Protesters warned to stay away from Edinburgh by the council leader

The City of Edinburgh Council Leader Adam Mcvey has warned anyone thinking of protesting in Edinburgh tomorrow against the lockdown to stay at home.

Cllr McVey said: “We’ve been liaising with Police Scotland and we fully support their advice that people should stay at home. While people are entitled to express their opinions, to do so in this way and at this time puts our residents at unnecessary additional risk. This simply isn’t safe.

“To attend a protest like this now would be incredibly selfish and those doing so would be putting our families and communities at greater risk when numbers of transmissions are already far too high in Edinburgh.

“This attempt to create a crowd is utterly disrespectful to our businesses and residents who are sacrificing so much to try and keep all of us safe. Anyone thinking of breaking rules by travelling to Edinburgh to attend this event should not do so- they are not welcome.”

Earlier in the week, Police Scotland urged members of the public to stay at home and not attend a demonstration and march being planned to start at the Scottish Parliament on Monday.

Under current Level 4 restrictions, such gatherings are not permitted and anyone wishing to demonstrate is urged to find alternative ways to protest, such as online, to help prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Superintendent David Robertson, from Edinburgh Division, said: “We understand people want to make their voices heard, but they must do so lawfully and safely.

“The Scottish Government regulations are clear that public processions and static protests are prohibited under the current Level 4 restrictions.

“Our approach throughout this pandemic has been to use the 4Es approach, which is to engage with the public, explain the restrictions in place, encourage compliance and, as a last resort we will use enforcement, where required.

“The Chief Constable has been clear, where officers encounter wilful breaches, we will act decisively to enforce the law.

“We are asking people to take personal responsibility and stay at home in order to protect our NHS and save lives.”

For more information on the latest coronavirus guidelines please visit the Scottish Government website at www.gov.scot/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance.

The Scotland Against Lockdown group is a “campaign that says NO to mandatory Facemasks. NO to the Scottish & U.K. Governments Coronavirus Act 2020. NO to Social Distancing. NO to mandatory Vaccines. NO to the New Abnormal.”

The weather forecast for tomorrow is rainy most of the day according to the Met Office. Read more here.

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To minimise the risk of spreading the virus, you must stay at home as much as possible. By law, in a level 4 area, you can only leave your home (or garden) for an essential purpose.
There is a list of examples of reasonable excuses below. Although you can leave home for these purposes, you should stay as close to home as possible. Shop on-line or use local shops and services wherever you can. Travel no further than you need to reach to a safe, non-crowded place to exercise in a socially distanced way. To minimise the risk of spread of Coronavirus it is crucial that we all avoid unnecessary travel.
Examples of reasonable excuses to go out:
for work or an activity associated with seeking employment, or to provide voluntary or charitable services, but only where that cannot be done from your home.
for education including, school, college, university or other essential purposes connected with a course of study.
for essential shopping, including essential shopping for a vulnerable person. You should use online shopping or shops and other services in your immediate area wherever you can.
to obtain or deposit money, where it is not possible to do so from home.
for healthcare, including COVID-19 testing and vaccination.
for childcare or support services for parents or expectant parents.
for essential services, including services of a charitable or voluntary nature such as food banks, alcohol or drug support services.
to access public services where it is not possible to do so, including from home:
services provided to victims (such as victims of crime),
social-care services,
accessing day care centres,
services provided by the Department for Work and Pensions,
services provided to victims (including victims of crime),
asylum and immigration services and interviews,
waste or recycling services,
to provide care, assistance, support to or respite for a vulnerable person
to provide or receive emergency assistance.
to participate in or facilitate shared parenting.
to visit a person in an extended household.
to meet a legal obligation including satisfying bail conditions, to participate in legal proceedings, to comply with a court mandate in terms of sentence imposed or to register a birth.
for attendance at court including a remote jury centre, an inquiry, a children’s hearing, tribunal proceedings or to resolve a dispute via Alternative Dispute Resolution.
for essential animal welfare reasons, such as exercising or feeding a horse or going to a vet.
local outdoor recreation, sport or exercise, walking, cycling, golf, or running that starts and finishes at the same place (which can be up to 5 miles from the boundary of your local authority area) as long as you abide by the rules on meeting other households
to attend a marriage ceremony or registration of a civil partnership.
to attend a funeral or for compassionate reasons which relate to the end of a person’s life. This includes gatherings related to the scattering or interring of ashes, a stone setting ceremony and other similar commemorative events.
if you are a minister of religion or worship leader, for the purposes of leading an act of worship (broadcast or online), conducting a marriage or civil partnership ceremony or a funeral.
to donate blood.
for activities in connection with moving home (including viewing a property), or for activities in connection with the maintenance, purchase, sale, letting, or rental of residential property that the person owns or is otherwise responsible for. Travelling for the purposes of undertaking essential work on a property other than your main residence should not be used as a pretext for a holiday. You should not stay longer than for the length of time required to undertake the necessary work.
to avoid injury, illness or to escape a risk of harm.
for those involved in professional sports, for training, coaching or competing in an event.
to visit a person receiving treatment in a hospital, staying in a hospice or care home, or to accompany a person to a medical appointment.
to register or vote in a Scottish or UK Parliament, Local Government or overseas election or by-election, including on behalf of someone else by proxy
to visit a person detained in prison, young offenders institute, remand centre, secure accommodation or other place of detention.
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