Country march nightmare for city’s shoppers

THE Capital’s biggest protest march for years is set to bring the city centre to a standstill this weekend.

More than 20,000 countryside protesters are expected from throughout Scotland and England on Sunday.

Police chiefs warned that the rally will cause chaos for shoppers taking advantage of the second last Sunday before Christmas as the marchers walk through the centre of town taking in key points such as Princes Street, Lothian Road and George IV Bridge.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A police operation involving hundreds of officers will swing into action to keep order during the Countryside Alliance rally.

But while police praised the organisers of Sunday’s march, they hit out today at the so-called Rural Rebels who have staged a series of high-profile protests.

Today the rebels - who are a separate group from the Countryside Alliance - were planning a blockade of the Border between Scotland and England. This week they also staged a blockade of the Forth Road Bridge.

A Lothian and Borders police spokesman said: "This looks like it will be the biggest demonstration we have seen in the Lothian and Borders area for many years.

"It will inevitably have an impact on the community and those visiting the Capital. We are advising motorists and visitors to the city on Sunday that certain roads will be closed for short periods and that they may face delays.

"Our aim is to keep this to a minimum but I would ask people doing their Christmas shopping and residents to be patient and allow time for their trips.

"Demonstrators will also have to confine themselves to agreed routes and obey their marshals and police. If everyone plays their part the balance will be struck and everyone’s rights preserved."

Hitting out at the Rural Rebels’ threat to blockade the Border today the police spokesman added: "The organisers of Sunday’s March on The Mound have approached this with care. Others promoting the cause of the rural communities have done so with little regard to the rights of others. They have ignored safety advice, given little notice of their plans and made appropriate planning impossible."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He warned that today’s blockade would be met with a strong police response, saying: "The threatened blockade of the A1 at the Border today, with the prospect of preventing movement of motorists, commerce and emergency vehicles will not be tolerated.

"Anyone who ignores police instructions and stops their vehicle to block the road will face arrest and prosecution and the confiscation of their vehicles. Any other actions designed to disrupt daily life will meet a robust response."

Alex Armstrong, spokesman for the Scottish Countryside Alliance, said that they were opposed to breaking the law to make a point.

He said: "While we may share the same aim as the Rural Rebels we are in no way involved with them. We have rules and one of them is that we do not break the law. We do not agree with the tactics of the Rural Rebels."

He said that Sunday’s march was being staged to draw attention to country concerns - such as a proposed ban on fox hunting and a land reform bill.

Mr Armstrong said: "The Scottish countryside is under threat as never before. Lord Watson’s Bill to ban hunting with dogs is the start of a systematic attack on rural Scotland through ill-informed and ill-motivated proposals.

"The purpose of the Edinburgh march is to show to the Parliament, before their vote on fox hunting, the strength of opposition to it and to those other attacks on rural Scotland."

He denied that the march was designed to cause disruption. He said: "Edinburgh is the epicentre of Scotland and if we want to make ourselves heard then Edinburgh is where we have to march."

Police have already warned that parking spaces will be in short supply and that the town centre could be far busier than normal.