Thousands join march calling for Welsh independence

Thousands of people have joined a march in Cardiff in favour of Welsh independence.

Campaigners carrying large flags and banners and wearing Wales football bucket hats paraded through the city centre led by a samba band.

The rally was organised by All Under One Banner Cymru (AUOB) and Yes Cymru who claim the UK Government in Westminster no longer has the best interests of Welsh people in mind.

A similar event held in Wrexham, North Wales, in July attracted around 8,000 supporters.

There were concerns about how campaigners would get to Saturday’s march given the effects of this weekend’s national rail strikes but AUOB Cymru were still confident of a large turnout.

At the front of the march, and helping to carry a long sign that says “Annibyniaeth” meaning Independence, was Plaid Cymru leader and Senedd member Adam Price, and ex-Plaid leader Leanne Wood.

Mr Price told the PA news agency he believed marchers were buoyed by a report published on Friday claiming to debunk the idea that Wales is “too small and too poor to thrive as an independent nation”.

Harriet Protheroe-Soltani, from AUOB Cymru, said: “Given the UK Government’s recent tax cuts for the rich and continual erosion of workers’ rights it’s important, now more than ever, that people come along and demonstrate that we do not trust Westminster to look after the interests of Wales.”

The head of YesCymru, Gwern Gwynfil, said he wanted the march to be a “loud and joyful celebration”.

The march began at midday in Windsor Place and travelled in a 1.5-mile loop along Queen Street, St John Street, Working Street, The Hayes, Mill Lane, St Mary’s Street, High Street, and Duke Street before returning to the starting point.

Speeches and performances are expected to take place afterwards.

The line-up includes actor Julian Lewis Jones who plays Boremund Baratheon in hit HBO series and Game Of Thrones prequel House Of The Dragon.

Other speakers include former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Wigley, with actress and novelist Ffion Dafis, singer Eadyth Crawford and Irish comedian Tadhg Hickey also due to make an appearance.

Fringe events have been organised to take place into the evening including an independence gig which will be held at live music venue The Globe.

A recent YouGov poll on behalf of ITV Wales and Cardiff University found over a fifth (24%) of Welsh voters would back an independent Wales in a hypothetical referendum.

Over half (52%) said they would vote against it while 14% said they did not know how they would vote.

A Cardiff Council worker told PA they believed there around 4,800 people on the march.

Student Mirain Owen, 17, travelled to the march from Swansea with her father and said she believes support for independence is growing among young people.

“I’m here to support independence as a young person that wants to see a better future for Wales,” she said.

“I don’t think that the current situation is working for Wales and I think we definitely need to see some change as recent events in Westminster have shown us so clearly.

“I think young people are more supportive of independence than ever before because everything that is happening is affecting our lives, we can’t do nothing.”

As speeches began in Windsor Place, Hickey’s mention of Prime Minister Liz Truss elicited loud booing from the crowd.

Taking to the stage, Lewis Jones called the UK Government “the worst show on in the West End at the moment”.

He said: “We were the first colony of England and in some ways we are the last colony of England. But enough is enough.

“It’s time we stand up as a nation on our own two feet.

“We are big enough. We are strong enough. And we will fight for this.

“Let this day light a fire in all our bellies,” he ended to applause.

Sion Roberts, 30, from Felinheli, North Wales, said the independence march is “not anti-English but anti-Westminster”.

“Ultimately, I feel like with Westminster making decisions we’re not getting the fairness that we deserve,” Mr Roberts said.

“There’s a reason why Wales is one of the poorest countries in Europe, despite the UK being one of the richest countries in the world, and it’s just not right. I think we can do better.

“We fully appreciate that this isn’t risk free. But we’d like the opportunity to be able to blame things going wrong on our own Parliament.

“We need to celebrate the differences you know.

“English has its own beautiful culture, we have ours, Scotland has theirs, Northern Ireland has theirs.

“We need to celebrate that rather than trying to unify something that’s ultimately different.”

Gethin Owen, 36, from Rhuthun, North Wales, said: “I think a lot of people say they don’t know what to think but when you talk to them they actually support the independence movement.

“But a lot of them only have access to English media and therefore they only see the negatives.

“Independence is a scary prospect and I think you need to be confident in your own nation to believe in it and confidence is something Wales has lacked for decades, maybe centuries.

“Peaceful marches like this are important for the indy-curious to see and learn what all this is about, and slowly then the tables will turn.”