Gender-critical activists and counter-protesters clashed in Edinburgh in a dispute over transgender rights.
Let Women Speak (LWS), an organisation described by supporters as a “gender-critical feminist” campaign, led a rally outside the Royal Scottish Academy in the Scottish capital on Saturday.
The rally, which began at 1pm, was led by Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, sometimes known as Posie Parker.
Keen-Minshull said her purpose was to “test the law” on the march to see how the police would handle gender-critical chants in light of Scotland’s new hate crime legislation, the Telegraph reported.
The group was met by opposition from various pro-transgender groups, including Cabaret Against the Hate Speech (CAHS), who led the counter-protest.
Both events remained peaceful, with no arrests made, according to Police Scotland.
During a speech at the rally, Keen-Minshull described transitioning children as “profound abuse” and called Scotland’s hate crime laws “preposterous”.
Keen-Minshull is not the first to challenge Scotland’s new law, which aims to protect people from a rising tide of hatred, according to Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister.
Earlier this week, JK Rowling challenged police to arrest her in a series of posts on X in which she described well-known trans women activists as “men, every last one of them”.
Yousaf said the legislation, which is intended to consolidate existing hate crime laws, “absolutely protects people in their freedom of expression”.
Police Scotland confirmed they had received complaints about the social media post but added: “The comments are not assessed to be criminal and no further action will be taken.”
Counter-protesters on Saturday held placards, banners and flags, denouncing LWS’s standpoint and chanting pro-transgender messages.
A CAHS spokesperson said it “stands in solidarity with the trans community across the globe, who are facing unprecedented levels of violence, hatred and harassment”.
The spokesperson added: “Our community showed up. We laughed, we sang, we danced, we shared our stories and a message of joy and resistance to hate.
“None of us [are] free until all of us are free. LGB with the T, now and for ever.”
