Humanists, atheists and Grand Orange Lodge take to the streets

Published on Wednesday 15 September 2010 18:28

HUNDREDS of demonstrators are expected to gather today in protest at the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.

• A mural outside St John's Church in Edinburgh protests about the Catholic Church's ban on women priests Picture: Neil Hanna

In addition to other protests planned by humanist bodies, the events are scheduled across Edinburgh and Glasgow, with a disparate range of bodies organising them.

In Edinburgh, up to 100 protesters are expected to congregate, among them members of the Atheist Society, while the Grand Orange Lodge of Scotland is due to carry out a "silent witness" protest.

Iain Wilson, grand master, said 50 members of the lodge would be protesting in Lothian Road from 11:30am onwards, but none would be wearing full regalia.

The Independent Orange Institution of Scotland has also approached the authorities about presenting a petition to the Scottish Parliament.

The Rev Ian Paisley will also be attending the capital, where he intends to lead a 70-strong protest by the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster at the Magdalen Chapel in Cowgate, where John Knox once preached.

Members of Protest the Pope, an umbrella group opposed to the visit, will also make their presence known in Edinburgh with what it describes as a "static protest" between 11am and 2pm in Lothian Road opposite the Usher Hall.

Chief Superintendent Charlie Common said Lothian and Borders Police was "very happy" it had reached agreement with organised protesters to stage demonstrations out of sight of the main St Ninian's Day parade, but stressed he was prepared for more hostile events.

About 100 people are also expected to gather in Glasgow, drawn from a Catholic group and another organisation with links to the Presbyterian church.

At Bellahouston Park, where the Pope will hold a large-scale Mass this evening, a specific area for protesters will be set up in Mosspark Boulevard at Bellahouston Drive. A police cordon will surround the area.

Other groups may be intending on holding demonstrations in Glasgow, but Strathclyde Police regards the threat as low.The state of which the Pope is head has also resisted signing many major human rights treaties and has formed its own treaties ('concordats') with many states which negatively affect the human rights of citizens of those states.

In any case, we reject the masquerading of the Holy See as a state and the Pope as a head of state as merely a convenient fiction to amplify the international influence of the Vatican.