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In brief

Tens of thousands call on SNP to prepare second independence referendum

Party to wait until Brexit details are disclosed to take decision

 
AUOB demonstration in Edinburgh.
AUOB demonstration in Edinburgh. Author: AUOB @ Twitter
Tens of thousands called on the SNP on Saturday to prepare a second referendum on whether to leave or not the United Kingdom. Edinburgh local police estimated an attendance of 20,000 people, although the organizing group, All Under One Banner (AUOB), said the figure was 100,000. It is very unusual for the demonstrations in Scotland to move tens of thousands.

The march was held the day before an SNP congress in which party leader and first minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was convinced that the course of events —with the UK leaving the EU— will lead Scotland sooner or later to independence. Sturgeon pointed out that Scotland leaving the the EU will be a sign of “democratic deficit” given the fact that nearly two-thirds of the Scots voted to remain in the 2016 referendum.

The Scottish government, however, does not want to specify its plans for a second referendum of independence until the exact details of Brexit are known.

According to a The Sun survey this weekend, a Brexit scenario without an agreement between the UK government and the EU would raise support for independence to 52%.