... say 15,000 on rural protest march. Alistair McConnachie reports. Below, Alistair McConnachie and Kirstin McBride with the Sunday Telegraph article about her, which appeared on the same day.

In what was the largest rural protest march ever in Scotland, Sunday 16th December 2001 saw 15,000 protestors march through Edinburgh under the banner "Freedom for the Countryside".

Billed "The March on the Mound" - the "Mound" being a road running through the centre of Edinburgh, and where the Scottish Parliament is presently located - it was organised by the Scottish Countryside Alliance, and saw protestors arrive from all over Britain, including Cornwall, Devon and Wales.

Eight Sovereignty activists were present and distributed 3,000 leaflets, advertising our Website and Journal as a premier resource on countryside issues.

The Rally began at 12 noon in The Meadows, a large park near the centre of Edinburgh.

Ronnie Brown formerly of "The Corries" folk group, opened the proceedings in song (pic left). Speeches followed for half an hour, and the marchers heard from:

Allan Murray, Director of the Scottish Countryside Alliance, who set the scene by emphasising "freedom to choose". He called for "fairness, tolerance and justice" against "ignorance, prejudice and bigotry".

Roy Rowntree, a gamekeeper, called on the marchers "to fight ignorance and to fight the arrogance which threatens the survival of our country and our countryside." They were there, he said, to fight "the poison coming from the rabble on the Mound."

He ended, "We are here to fight, to defend rural rights, to protect rural minorities and to address real rural problems. We are here to educate the ignorant, to humble the arrogant, so march with your heads high, for your countryside, for my land, for your land, for Scotland."

Mike Rumbles, Lib Dem MSP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardineshire emphasised the loss of jobs and services throughout the rural communities. He said that 2,000 rural post offices closed during the period of the last British government, and 200 are being closed down each year. He reminded the marchers of the prediction of Lord Haskins, the "Rural Recovery Minister" that half of all farms would go bust in the next 20 years.

David McLetchie MSP, the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, called the Land Reform Bill a "bureaucratic nightmare" which was "unnecessary and positively damaging to the interests of those who live and work in Scotland's countryside."

He called for "a recovery plan to help the economy from the damage inflicted by the consequences of Foot and Mouth, and the damage which has been done to our tourist industry."

A plan was needed, he said, which would "focus on agriculture and tourism, bring investment to our roads and help to protect many of the small skills which are at the heart of rural communities."

"Instead", he said, "we have a Hunting Ban, and Land Reform Bill, schools closing and roads going unrepaired and unimproved. And at the same time, tens of millions of pounds are wasted on the folly which is the new Scottish Parliament building, which sees money going down the drain week after week. It is not only the new Edinburgh disgrace, it is Scotland's disgrace. There are far too many people in our government and rulers today who are deaf, indifferent and ignorant to the needs of the Scottish countryside. We have to make them listen. We have to turn indifference into concern, and ignorance into understanding. Do not despair. Let's keep going, because you are right, and ultimately right will prevail."

Tom Parker, a dog handler, said many people felt "excluded, not included" in the Scottish Parliament. He berated the Executive for "trying to thrust their moral values on us and their moral values don't stand up to scrutiny. So we've got to keep together and keep pushing. Now is the time for everybody to go and see their MSPs or their MPs."

In an obvious reference to the newly formed Direct Action group "Rural Rebels" which, in the manner of the anti-globalisation protestors, has adopted a boiler suit identity, he said, "If this Executive doesn't start to listen and start to listen soon, we'd better all start ordering Orange Boiler Suits."

Baroness Ann Mallalieu, President of the Countryside Alliance, spoke about "the fight against bigotry, intolerance and the bullies who use their power in office, not to do good, but to force their personal prejudices on others". She called for politicians to fight "the real problems of the countryside".

John Jeffrey, farmer and former Scotland rugby team player stated, "You'd better believe it. Our countryside is in crisis."

He emphasised that the March concerns were wider than the proposed ban on foxhunting. It ranged from the closure of large and small rural business, and the closure of schools and post offices.

He stated that the appointment of Lord Watson - the man behind the hunting bill - to the post of Minister for Sport and Tourism was, "Quite frankly, taking the piss." To cheers he added, "And I don't know about you, but I don't like people taking the piss out of me!"

He concluded that it was time to show Mr Blair "the depth of our feelings. And if he thinks we are going to lie down, then he is gravely mistaken. All we are asking for is our rights. We want freedom for the countryside. We want freedom for a say in the issues which affect us. We want freedom for our families to enjoy the rural life, and we want freedom for us to make the very best of this great land."

He introduced Ronnie Brown again, to lead the marchers in Flower of Scotland. John Jeffrey emphasised that the words of the song, 'And fought and died for our wee bit hill and glen', were, for him, very poignant. He ended, "That is what I am prepared to do."

The March set off and took approximately an hour and 15 minutes to pass.

