Edinburgh tram lines shutdown after demonstrators 'ignore safety issues'

A pro-Palestinian demonstration is set to be rerouted to avoid protesters getting close to the tram line, after an emergency shutdown of power lines was needed at a march over the weekend.

Police Scotland expressed concerns over the August 9 march after a demonstration on Saturday saw “frantic calls” to get the power to the trams cut off over electrocution concerns.

They said that the rally’s route was changed two days before it started, which made policing it more difficult and led to road closures not being in place in time.

The August 9 march, which is estimated to have 500 participants, is set to be held on the same day as a major Orange walk, which will see 1,500 participants descend on the city centre at the height of the festival.

The city’s licensing sub-committee considered two pro-Palestine demonstrations from the organisers of Saturday’s march on Monday, with one set to run on August 2 and the other on August 9.

Police sergeant Grant Robinson said: “Our assessment was that serious safety issues were frankly ignored by participants and stewards.

“Many presented waving high flags and banners on approach to the Edinburgh Tram line.

“This resulted in an emergency shutdown of the overhead power cables, as if the flags or banners touched or came near these items, the electricity would have arced, causing serious injury or worse.

“It’s essential that we have agreed routes with sufficient notice, so that safety measures can be put in place in advance, as this caused frantic calls between police and Edinburgh Trams to enable the shutdown.”

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Trams confirmed that the power lines were shut down for 15 minutes on Saturday over safety concerns.

Sergeant Robinson also said the “number, ability and knowledge” of the protest stewards was concerning to the police service.

He said Police Scotland was willing to arrange third-party free training sessions to “upskill” stewards.

The organisers of the event were not present, having asked if the council sub-committee meeting could be delayed so they could attend.

Council officers proposed that the routes of the pro-Palestine rally on August 2 be swapped with one on the 9th, in order to space out the demonstrations happening on that day.

Councillors elected not to swap the routes, but modified the route of the march on the 9th to keep it away from the Edinburgh Trams infrastructure.

Liberal Democrat councillor Jack Caldwell asked if the organisers could be sanctioned for not attending the sub-committee meeting or for amending the routes of past demonstrations.

Council officer Max Mitchell replied: “This is not a license application, notification of parades. There is no sanction for not attending the committee.

“What the act simply says is that if the council makes an order, and the organiser departs from the terms of that order, that would potentially become a matter for Police Scotland, and would become a statutory offence under the act.”

Sergeant Robinson said the police would only charge organisers as a last resort, continuing to say: “We are very practical. We take an informed, reasonable approach.

“We’re looking to do the, you know, engage encourage educate, before we really go down that route.

“I very much stress that we do not want to charge people for exercising their right [to protest], but it is a qualified right.”

Addressing the request by council officers to swap the routes of the two marches, Conservative councillor and sub-committee convener Joanna Mowat said: “I would be mindful not to alter their fundamental structure, as in, they want to go up to the American consulate.

“I don’t know why they want to go on the second of August, but that’s not relevant for us.

“I would be minded, because we are going to have to do something on the 9th, which is quite a big change that we’re going to have to make to their routes, that I wouldn’t alter the dates.

“I think public safety has asked us to do that, but I’m not sure we have justification to do that.”

For the march on the 9th, committee agreed a new route intended to keep protesters away from the trams, which would run from Waverley Bridge and up Market Street, turning left at the Mound.

The previous route had an ambiguous staging area of the Mound itself, which could take protesters close to the tramway at the junction with Princes Street.

Cllr Mowat said: “They shouldn’t be going anywhere near tram lines with their banners at that point.

“I mean, obviously that’s going to be a conversation public safety is going to have to have with them, because the next thing we’re going to have to say is that there will be a no-banners march if they’re going anywhere near the tram line.”