1. The Scottish Parliament is an open, accessible and participative parliament which recognises the importance of peaceful protest in a democratic society.
2. The purpose of this policy is to help you organise or take part in a protest at the Scottish Parliament.
3. Please note, however, that protests and demonstrations are not permitted in the building and must not interfere with or seek to disrupt the functioning of Parliament.
4. This policy applies to anyone who wishes to hold a protest or demonstration on the Scottish Parliament’s grounds. The Parliament’s grounds are the area situated outside the building made available to the public.
5. This policy also applies to Members and their staff. Whilst the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) welcomes peaceful protest on the Parliamentary grounds, and recognises that Members or their staff may wish to engage with people holding a demonstration, Members and their staff are expected to withdraw their engagement with any protest that breaches, or is likely to breach, the terms and conditions set out in this policy
6. Please be assured we will work with you to facilitate your protest so that it runs smoothly.
7. We encourage you to contact the Security Office on 0131 348 6554 in advance of organising your protest, so we can discuss your plans and advise on any issues which may not be compatible with the terms for use of the Parliament’s grounds.
8. Please note however that contacting the Scottish Parliament’s Security Office in advance does not mean that you have preference over others who may wish to exercise their right to protest on the Parliament’s grounds.
9. The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), which has responsibility for the safe and effective operation of Parliament, permits protest on the Parliament’s grounds, subject to the requirements of this policy being met. Please note however that operational management of protest on the Parliamentary grounds is the responsibility of Police Scotland, in line with their powers and duties to prevent crime, maintain order and protect life and property. Any enquiries related to the operational management of protest should be directed to Police Scotland.
10. The aim of these requirements is to help facilitate an organised and effective protest whilst protecting the:
11. The Parliament has an essential role in the functioning of the democratic process in Scotland.
12. We ask you to respect the following requirements when using the Parliament’s grounds to protest:
13. There are also restrictions to what you can do as part of your protest:
14. Please note that protests and demonstrations are not permitted in the building and must not interfere with or seek to disrupt the functioning of Parliament.
15. The Parliament is an impartial space for elected Members, as the representatives of the people, to debate and question witnesses during parliamentary proceedings. The protest policy, together with the visitor behaviour policy, seek to ensure impartiality by prohibiting protest in the building.
16. The SPCB has responsibility for the parliamentary estate including the landscaped grounds.
17. Its responsibilities include:
18. To assist the SPCB in fulfilling these responsibilities, and to ensure its resilience, the Scottish Parliamentary estate is designated by the UK Home Office as a “protected site” in the interest of national security, under section 129 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA). The same protections apply to the Welsh and UK parliaments.
19. We recognise that protests and demonstrations are a human right and a vital part of the expression of democracy in Scotland.
20. However, if at any time your protest fails to observe the requirements set out in this policy, it may mean that we may withdraw our permission for you to hold the protest or demonstration externally.
21. Before taking any action, we will engage with you fully to try to resolve matters. We will only exercise the option to take action as a designated site under SOCPA where the terms of this policy have been exceeded to the extent that our ability to fulfil our responsibilities is seriously disrupted; and as a result threatens parliamentary business; or the safety of those on site; or the legitimate right of others to engage and participate with Parliament.
22. In this event, we will notify you of this and may ultimately ask you to leave.
23. We reserve the right to apply a period of exclusion from the Parliament’s public galleries for parliamentary business in the event of protest or demonstration in the building in breach of this policy.
Read the privacy notice for demonstrations and protests held at the Scottish Parliament
Read our privacy notice on preventing business disruption from protest
This policy is managed by the Scottish Parliament’s Security Office on behalf of the SPCB.
(Last updated: December 2025)