Anti-lockdown protesters risk lives and will face police action
Nicola Sturgeon has warned that Scots planning to take part in open air “anti-lockdown” protests around the country are putting lives at risk and face police action.
The First Minister issued an appeal to people not to get involved in the proposed demos, stating: “It’s not worth it, so please don’t do it.”
Ms Sturgeon spoke out yesterday as the death toll for the virus in Scotland topped 2,000, although the number of positive tests and hospital cases continue to stabilise.
And she took a tough line against planned weekend protests after posts across social media advertised a “Unified Peaceful Mass Gathering” at locations across the country including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Dundee.
The First Minister accepted it is not “easy or pleasant” to live under the current “stay at home” restrictions to suppress the virus. But she added: “Anybody that goes to a picnic in the park right now will be breaking the law.
“Gatherings outside – households gatherings of more than two people – are not allowed.
“It’s not for me to direct the police how they would respond to that, but I have every confidence that the police will apply and enforce the law.
“But the other, perhaps even more important reason not to do it is you will be putting peoples’ lives at risk.
“So if anybody out there watching this is even remotely tempted to go to some illegal gathering in a park this weekend because you’re fed up with lockdown, what I say to you is I understand you’re fed up with lockdown, we’re all fed up with it. But we’re having to do it for the right reasons and if you do that then it is not an exaggeration to say you could be putting peoples’ lives at risk.
“Please don’t do it. We’re all in this for the same reason to stop people dying unnecessarily, so don’t be that person that knowingly puts somebody’s life on the line.
The flyers call on people to “bring a picnic” to the events and “say no to the coronavirus bill, no to mandatory vaccines, no to the new normal, and no to the unlawful lockdown”.
Police Scotland have “strongly urged” people to avoid planned events and made it clear that they are prohibited under current Scottish Government guidance.
Ms Sturgeon acknowledged yesterday that lockdown has taken its toll on many Scots.
“It’s not easy to live under these restrictions, it’s not particularly pleasant to be living under these restrictions, so I know peoples’ patience is getting frayed.
“People get frustrated. That’s true all of the time, it’s undoubtedly truer on days when the sun is shining.
“But in my experience and certainly my anecdotal experience, but also as you would expect the Scottish Government does opinion tracking and polling to understand where public opinion is.
“I think support for doing the right think is very, very high. People are frustrated with it but understand why we have to do these things and we want to make sure we do the right thing.
“I will not keep these restrictions in place longer than necessary, please trust me when I say that, but the other side of that is please trust me when I say it is necessary right now in order to stop this virus running out of control again.”
A total of 2,007 patients have died from the virus after testing positive, Health Protection Scotland figures yesterday showed, up by 34 from 1,973 on Wednesday.
It came a day after data published by the National Records of Scotland showed 3,213 people had died with confirmed or suspected coronavirus up to 10 May.
A total of 14,117 people have now tested positive for the virus in Scotland, up by 188 from 13,929 the day before.
There are 71 people in intensive care with coronavirus or coronavirus symptoms, an increase of one on Wednesday, and 1,480 people are in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 54.
Since 5 March, 3,253 people who have tested positive for coronavirus have been able to leave hospital.
The First Minister also announced that some 250,000 free food parcels have so far been sent out to Scots who are shielding - those who are deemed to be most vulnerable to Covid-19.
Some 175,000 people are in this category, with more than 50,000 having signed up for the free delivery service.
Ms Sturgeon sought to reassure those shielding, telling them they would “not be forgotten about as we think about our next steps in tackling this virus and how we adapt to living with a new normal where this virus will be present for a long time”.
She said: “We will set out steps over the days and weeks to come over how we do emerge from the lockdown, but I don’t want anybody in the shielding group to think you are being left behind.”
She added that new telephone and online service has been launched to help Scots in the midst of the “economic uncertainty” caused by coronavirus.
She said the pandemic has caused “very many people to worry about future job prospects”, and new services are beingprovidedbyskillsdevelopment Scotland.