A PRO-PALESTINE protester has been attacked with a “blade” in an alleged “hate crime” during a demonstration in Edinburgh.
A protester was allegedly assaulted by a man with a “knife” at the University of Edinburgh’s George Square on Friday, leaving him needing hospital treatment.
It is alleged that the attacker entered the crowd chanting before engaging in a confrontation with protesters.
The man allegedly argued with protesters who reportedly attempted to remove him before he “slashed” one student’s cheek.
Police confirmed a 37-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with an assault of a 24-year-old man.
The 37-year-old is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.
Edinburgh University Justice for Palestine (EUJP), a student organisation which organised the protest, have since accused campus security of negligence in allowing the attack to happen.
The organisation alleges that security guards watched the man become increasingly more aggressive but did not intervene, claiming they “failed to protect” student protesters.
Posting to social media about the alleged “hate crime,” the EUJP said: “The attacker had posed an obvious threat prior to the attack, and security was informed of the risk on multiple occasions.
“Even after the attack was done, they still failed to protect their own students in front of the main library, in broad daylight.
“We demand immediate action from the administration, EUSA and security to condemn the blatant apathy towards violence committed against students in solidarity with Palestine.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A 37-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with an assault of a 24-year-old man at George Square, Edinburgh on Friday, 28 March, 2025.
“He was released on undertaking and is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court at a later date.”
Professor Colm Harmon, Vice Principal Students, said: “I want to underline how seriously we are taking the appalling episode that led to one of our students being assaulted last Friday.
“We understand how upsetting this is, and I urge anyone affected to access the range of support we have available to you. We are assisting Police Scotland in its enquiries, and we are also looking to ensure that we learn and improve from experiences.
“Edinburgh is a safe city and University to study, work and live in, which makes dreadful incidents such as this all the more shocking. Our hardworking teams are highly experienced in managing security across our city-wide campus, ensuring members of our University can carry out their day confident in their safety.
“We are limited in what we can say pending further Police investigation, however we will continue to listen and engage with our community. At this time, we ask that everyone respects the processes in place to safeguard students and staff, and to treat everyone with understanding.”
