THE international reach of the growing Yes DIY movement was amply demonstrated at the weekend when people travelled from Catalonia, Germany and the Netherlands among other places to take part in the magnificent March for Independence organised by All Under One Banner in Glasgow.
Now the focus moves to Europe, with the second annual march and rally of Netherlands for Scottish independence in The Hague this Saturday. It is seen as just as vital to the cause as it keeps campaigners in touch.
Raimond Dijkstra is the co-organiser of the march – but why should the Dutch be interested in Scottish independence?
He said: “I’ve always had an interest in Scotland in general. About eight years ago, I visited for the first time with my dad and fell in love with the country. And no country should be controlled from afar. We want to mobilise Scots living in Holland and the Dutch too, but also the Dutch living in Scotland.”
The march will be supported by Germans for Independence who had 67 people travel over to take part in Saturday’s march in Glasgow.
Colin Macpherson was one of those who travelled from his home in Germany. He told The National: “It’s been brilliant to be here today, it’s been a great success.
“For a lot of us it was the first time we we had been at a rally in Scotland, and it was amazing to see so many people marching.
“We will be supporting the march in The Hague and it will be on a slightly different scale like the other rallies in Europe with maybe 150 to 200 people, but it will be worth it.”
One of the speakers scheduled for Saturday is Ariel Killick, the Australian-born Gaelic artist who has campaigned for people from the Scottish diaspora, such as the Brain family from Australia, to be allowed to stay here.
Without giving away too much from her speech, Killick told The National that Brexit will play a big part in what she will be saying.
She said: “One of my main points on Saturday will be about the people who voted No in the 2014 referendum. Many of those voters voted to stay in Europe and now they are being ignored by the Union they voted for.
“Last Saturday’s march was a game changer for the cause of independence but even more of a material game changer should be the fact that Brexit means Scotland is being forced out of the EU against its will.
“It’s not about whether we are an independent state in the EU or out of the EU, it’s the principle that we are having one of the biggest legislative changes ever forced upon us entirely against the democratic will of the people of Scotland and that should be an issue for No voters.”
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