Residents and traders are supporting the march - they seem to be flabbergasted at the council's response to the march to use the residents in such a way. Grassmarket residents and traders have repeatedly raised about noise levels, night time events, drunken groups of men and an intimidating atmosphere that some residents feel unsafe to leave their homes at night - they have tried their best to engage with the council but time and time again they are almost accused as NIMBYs trying to spoil good fun and to wreck the "night time economy", now it seems the council agree with them about noise, night time events and crowds of intimidating drunken men!!! The Grassmarket residents are not NIMBYs and find the comments made by the council worrying.
The below article comes from the Grassmarket website.
From the www.grassmarket.org
Reclaim the Afternoon, the Night and the Right to a Living Community
May 20th 2011
Today in Edinburgh's Grassmarket the wheels of a bandwagon can be heard turning on the recently-laid caithness stone and all and sundry are climbing aboard. This is a good thing for residents; it's good for the whole community; and it's good for the city.
What's prompted this is the police and city council response to the Reclaim the Night March scheduled for next Saturday, May 28th. (Link to BBC Report). The authorities feared that the women would be in danger from the hoards of drunks who frequent the area at week-ends; the influx of rugby supporters could only make matters worse. The reaction of the authorities mirrors some of the concerns set our in our report Here Comes the Night which one local councillor said would be dismissed as 'anecdotal evidence' by Council officials.So, it's heartening to hear so many others - business people, public representatives, citizens of Edinburgh - say "yes, it's all true: the Grassmarket is a no-go area for many people due to the Night Time Economy - and something needs to be done about it."
Perhaps now there can be constructive dialogue about what kind of city we want to live in and what kind of environment we want to share with visitors. It may also be the time to stop talking and do something about it.
GATA offers support for this march :
Bill Baber Knitwear and Fawns at Fabhatrix will open shop at 20.00 on the 28th May during the march through the Grassmarket in further protest at the disgraceful way the Grassmarket area and Victoria Street is treated by the late night economy.
“We all work hard on our window displays , but here there is no of peaceful evening window shopping on a Friday and Saturday nights, and the noise late into the night and early morning perpetuates an extreme problem for residents.”
"Traders reclaim the night and indeed Saturday afternoons!"
Contact GATA if you are prepared to join in this or If you have any other ideas on how to get the message across
through Bill Baber for GATA GATA Website
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