THREE people have been arrested after the Stone of Destiny was targeted by protesters.
The stone, which is currently being kept at Edinburgh Castle, was said to be the focus of a demonstration from the campaign group This is Rigged.
The group claimed that Edinburgh Castle had been temporarily shut down after their protest.
Police said three people had been arrested “in connection with damage caused”.
This is Rigged took responsibility for the protest, claiming to have “smashed the glass with pink hammers and spray-painted the words ‘Is Treasa Tuath Na Tighearna’ (the Gaelic slogan of the Highland Land League, which translates to ‘The People Are Mightier Than A Lord’) onto the glass, alongside the group’s logo”.
This is Rigged said it demanded “that supermarkets reduce the prices of baby products to March 2021 prices, and that the Scottish Government fully fund a community food hub per 500 households”.
In a statement released on social media, the group said: “Food is a human right. Hunger is a political choice. The times we live in are defined by crisis, by instability, by greed. We are already facing a crisis in every basic human need – housing, energy and food – leaving us massively unprepared and under-resourced for the impacts of climate breakdown.
“We are at a crucial moment in our history. We refuse to be at the mercy of modern-day lairds who hoard our resources and profit off our suffering, and the impotent politicians who do nothing to stop this.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.45am we were called to a report of a small protest within Edinburgh Castle.
“Officers attended and two women aged 20 and 24 years, and a 20-year-old man were arrested in connection with damage caused.
“Enquiries are ongoing.”
Also known as the Stone of Scone, the Stone of Destiny it is a 125kg slab of pinkish sandstone. It carries with it an enormous amount of symbolism, history and legend.
Measuring just 67cm in length, 24cm in width, and almost 27cm in height, it has played an outsize role in centuries of royal tradition.
Removed by King Edward I of England in 1296, it was brought back to Scotland by a gang of four Scottish nationalists in a daring Christmas Day raid in 1950, returned to Westminster Abbey months later, and then in 1996 sent back north of the border to Edinburgh.
It was used in the coronation of King Charles III and is due to be kept in a new museum in Perth.
Historic Environment Scotland, which manages Edinburgh Castle, has been approached for comment.
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