protesters clash, it can be revealed. Up to 1000 gender critical women and trans activists faced off in Edinburgh during outspoken women’s rights campaigner Kellie-Jay Keen's Let Women Speak rally, the first major test of Scotland's controversial new hate crime laws.
Hundreds of trans activists staged a noisy protest in opposition less than a week after the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into effect. The opposing sides in the toxic gender wars were separated by safety barriers and kept apart by police outside the city’s Royal Scottish Academy.
While Ms Keen publicly thanked Police Scotland "for keeping women safe at the event", many among her supporters were left angry and frustrated. Several complained about being "corralled" into too small a space while being surrounded on three sides by trans activists hurling abuse at them throughout the two-hour event.
They were labelled "Nazis" by mega-phone wielding trans activists close to where the women were gathered and at one point officers "contained" the section of trans activists as they shouted and chanted insults at the women. Many women told of their anger and anxiety at being "kettled" and encircled by a hostile crowd with whistles, sirens, mega phones and horns in a bid to drown out the women’s event.'
'One woman posted on Twitter/X: "It was extraordinary. Struggling to think of any other situation which would be policed this way. Watching police stand by and allow men to surround and scream abuse at a peaceful gathering of women, even facilitating their actions, felt deeply uncomfortable."
Another at the event said: "We are now quite crushed in the cage. We have asked police several times to move the barriers back to give us a bit more room. We have disabled and elderly people here and we are absolutely crammed in." While another wrote: "The number of people who were contained behind barriers with only one exit what on earth were #PoliceScotland thinking?"
'A volunteer, who travelled from London especially to attend and hand out leaflets, said: "The policing has been appalling. They had lots of notice but the area we've been given isn't big enough and we're surrounded on all sides."
A women’s rights activist, who wanted to be known only as Pamela, said she was "appalled", adding: "Police had obviously allowed trans activists to claim part of the area designated for the women’s event beforehand, during which the great offence of stickering – for which women have been penalised – and other marking of territory by trans activists apparently went unnoticed."
Another said: "I urge everyone who attended to make a complaint. It was shockingly managed. Scary for the lovely woman I went with. Not good enough."
Yet another said: "What was most striking was the way in which police facilitated the disruption of the event. It’s hard to think of another scenario in which police would put up with the level of abuse being directed towards a peaceful public speaking event."
Ms Keen, who wore one of her trademark colourful jumpsuits, said she was there to "test the law" and see how police would handle gender critical chants in light of Scotland’s new hate crime legislation. Along with author JK Rowling, Ms Keen has become a hate figure among trans activists over her uncompromising views that a woman is an "adult human female'
'The mum-of-four, who sports a Marilyn Monroe-style hairdo, has built a huge following as a result of her campaigning for trans women – men identifying as women – to be excluded from female-only spaces. Ms Keen, also known as Posie Parker, told the crowd: "I don't think anybody joined the police force to stop men in dresses from stopping women from talking.
"I came to say no woman has a penis, no man has a vagina, there's no such thing as non-binary and transitioning children is profound abuse.” The Cabaret Against The Hate Speech and Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh (ETiE) groups had rallied support ahead of the protest under the banner "Scotland won’t tolerate hate".
'Trans supporters waved banners with slogans such as "fight for trans rights"; "respect trans kids" and "trans rights are human rights". Many women attending the rally wore suffragette colours of white, green and purple and carried banners and placards with messages such as "dare to be honest"; "hands off women’s rights"; "woman is not a feeling"; "only women get pregnant" and "respect my sex".
Other placards called for "no males in female jails" and "protect puberty in Scotland - ban blockers". One carried a cardboard cutout of Harry Potter author and feminist JK Rowling, who has become a talismanic figure for the women’s rights movement in Scotland due to her trenchant support for single sex spaces.
Saturday's event was live streamed on social media and it is understood Police Scotland has received a fresh wave of hate crime allegations from trans supporters over comments and statements made in support of women’s rights. The rally was closed with the crowd belting out "For Women’s Rights", which has become one of their anthems in Scotland, to the tune of Auld Lang Syne.'
'A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "A proportionate plan was in place to ensure public safety which included designated areas for protestors which were pre-agreed with the organisers of both groups. While we are aware of the term 'kettling', it does not accurately reflect the tactic of containment.
"The tactic of containment is used only when necessary by suitably trained officers and, on this occasion, a very small number of counter protestors who were not part of the Let Women Speak group were contained for a short time to maintain safety." Police Scotland said there were no arrests at the event.'
(my bold - Arabella)