THE ISSUES
Perhaps the majority present were marching because of their opposition to the proposed ban on foxhunting and hunting with dogs. However, Sovereignty met a small group of people who were actually opposed to fox hunting but were outraged at the slaughter policy for Foot and Mouth. One marcher commented that it was ironic that the NFU-Scotland was supporting this march since it was their slaughter policy which was directly responsible for shutting down the countryside in the Spring and Summer of this year and causing all the disruption, environmental problems and loss of revenue.
In all, the issues which we found voiced, or represented in some manner, were:

	people opposed to a ban on hunting with dogs and anger at the lack of compensation for people who would lose their jobs if the ban on hunting with dogs is enforced
	farmers worried for their future
	shooters, anglers and falconers worried about the possible threat to their field sports
	people opposed to the slaughter policy for Foot and Mouth
	people who were objecting to the Land Reform Bill in Scotland
	people objecting to "right to roam" legislation
	opposition to the new "Animal Health Bill" which gives the authorities carte blanche to kill your animals or pets
	concern at the closure of local schools, local shops and local post offices and a belief that "people have a right to educate children at rural schools"
	a demand for a public enquiry into the Foot and Mouth crisis
	people angry at the financial losses suffered by the rural economy during the Foot and Mouth crisis, including tourism revenues
	opposition to high levels of fuel tax

The March organisers attempted, fairly successfully, to bring all of this under the slogans "Freedom for the Countryside" and "Save Rural Jobs".

Immediately after the March, Sovereignty activists who had been delivering leaflets, repaired for a brainstorming session. Here are some of our ideas. Firstly, we examined some of the familiar refrains heard from rural activists:

"Nobody is listening to us"
This tends to sound whinging, and after a while it gets irritating. In fact, it's an admission of weakness. People with power don't ask to be heard. People with power don't wait to be heard. Rather, they compel attention and they get it.

"Urban People do not Understand Rural People"
It is certainly true that urban people are often misinformed about rural life and farmers. However, to the extent that this is true, there is not much point in dwelling on it. The aim should be to ally, not alienate, the urban majority. An enemy always seeks to divide and rule. Therefore, seek to educate, not irritate.

"The Urban Population isn't Listening"
Again, any suggestion that the urban population is in an adversarial position to the rural community simply creates an artificial divide.

Moreover, in many cases, it is not true. Many in the urban population are watching and listening, and many are sympathetic. Rather, it is the urban political class which can present the problem, not the urban people. It's the politicians not the population.

SOME SUGGESTIONS TO HELP RURAL ACTIVISTS MOVE FROM PROTEST TO PROPOSITION:
The message which keeps coming through from the rural activists is that rural people feel sidelined, ignored, mistreated, betrayed, disenfranchised and treated with a lack of understanding by people with "no experience" of rural issues.

This may be true, but it is not a particularly robust or effective political position.

Politics is about saying what you want, and working to achieve it. Therefore, at the same time as you protest, it's also necessary to propose; in the clearest, most succinct terms possible, and in a way which will appeal to the widest possible constituency. So:

Recognise that Urban and Rural People have a Common Enemy
An emphasis on "rural" versus "urban" is only likely to alienate urban people. Drop the "urban/rural divide" language and concentrate on the fact that the social and economic problems which beset the countryside are due to a bigger national, indeed global, problem which besets everybody. This sort of thinking helps to relate the concerns of the countryside to urban "anti-globalisation" concerns.

Link your Issues with Urban Examples wherever Possible
For example, the Animal Health Bill in England and Wales threatens city dwelling pet owners as much as farmers. The economic system which puts people out of work in the country is doing the same in the city. Multinational corporations are buying up the town and country alike.

SOME ISSUES WHICH RURAL CAMPAIGNERS COULD CONTINUE TO EMPHASISE AND BUILD ALLIANCES AROUND
These issues do not directly relate to field sports, but to the economy and quality of life in rural areas:

• A Programme of Rural Investment to Combat Rural Poverty
• Improve Public Transport in Rural Areas
• "Save our Schools" issues
• Support Local Shops and Local Skills
• Subsidise Fuel
• Encourage Local Produce Markets, and Local Farmers Markets
• Restrain the Power of Supermarkets
• Recognise and Oppose the Threat to Civil Liberties
• Oppose the Animal Health Bill
  At the moment, this is more relevant in England and Wales, but it could make its way north in time. A slogan? "Kill the Bill, not the Animals."
• Vaccination for Foot and Mouth (and all Animal Diseases)

The reason the countryside went into "shut down" in 2001 was due entirely to the slaughter policy. Vaccination would have allowed the countryside to function as normal and FMD would, almost immediately, have become just like any other animal disease which the public never hears about and doesn't care about.

The fact is: If you don't want the countryside to be put through that trauma again, then vaccination is the only answer. Sure, call for a "Public Enquiry" but it is vaccination which will prevent a repeat of the 2001 disaster.

IS A BIG FIGHT BREWING?
For all the talk about an arrogant political class running the country, it shouldn't be forgotten that politicians can only get away with that which the people will allow. If a law is unworkable it can be changed under popular pressure. The Poll Tax proved that.

Therefore, and without taking a position on the fox-hunting debate per se, we think the government is relying on the innate respect that most country folk have for "the law" - whatever that law may be - to simply get their way.

However, it is pretty obvious that if hunting with dogs were to be banned, and massed ranks, this size and larger, simply chose to ignore "the law", then it is difficult to see what the authorities could do about it. The "law" would quickly become unworkable.

Is a big fight brewing?