THEIR roaring and revving Saltire-bedecked motorbikes provided a cacophonous backdrop to the pre-pandemic independence marches – and now the Yes Bikers are back.
As indy supporters took to the streets of Glasgow on Saturday, the bikers took the independence message to communities up and down the East of Scotland.
Around 80 bikes gathered at Ferry Toll in the ancient royal burgh of Inverkeithing and took the Fife coastal route through Burntisland, Kirkcaldy, St Andrew’s and everywhere in between, to the Tay Road Bridge and into the Yes city of Dundee, picking up additional riders on route.
READ MORE: Scottish independence supporters take to streets of Glasgow for Yes march
They carried on to Broughty Ferry, Carnoustie and into Arbroath, only stopping for short periods to engage with onlookers, recreating the noisy awareness and promotion of independence neither seen nor heard since before Covid-19 first crippled the country.
“The ride was to let people know that we’ve not gone away and we’re still actively campaigning for Scottish independence,” Yes Biker John Luckwell wrote on the group’s Facebook page.
“You guys nailed it, people in towns and villages taking pictures, filming us, waving, chatting.
“At one point the front of the ride was entering one village while the rear of the ride was still in the last village ... special thanks to the old lady that gave us directions from her doorstep when, in true Yes Biker fashion we had a navigation moment.”
Luckwell said he was pleased the bikers had a positive response, everywhere they went: “We left from Inverkeithing and had 80 bikes at the meet with more joining us on route,” he said.
READ MORE: Maggie Chapman among line-up as independence youth conference makes return
“We had loads of positive response from the public and Yes people out in places with their flags and, at one point when the front of the ride was entering Anstruther the rear was still in Pittenweem.
“We are planning rides at the moment and we’re thinking about a similar one on the Ayrshire coast down into the Borders.
“Yes, it’s definitely good to be back out on the road promoting independence.”
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