Hundreds of protesters have marched through Edinburgh as part of a demonstration to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Demonstrators marched from the Russian Consulate to the Scottish Parliament to make clear their opposition to a move blasted by the international community.
Since Russia attacked Ukraine early on Thursday, Scotland has seen a number of protests against the military action by Vladimir Putin ’s regime.
Edinburgh West MP Christine Jardine was among those taking part in the protest in the Scottish capital – which is twinned with Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, where some of the fiercest attacks have been.
Jardine said: “All over Europe people are sending the clearest of messages to the Russian government, to Putin, to say this is not acceptable.
“The people of Ukraine deserve better, the people of Kyiv deserve better and here in its twin city of Edinburgh we are sending our message loud and clear.”
Demonstrations against the war also took place in other cities across the UK and in Europe.
It came as Scottish politicians called for Russia’s top diplomat north of the border to be expelled over the invasion.
Senior Scottish Labour, SNP and Green figures - including Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson - want consul general Andrey Yakovlev sent packing from his plush pad in Edinburgh's west end.
Yakovlev, whose Russian outpost is based at Melville Crescent in the Capital, was appointed to the post in 2019.
Glasgow Labour MSP Paul Sweeney has tabled a motion at Holyrood calling for him to be expelled.
He told the Record: “As the Russian invasion of a sovereign democratic nation continues, it is increasingly clear that every one of us must do everything we can to send a message to Russia that their actions have consequences which is why I am calling on all Members of the Scottish Parliament to support my motion that calls on the Foreign Secretary to expel the Russian Federation’s Consul General from Scotland with immediate effect."
“For too long, the Russian state has been allowed to act with impunity while their diplomats amplify their propaganda. We saw it in the aftermath of the Salisbury poisonings when the Consul General in Edinburgh condemned the actions of the UK Government who had expelled Russian diplomats from London, and to this day their website still claims that there is no evidence that Russia was responsible.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford also backed the move: “Those who are apologists for Putin cannot be welcome on our shores. This applies not just to the Ambassador, but also the consul general in Scotland.”
Robertson, SNP Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, also told BBC Scotland's The Sunday Show: “We have Russian diplomats based in Scotland. And we have to ask ourselves why are these people here in support of Putin’s war in Ukraine? It’s intolerable."
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