Pro-EU marchers to rally in Edinburgh to mark Brexit anniversary

Supporters of the UK's place in the European Union will stage another rally in Edinburgh this weekend.

A previous pro-EU march in Edinburgh was held in July 2016. Picture: Steven Scott Taylor

The event on Saturday will be held close to the one year anniversary of Article 50 being triggered by Westminster, which officially notified the EU of the UK’s intention to quit following the 2016 referendum.

Marchers will gather outside the Radison Blu hotel on the Royal Mile at 2pm before heading down the Canongate to the Scottish Parliament.

Speakers, including Patrick Harvie MSP of the Scottish Greens and the SNP’s Joanna Cherry MP, will address the crowd outside Holyrood.

Vanessa Glynn. chair of the European Movement in Scotland said: “It is important that the anniversary of the Article 50 notification, looming just days after the event, doesn’t pass without notice. Scotland never wanted Brexit, and we will be noisy about it until our voices are listened to.”

She added: “Every week, a new reason for Britain to be in the EU emerges. The recent events in Salisbury are one example: it was our EU partners who stood up for Britain, while the United States proved an unresponsive partner. In an ever colder world, it would be ludicrous to turn our backs on our best friends. We belong in the European family, and we stand ready to show it.”

Juuso Järviniemi, president of Young European Movement UK, said: “The Brexit deal will be Britain’s most significant international agreement in living memory. A pig in the poke is no basis for that. It is entirely justified to ask the people what they think of the deal. Democracy did not cease in 2016.”