A campaign group targeting the Scottish government’s lack of action on both the climate and cost-of-living crisis closed Edinburgh Castle by smashing the case containing Scotland’s stone of destiny.
Three members, from the group This is Rigged – Joe Madden, 21, Jamie Priest, 25 and Catriona Roberts – were arrested at the scene.
The case housing the Stone of Scone, a 152 kg sandstone slab, that has been synonymous with the coronations of Scottish and later English kings was the symbolic target of the group.
Heather, a member of This is Rigged, said: “We want the government to pay more attention to the climate crisis. We also wanted the government, see, attention and do something about the cost of living.
“A lot of people are aware of the Stone of Destiny. It’s one of the most important pieces of Scottish Heritage.”
“You know you’re going to get publicity when you target it”
A volunteer from Borders Falconry, was outside Edinburgh Castle when the protest took place.
She said: “We thought it was something actually quite serious going on (…) with the amount of riot vans that were going out. We actually packed the birds up and left.”The volunteer added it was “absolutely ridiculous” that This is Rigged had chosen to vandalise the Stone of Scone as it had “nothing to do with food costs.”
Historical impact
Dr. Emily Joan Ward, a medieval historian of Scotland, from the University of Edinburgh spoke to Edinburgh Napier News more about what the Stone of Scone meant to Scots.
She said: “Within the current ideas about history within the nation is it very much has a very nationalist sort of attraction to it.
“It’s been used (…) most recently for the coronation of Charles III (…) it became this symbol of unity and friendship between, two different realms who had come together.”
She said that its significance had been both fluid and flexible but it had been used “for these ideas of nationalism, of identity and now perhaps more broadly unity.”
Origins of the Stone of Scone
Ward said:“We know the object was definitely used in some coronations of the early Kings of Scots. Although the Coronation Stone itself (… ) actually might have had a much longer history. It might have been part of the inaugural ceremonies of earlier Gaelic kings.”
Ward highlighted one of the beliefs behind the Stone of Scone is that it gets associated with the mythic origins of the Scottish people.
She added: “It becomes associated with the movement of the Scottish people, through various different kingdoms until they settle in Scotland. So that’s through, Egypt, Through Syria, Egypt, Spain, into Ireland, gone into Scotland. And the stone allegedly travels with them at this point.”
Dr Ward said that protestors may have been targeting the stone as it already had an long-standing association with the act of protest.
She said: “So I think when we’re thinking about why protest groups… it’s an association already with previous protests… you know you’re going to get publicity when you target it.”
