Aamer Anwar to speak at Believe in Scotland’s Independence March and Rally
Believe in Scotland’s march and rally for Scottish independence in Edinburgh on Saturday, March 28th, is fast becoming the most anticipated independence campaign event in years. The march and rally will put independence, the protection of Scotland's culture, wellbeing and democratic right to choose our own future at the top of the nation's agenda ahead of May's Holyrood elections.
The speaker line-up continues to grow in number and quality with renowned civil rights lawyer and campaigner Aamer Anwar joining us on the march and at the rally.
Aamer will join the list of top-quality speakers including one of Scotland's greatest ever actors Brian Cox, Scottish First Minister John Swinney MSP, Scottish Green Party Co-leaders Gillian Mackay MSP and Ross Greer MSP, broadcaster Lesley Riddoch, and Believe in Scotland founder, economist and campaigner Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp.
Notably, all three of the politicians will be addressing a major independence rally for the first time as leaders of their respective parties and, in John Swinney's case, since becoming Scotland’s First Minister.
We asked Aamer to tell us why now is the time to march and get the independence movement back on the front foot; he told us:
“No politician or banker really knows what the future holds for us, but anything must be better than the decades of austerity we have experienced. As voters we have never had any say in whether Westminster does away with the NHS, the welfare state, joins in the next illegal war, never mind using Scottish airports as staging posts for US bombers.
“People should ask a simple question who actually runs this country - who elected financiers and captains of industry to give us daily lectures on fiscal responsibility, after they very nearly destroyed the UK economy out of unrestrained greed
“There is one cast iron guarantee I can give if Scotland was independent, and that is Westminster will no longer have the right to dictate what we should think, create or produce - We will no longer be told we cannot govern ourselves, from warfare to welfare, from employment to foreign policy from cradle to grave- we will have the right to decide our own destiny.
“I want to live in a nuclear free Scotland, for Scotland to stand as a beacon for human rights around the world, with a justice system worthy of a civilised society.
“The battle for an independent Scotland must be a means for the bigger dream, it is bigger than any one party, it’s about the future of our country, our children, our children’s children.
”It’s about whether Scotland will put people before profit, about whether we will send people to die in illegal wars, a publicly owned health service, looking after our old people, it’s about the ending of poverty, ignorance and inequality of opportunity, a choice of saying we stand for humanity.”
The founder of the Believe in Scotland independence campaign Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp welcomes Aamer as a speaker:
“Aamer Anwar is one of Scotland’s most fearless champions for justice and human rights.
“A renowned civil rights lawyer, Aamer has dedicated his career to standing up for those denied power, dignity, and a fair hearing, and has represented victims and clients in many of Scotland's highest-profile cases.
“Aamer brings courage and conviction to every platform he speaks from and communicates with rare clarity and passion.
“On Saturday, March 28th, thousands of independence supporters will gather on Calton Hill demanding a better future for Scotland, and I am sure that Aamer will remind us that democracy, equality, and Scotland's right to choose self-determination must always be fought for and never taken for granted.
“Aamer spoke at the 2013 March and Rally for independence that gathered on Calton Hill, and that is fitting, as Believe in Scotland’s goal as the lead independence campaigning organisation includes bringing back that united Yes family atmosphere that led to so much progress during the independence referendum. We are close now, and together we will get independence across the winning line.”
Details of the March and Rally
Believe in Scotland is organising a March and Rally for Scottish independence in Edinburgh on Saturday, March 28th, 2026.
The marchers will start to gather from 11:30am on the Royal Mile by Parliament Square. The march will begin at 12:00pm. Soar Alba Pipes and Drums will lead the march down The Royal Mile and onto the gathering on Calton Hill.
The march is expected to arrive at Calton Hill around 1:20pm and begin the rally soon after that.
We are expecting thousands to march with us and we hope you can join us for what is shaping up to be an important day for our movement.
