Thousands march through Edinburgh to protest Supreme Court ruling

Heckle is delighted to publish this report from members of Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh on the enormous trans rights demonstration which took place in the Scottish capital on Saturday 19 April 2025.

Approximately 2,000 members of the public marched from the foot of the Mound to the UK Government building in Edinburgh in protest of the Supreme Court’s decision on Wednesday to roll back the rights of transgender women by classifying them as men under the Equality Act.

The protest, organised autonomously by members of the community, including members of Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh, saw a highly-energised crowd. The rhetoric on display encouraged solidarity within the trans community rather than begging the government for help, including a call to autonomously establish sources of “Food, Housing, Medicine and Trans Joy”.

One protester, the poet Ellie Mental, said: “This protest shows one thing more than any other. Where they need to bus in a couple hundred to fill out their little hate meets, thousands organically show up to support us. Where they need to utilise courts to enforce their bigotry, we have a real community at our backs. Where they have billionaires bankrolling their cruelty” – referring to the American dark money used to fund many anti-trans organisations – “we rely on each other’s compassion and strength. For every step they push us back, we don’t falter. We stand firm. We push back. We’re not going anywhere.”

Red, an ally who attended the protest, told us:

“As a cisgender woman and a survivor of sexual violence, I think the Supreme Court decision is an insult. It’s something that should frighten all of us, cis or trans. It’s done nothing to clarify anyone’s rights or protect anyone – all it does is legitimise the kind of blind bigotry that’s made it harder and harder for organisations supporting women and LGBTQ+ people to operate freely. Me and many others like me are out here protesting today because trans women’s rights are all of our rights. We’re all on the same side here and I’m sick of people who pretend to speak for me targeting my friends and family and making all of us less safe and more afraid. This ruling represents the wants of a tiny minority of bigoted, vindictive people – and we can’t let it stand unchallenged.”

Many of those present feel that the UK Parliament and Supreme Court have shown that they are actively hostile towards trans existence. The reason for this is that have repeatedly blocked Scotland’s cross-party efforts to reduce unnecessary legal burdens on trans people, and to bring legislation in line with international standards of human rights. Flyers distributed at the demonstration said: “We urge the people of Scotland to resist and ignore Wednesday’s verdict.”

Cordially sharing the foot of the Mound with street preachers celebrating Easter, the protest saw chants such as “out of the clinics, into the streets”, “A, B, abolish the GIC” and “you can shove your Supreme Court up your arse”. It proceeded along the road to the Queen Elizabeth House, where more speeches and chants took place.

Q, a scholar and trans activist who has organised in India, Ireland and Scotland for over a decade on queer rights and inclusion and sexual liberation for women, trans and lower caste communities, told the protest:

“As the world slowly shifts into democratic backsliding, trans people have been weaponised into a distraction, where instead of addressing a housing crisis, poverty, homelessness, an underfunded NHS, care for the most vulnerable in our society, an ongoing genocide in Palestine, the murder of children and civilians using weapons manufactured in our country, on our soil, they choose instead to target, disenfranchise, and attack the 1% using flawed notions of biology and justice. But the politics of hate they are fuelled by separates them from us and our politics of warmth, hospitality, and care.”

Leith-based writer Josie Giles said: “Today proved the enormous power of trans people’s collective organising. Together we have all the strength and skills we need to fight the powers that seek to exclude trans women from public life, and to seize what all oppressed people need: food, housing, medicine and a joyful life. Our liberation is workers’ liberation and women’s liberation. And trans people said it loud: Free Palestine!”

This last month has seen rapid organisation of the trans community in Scotland, with multiple protests and mutual aid organisations being established. In the face of adversity, the trans community is coming together prefigurative solidarity in order to build powerful networks of support.

Sam, an Edinburgh local, said: “Seeing people from literally every sort of local community I can think of made ‘Whose streets? Our streets!’ sound legit. The transphobes could never.”