Hundreds of Edinburgh locals gathered at Holyrood Park on January 31 to protest the Brexit referendum three years after the UK voted to leave the European Union.
Around 300 demonstrators holding saltires and burning torches walked through Holyrood Park to the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday evening in support of Scottish Independence and the prospect of Scotland rejoining the EU.
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The demonstration began at 17.00 and continued to around 19.00 and saw a high turnout despite the miserable weather.
Videos from the blustering protest show hundreds grasping flaming torches and blue Scottish flags that stand out in the dreary grey weather as they walked towards the parliament building.
Many demonstrators have used the phrase -leave a light on for Scotland - since the historic decision and on January 31 held lit torches on the city hill to represent this.
Amber Dawn from the New Town who attended the protest told Edinburgh Live: "I’m a social worker doing a PhD in psychology at the University of Glasgow.
"I support Scottish independence and rejoining the EU. The benefits to our economy in Scotland would be greatly improved by rejoining the European Union.
"I want to live here with my son and work, but there are fewer jobs due to Brexit. The red tape for businesses increases costs of and fewer students come to Scotland’s universities due to withdrawing from the Erasmus Plus exchange programme."
She continued: "I was travelling in Norway recently and had to go to the hospital due to a mountaineering injury my costs were increased even though I have a visa to live in the UK because Scotland is not in the EU.
"I hope Scotland will see a day soon when Westminster doesn’t dictate Scotland’s ability to govern since Scotland voted to remain.
"Scotland’s voice is often muted at Westminster and it’s time to take a stand for independence and keep the light on so Europe will know we will be home soon.
"The wind was blowing and our torches were blowing out but we were all lightening them back up for each other."
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The Brexit referendum took place on 23 June 2016 in the UK and to ask the electorate whether the country should remain a member of, or leave, the European Union.
The election resulted in 51.9 per cent of the votes cast being in favour of leaving the EU. Although the referendum was legally non-binding, the government of the time promised to implement the result.
Three years ago on January 31, 2020, the UK formally ceased to be a member state of the EU and is the only sovereign country to have left the European Union.
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