THE chances of the rally at the end of next Saturday’s march for independence in Edinburgh going ahead are no more than 50-50, according to organisers All Under One Banner.
The march is definitely on, with the route from Johnston Terrace past Edinburgh Castle and down the Royal Mile approved by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) continue to oppose the rally element in Holyrood Park, however, saying that the rally with its stage for speakers and musicians and the stalls is a political event which cannot be allowed.
All Under One Banner (AUOB) have appealed to HES, Edinburgh Council, Police Scotland and the Scottish Parliament to permit the rally to go ahead somewhere in Holyrood Park, perhaps adjacent to the Scottish Parliament building itself, if only to help disperse the anticipated crowd of between 30,000 and 50,000.
AUOB’s named organiser Gary Kelly said: “I am very concerned about the safety aspect now because the numbers attending the march are growing by the day. I’d say the rally part of it is only 50-50 to go ahead just now.
“We have been very courteous and cooperative, the council have been supportive and so have the police, but HES doesn’t seem to want to know.”
The National can reveal that AUOB’s original estimate for attendance back in March was 15,000, but after the success of the marches and rallies in Glasgow, Dumfries, Stirling, Inverness and Dundee, the estimate was revised upwards to 30,000 and is now 35,000 to 50,000.
One possibility is that a reduced scale rally could be allowed on council-owned Meadowfield Park to the east of Arthur’s Seat. A council spokeswoman said: “The march has been approved by committee
but for anything to take place in a park, organisers would
have to apply and then the application to be assessed in terms of public safety.”
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