This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
On a crisp autumn day in 2019, thousands of demonstrators gathered in Holyrood Park, the heart of Scotland's capital, Edinburgh. The crowd, many waving Scottish flags, some dressed in traditional kilts, and a few playing lively tunes on musical instruments, including bagpipes, set off on a march that would take them through the city's streets.
Among the marchers was lawyer and Scottish Nationalist (SNP) lawmaker Joanna Cherry, a key figure in the successful legal challenge to Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend parliament. She was also a strong supporter of the law passed in September 2019, which forced Johnson to request additional time from the European Union to avoid a no-deal Brexit.
The march was organized by All Under One Banner, a group that aimed to mobilize 100,000 people in support of Scottish independence. The movement has gained momentum in recent years, particularly since the 2016 Brexit referendum, in which Scotland voted by 62% to remain in the EU, while the rest of the UK voted to leave.
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the SNP, has argued that Brexit will have a devastating impact on the country's economy. Nationalists also claim that some people who voted against independence in 2014 did so under the assumption that it would guarantee Scotland's place in the EU.
Sturgeon, who has called for a second independence referendum in 2021, was unable to attend the march but sent a message of support via Twitter. The march was not without its counter-protesters, with a small group of pro-Union activists carrying Union Jack flags staging a peaceful demonstration.
