Time for Scotland rally will take place despite high wind warning

A torchlight procession and rally will go ahead at The Scottish Parliament tonight marking the third anniversary of Scotland’s forced removal from the EU, despite a yellow weather alert for 80 mph winds. 

Time for Scotland – which organised fifteen rallies across Scotland on Supreme Court Verdict Day last November- has taken the decision to go ahead, after advice that high winds will largely be confined to northern and western Scotland. 

The fully stewarded torch-lit procession will assemble at Pollock Halls of Residence from 5pm and set off at 5.30pm down the Galloping Glen in Holyrood Park towards the rally at Holyrood which starts at 6pm.

The hand-held torch/flares, used previously at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, will give independence supporters the chance to walk with EU citizens, students and others who say they have been harmed by Brexit.

Scottish Green co-convenor Lorna Slater MSP says Scots can ‘prove Alister Jack wrong by turning up in droves on Brexit Day’ – a reference to the Scottish Secretary’s claim there’s no desire for EU membership in Scotland, despite polls showing 72% of Scots want to re-join.

Alyn Smith MP will open the speeches on Tuesday night. He said: “Brexit remains the elephant in the room in UK politics, which neither the Tories or Labour Party dare question. It’s the elephant crushing the UK economy, exacerbating the meltdown of health systems, tearing the foundations from our economy and wrecking the future prospects for an entire generation of young people across these islands. It doesn’t have to be like this. Scotland has a route back into the European family of nations – independence.”

Alyn Smith – recently appointed Europe and EU Accession spokesperson in the SNP’s new frontbench team- was previously a Member of the European Parliament and pleaded with colleagues to ‘leave a light on’ in his final contribution to the chamber in Brussels in 2019: “So we can find our way home.”

MEPs responded by holding a vigil with lights –which has inspired January’s ‘Light’s On’ event at Holyrood on Tuesday.

Jim Fairlie – former sheep farmer and SNP MSP – is another speaker who will highlight the damage he says has already been done to Scotland’s shellfish and fishing industries and the difficulties facing Scottish farmers as the UK trade deal with New Zealand lets lamb and beef imports flood the market – a situation that clearly cannot be rectified within the UK.

The rally will be held on the day that an IMF forecast that the UK’s economy will shrink this year – the only country forecast to do so in the G7 – and a week after a think tank report estimating a post-Brexit shortfall of 300,000 workers in the UK economy. 

Time for Scotland claim that even though polls suggest most British voters want a Brexit rethink, no major British political party will represent their views.

According to broadcaster and pro-independence activist, Lesley Riddoch: “If Brexit has been such a success where’s the ‘Independence Day’ party organised by Nigel Farage or Boris Johnson? It’s a measure of Britain’s brokenness that Scots may be the only people on the streets tonight – not celebrating but highlighting the multiple harms of Brexit.”

Other speakers at the rally include Janina Jetter (a German citizen and co-founder of Europe for Scotland) and Portuguese-born Edinburgh Cllr Martha Mattos Coelho – a Portugal-born, SNP Edinburgh councillor. She says; “Brexit made me join politics and it’s a huge part of why I am in Scotland and on the council and, most importantly, why I’m fighting for independence.” 

Two hundred torches have been pre-bought for the torchlight procession. Walkers are asked to bring their own electric lights too – the torches extinguish after 45 mins use. There will be a steel bin for their disposal at Holyrood and stewards ensuring safety along the procession route.

Meanwhile, Yes groups across Scotland are encouraging members to put ‘Lights On’ in the local landscape and in their own windows on Brexit Night. 

The Edinburgh rally will be livestreamed by Indy Live on their YouTube channel – https://www.youtube.com/@independencelive