A SMALL number of people have turned up for an anti-lockdown protest in Glasgow Green despite warnings from the First Minister that it would be considered an “illegal gathering”.
A number of protests were planned across the UK by an organisation calling itself the UK Freedom Movement. They circulated a graphic on social media this week urging people to attend the events to say no to the Coronavirus Bill, mandatory vaccines and the “unlawful lockdown”.
READ MORE: Lockdown protest picnics are 'putting lives at risk'
Police are in attendance at the Glasgow Green event, which one Herald reporter estimating there are about 40-50 people taking part in the protest – but stressing it was hard to tell who was protesting and who was simply watching.
People at the event were reported as chanting “experts lie; people die”, “don’t listen to the media, listen to the people”, “Nicola Sturgeon is a traitor” and “we are not livestock”.
It is now 12:45. This is the scene at Glasgow Green. There is still one police van in the immediate scene, but no more officers here on foot. pic.twitter.com/eqAmpRhm6k
— Elle (@ElleDuffy_) May 16, 2020
Meanwhile at Queens Park in the city’s southside, where another anti-lockdown protest had been planned, there were reports of just a handful of protesters being in attendance.
Asked about the planned protests at a daily press briefing this week, the First Minister said: “Anybody that goes to a picnic in the park right now will be breaking the law.”
Nicola Sturgeon said would have “every confidence that the police will apply and enforce the law.”
The SNP leader reminded people why such gatherings had been banned to control the spread of the virus. She said: “So you're breaking the law, which is one good reason not to do it. But the other perhaps even more important reason not to do it is you'll be putting people's lives at risk.
“And so if anybody out there watching this is even remotely tempted to go to some illegal gathering in a park this weekend because you're fed up with lockdown, what I'd say to you is, I understand you're fed up with lockdown, we're all fed up with it, but we're having to do it for the right reasons and if you do that, then it is not an exaggeration to say you could be putting people's lives at risk.
“Please don't do it, you know we're all in this for the same reason, to stop people dying unnecessarily, so don't be that person that goes and knowingly put somebody's life on the line, it's not worth it.”
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