Police Scotland are investigating claims demonstrators displayed the flag of a proscribed loyalist terrorist organisation alongside neo-Nazi banners in Edinburgh.
Videos circulating on social media show a group of men holding up a flag bearing the name of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) during a protest on Princes Street on Saturday.
The anti-immigration demonstration – organised by the far-right Scottish Defence League – took place on 15 August in Edinburgh city centre, during the capital’s peak tourism season.
Images also show some of the men carrying a banner bearing the logo of Combat 18, the neo-Nazi group, and the far-right organisation, Patriotic Alternative.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said it was “aware” of the images and videos posted online, adding inquiries were ongoing.
The UDA is a loyalist paramilitary group responsible for the killing of hundreds of people during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The group was active in the 70s, 80s, and 90s and officially ended its armed campaign in 2007.
The UDA became a proscribed terrorist organisation in 1992, meaning it is now an offence to belong to, invite support for, or “express an opinion or belief that is supportive” of the group.
It is also an offence to wear clothing or display articles which suggest a person is a supporter of a proscribed organisation or publish an image of a flag or logo related to a proscribed group.
“Blood and Honour”, another group whose flag appears to have been on display was sanctioned by the UK government last year due to suspected terrorist activities.
