SCOTTISH independence supporters are being urged to show their anger at Boris Johnson's refusal of a Section 30 order by attending a candlelit vigil outside the Scotland Office in Edinburgh on Friday.
The "spontaneous" event is being organised by English Scots For Yes along with other activists and groups, and follows the Prime Minister's "disgraceful" response to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's request for a transfer of powers to allow Scotland to hold a new referendum.
Described as a "demo and candlelit vigil" in support of democracy and Scotland's right to choose, it will take place at the Scotland Office in Melville Crescent from 3-6pm, with the message that "Scotland won't be silenced".
The First Minister wrote to Johnson after the General Election when the SNP increased their number of MPs to 47 and took 45% of votes, cast a rise of 8.1%.
Johnson took until yesterday to respond and dismissed the request, claiming both Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond had made "a personal promise that the 2014 referendum was a once-in-a-generation vote".
English Scots for Yes national convenor Math Campbell-Sturgess said: “We’re going to demonstrate outside the Scotland Office on Friday in response to Boris Johnson’s disgraceful letter this week to the First Minister.
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"We must defend Scottish democracy. The people of Scotland have voted again and again to give the Scottish Government a mandate to hold another independence referendum. It is not Boris Johnson’s place to deny us our right to self-determination. We’ll be holding a candlelight vigil at sunset, to shine a light on what became a dark day for democracy."
He added: "No one person has organised this, it came out of an online discussion about the need to do something. The UK Government needs to know it cannot run roughshod over Scotland’s people and our democracy in this way.
“We call on all fellow Yes groups and independence activists, as well as all those who believe in democracy, to join us at the UK Government’s outpost in Scotland and defend Scotland’s right to choose. Scotland will not be silenced.”
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