ALMOST 2000 Yes voters thronged the streets of Campbeltown yesterday for the biggest rally ever held in the Argyll town.
Marchers came from as far afield as Aberdeen, Alloa and Leven as well as Oban, Glasgow and Islay, with some giving hotels, pubs and cafes a boost by arriving early.
“It really exceeded expectations and made a big splash in town,” said Ron Wilson of Yes Kintyre.
“There was a real buzz as people came early and most of the hotels were booked up. The pubs and cafes were busy so it was good for local businesses.
READ MORE: WATCH: Thousands of Independence supporters at Campbeltown for march
“Campbeltown is a Yes town and it was brilliant to have all these people come here.”
He continued saying: “Local people were coming off the pavements and joining the procession so it created a good, positive vibe.”
Wilson said there was the “usual hard core” of Unionist protesters hurling abuse at the marchers but they appeared to be the same ones who have previously protested against All Under One Banner (AUOB) events.
A spit of rain earlier in the day failed to develop into poor weather as the marchers wound round the town to hear speakers and listen to musicians at the rally at Kinloch Green overlooking Campbeltown Loch. Wilson said Yes Kintyre had worked hard to make the march a success, pulling in people who had not campaigned since the 2014 referendum.
“It was really good to have something successful and to see people leaving with happy faces,” he said. “We could not really have asked for a bigger crowd considering the logistics as, for example, Glasgow is a three-hour drive away.
“Having been to many rallies I would say there was definitely between 1500 and 2000 people there.
“It was the biggest political rally Campbeltown has ever had. It was fantastic.”
READ MORE: All Under One Banner founder Neil Mackay resigns
Wilson said he was particularly pleased at the turn-out as there had been some confusion over whether the march would go ahead due to internal divisions within the hierarchy of AUOB.
Last week founder, Neil Mackay, resigned from his position on its national executive pending an internal investigation.
AUOB then said the event in Campbeltown was no longer theirs, but former director of operations Manny Singh, who was sacked last week by AUOB, said an event, called All Under One Saltire, would take place.
“Manny Singh does have his detractors but he did pull the march off and he deserves credit for that,” he said.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel