INDY campaign group All Under One Banner (AUOB) is organising an emergency demonstration in Glasgow calling for the sacking of Boris Johnson, the ending of Tory rule and independence now.

The protest march will start at George Square at noon next Saturday – January 22 – and will see participants march to Glasgow Green.

Neil Mackay, from AUOB, said public feeling was so strong about Johnson’s Downing Street party that the group did not have time to give authorities the required 28 days’ notice.

“This isn’t normal circumstances,” he told The National. “These things just arise naturally and there needs to be a public demonstration about it as there is such strong feeling.

“The authorities should be paying attention and today we’ll be letting the police know in the first instance that it’s going ahead and why.

“They’ll need to use emergency powers to let it go ahead so the whole thing is very much on that basis.”

AUOB marches have in the past attracted tens of thousands of people and Mackay is hopeful that despite having just over a week’s notice, the turnout will be good.

“In all honesty you never know how many people will turn up, but I’d say at least 5000 will take part next week,"

“It could be a lot more, it could be in the tens of thousands. It’s such a situation we don’t know how it’s going to develop over the next 10 days.”

Mackay said it was, first and foremost, a march for independence because “that’s what we do”, but they were also planning slogans to “sack Boris Johnson, end Tory rule” and calling for “independence now”.

AUOB said: “Boris Johnson must go. He partied while others died. His murderous Covid policies and the stench of Tory corruption and sleaze are the last straw.

“Millions of people are furious that this Westminster Tory government continues to line the pockets of their rich and powerful friends, whilst the rest of us face rising living costs and savage attacks on our NHS, pensions and public services. 

“It is time to take to the streets to demand Johnson must go and step up the fight to secure independence, which will in itself bring the end to Tory rule in Scotland once and for all.

“The Indy movement and indeed the Scottish Government must seize this moment to assert our right to get out of this rotten toxic union. We know that the Tories are now desperate to replace Johnson with another rotten Tory politician who will continue the arrogance towards Scotland and our right to decide. Scotland can't wait.

“This is an emergency situation as it is urgent and essential to both bring down this most corrupt Westminster Government and seize the moment to step up the fight for independence.

“That is why All Under One Banner urges the whole movement to unite and come together in our thousands to show that Independence for Scotland is an urgent priority. We look forward to seeing everyone at Glasgow on Saturday January 22.”

Mackay said feelings were running high about Johnson, but the system would not change were the Prime Minister to do the honourable thing and resign.

He added: “If that did happen the event would just be slightly different. If he resigned there would be some new character in his position, some new Tory character telling us what we can and can't do, but we’d still have the same system.

“None of that changes if Boris goes. One thing is we’ve been told it was his stance that was unsustainable against a Section 30. But we’re going to be reminded that it wasn't about him, it's about all Westminster governments. Basically they will not be agreeing to it, they won't be playing fair. They want to keep Scotland in the UK.

“But I think it will help a set a new beginning for the independence movement – he can’t be used anymore as an excuse and we’ve got to crack on.”