Save the Regiments Rally, London
Saturday, 9 APRIL 2005
Hundreds of Scottish soldiers joined in the protest march through central London in protest at the Government's proposed amalgamation of the six Scottish regiments.
Campaigners against the amalgamation have accused the Government of destroying centuries of Regimental tradition and claim that recruitment levels to the Scottish regiments will be severely damaged.
Past and serving soldiers from across the country joined politicians at Hyde Park for the demonstration, where speakers expressed their opposition to the MoD amalgamation plans.
Among the marchers was SNP leader Alex Salmond, who has made saving the historic Scottish regiments a key priority of his party's election campaign.
He said: "Scotland's historic regiments provide the army with the best infantry soldiers in the world, bar none. People feel nothing but contempt for the way this Government has treated Scotland's regiments.
They were sent into harm's way in Iraq by this Government, who all the while, were planning to amalgamate them out of existence back home. That was a disgrace."
