27 Jan 1996 - Extortion Ale Passes Over Bridge Toll Free

Approximately 250 people braved freezing winds to attend a demonstration at the Skye Bridge this morning. Either the campaign is getting bigger, or word had got round that there was going to be free beer!

About two dozen or so casks of Extortion Ale, a real ale brewed on the Isle of Skye especially for the SKAT anti toll campaign, was carried across the bridge by hand, in prams and wheelbarrows, led as usual by the Skye Pipe Band.

Free pints of the ale were handed out to protestors on their arrival at Kyle. The weather had been so cold the previous night that the Ale had frozen, but it still tasted quite nice :-)

Charles Kennedy, Liberal MP for the Skye & Lochalsh District, was there to give support (and have a free pint...). He said that he intended asking a parliamentary question on Monday asking the Tory government, who make themselves out to be the party of Law & Order, why the crime rate in the Skye & Lochalsh district had increased by over 1000% in the last 4 months :-))

200 people who have been issued summonses for non payment of tolls, are due to appear in Dingwall Sherrif Court on Feb 9th.

A demonstration is planned by SKAT this Monday morning in Stirling to lobby MPs visiting for a meeting of the Scottish Grand Committee. A bus leaves Kyle at midnight Sunday night, the Convenor of Stirling district has invited visiting SKAT members for coffee, before some of the members meet up with some of the MPs.


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Copyright © Ray Shields, 1996.

Most recent revision, 15 February 1996.