Scottish pro-independence campaigners in Glasgow came out in their hundreds to the city’s St. George’s Square to encourage fellow Scots to vote Yes in the upcoming independence referendum last night.
The 1,500-strong event was organised by Line of Duty actor Martin Compston and initially billed as an opportunity for Yes campaigners to show their friendlier side by hugging No voters going about their business in Glasgow city centre.
“I felt that it was being portrayed that the Yes campaign was quite negative so I was keen for people to come together and show how positive it is,” Compston said.
Compston began drumming up support for the event on Monday through Twitter under the hashtag #nopoliticiansjustpeople, which was soon trending in the Glasgow area.
While some immediately praised the effort and many Yes campaigners paraded in the square with “Talk to us, we don’t bite” placards, Newsweek saw the hugging element quickly dropped from the itinerary after several unsuccessful attempts.
“Asked No voter for a hug.Got told to "f**k aff ya bent basturt" followed by "I'll kick yer c**t in". I'll no be tryin that again! [sic]” one Yes campaigner tweeted.
Initially Yes campaigners set the scene for an amicable get together in the surrounding streets with some offering free cake to Glaswegians. “We are just trying to infuse a bit of friendliness in the campaign,” a stall campaigner told me, before insisting I indulge in a Yes-infused bun.
Stalls offered free Saltire-themed facepainting, while a few visitors from Catalonia showed their solidarity to the Yes cause by disrupting the sea of blue flags, banners and faces with their own yellow and red livery.
Nearby street performers attracted much attention as they prompted public renditions of Flower of Scotland and Caledonia, as well as a few Proclaimers classics.
As more supporters flocked to St. George’s Square, however, a hint of aggression tinged the atmosphere, with chants berating the BBC being heard.
Several hundred protesters had put up banners with “Biased Broadcasting Company” in front of Glasgow’s BBC studios on Monday, amidst claims from the Yes campaign that the network’s coverage of the referendum was biased towards the Union.
More pro-independence festivities are planned today, including a ceilidh in Edinburgh. while a pied piper is slated to lead a line of Yes voters through the city to polling booths tomorrow.
Scotsman Englishman: Two Friends, One Thorny Argument, an in-depth ebook on the Scottish independence debate, is available now from Newsweek Insights.
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