POLICE yesterday won praise from some of the 100,000 people who took part in Saturday’s All Under One Banner (AUOB) march and rally for independence through Glasgow.

The event came just over a week after Nicola Sturgeon fired the starting gun for a second independence referendum before May 2021.

Organisers posted on Facebook: “AUOB would like to the thank Audrey Hand, Chief Inspector, the police liaison officers, all the officers that were involved from the ground to the sky in the helicopter. Police Scotland showed the world how you police unlike the Spanish etc.

“We are very grateful, thank you from All Under one Banner and the 100k. Honestly you were excellent.”

That praise was repeated in the many comments that followed.

Isabel Campbell wrote: “Police Scotland are amazing – we are lucky to have such wonderful Police officers in Scotland, a credit to Scotland.

“The officers in the area where we were standing were so nice, pleasant and polite. We were just along from the 20 or so Unionists who were surrounded with must have been around 10 police officers, so that alone speaks for itself.

“They have an easy task with the independence support, they are happy, polite and well-behaved ... Cannot praise our police force enough for their attendance at these marches.”

Another marcher, Sheila Faichney, said: “Great good humour and class shown by the police yesterday, saw lots of them getting a hug or a high five, well done guys.”

Louie Karen Wakeley added: “My grandson, who is five, said hello to every officer he seen and every one of them smiled, said hello back and asked if he was having a good day enjoying the march. It all added to his experience of coming to his first ever indy march with his granny.”

Police estimated that up to 35,000 people had taken part in the march from Kelvingrove Park to Glasgow Green, but organisers yesterday put the official figure at more than 100,000.

Either way it was considerably more than the 35,000 or so who took part in a similar rally last year.

And it attracted international coverage, with Deutsche Welle, Germany’s state broadcaster, saying: “There was a carnival atmosphere … with bagpipes and drums intermingling with calls for ‘independence now’.”

La Vanguardia, which is based in the Catalan capital Barcelona, said: “Scots of all ages claimed, in a festive atmosphere … ‘Conservatives out’ and ‘independence now’.

“Speaking to [news agency] Efe, Manny Singh, an organiser of the march, welcomed Sturgeon’s announcement but considered that, to persuade the undecided, the executive must present a ‘viable plan’.

“‘It’s time, we just need a date, what the government has to do is present a viable plan to the Scots on agriculture, economy, currency ... We need a vision for Scotland’,” he said.

La Vanguardia also quoted a kilted Allan Galloway, who was with his two children, Kirstie, five, and seven-year-old Ben, as saying: “It is important that they understand the importance of politics.

“We voted in favour of staying in Europe and it has been shown that our voice is not heard in London. They have no right to say ‘no’, we have the right to vote again.”