Evening News readers on protesters’ aim to ‘reclaim’ Princes Street Gardens

A protest over the Christmas Market at Princes Street Gardens drew a mixed reaction from readers. Here are some of your responses.

Protest to ‘stand up’ for Princes Street Gardens takes place after Edinburgh Christmas Market row

If I had known I would been there! Am all for Christmas festivities but I think people have forgotten what it’s about. The Gardens belong to the people of Edinburgh and no one else. Christmas is about giving and caring not making money! Edinburgh council and Underbelly should be absolutely ashamed!

John Robertson

One of the best things Edinburgh has ever done. It’s a great event and brings life to dreary Auld Embra.

John Drummond

We love our city at Xmas time, so pretty. I was there last night, the kids had a ball.

Tricia Carrick Shafie

Christmas is all about enjoyment for families, especially the children. Why are people arguing and protesting on some small things in life when there is obviously bigger situations in people’s lives than this? It’s a public place!

Emma Dow

As a visitor I think the markets are brilliant and imagine they bring a lot of tourists into the city spending a lot of money.

John McGrane

Well done! If I’d known I would have been happy to support this protest. If you are doing it again give more notice, I’m quite sure there are a lot of Edinburgh residents who would like to show their displeasure about what is happening.

Margaret Cummings

I used to work in the centre of town and absolutely hated trying to get about during the festival, but just gone on with it as it’s part of the city. It’s only for a month. During winter it was a much quieter and a more enjoyable commute. However the Gardens were dead, so why not have this market and look at the beautiful lights and sights on the way home?

Louise Sutherland

It’s a shame in this current climate we don’t encourage local business to have a stall rather than this mass-produced toot found in every major city. Just back from London where three of the Christmas markets we saw were Underbelly. Fair enough, the kids enjoy the rides etc but plenty of other stuff to take them along to see and enjoy around the city and beyond. As far as the tourists boosting the economy, any actual figures for this?

Dawn Bunting

How welcoming for tourists to this country seeing folk go on about how the Princes Street Gardens belong to the people of Edinburgh and that no one else should be allowed to enjoy them. Sadly, you have chosen to live in the capital city of our country and home to one of the most sought-after Christmas markets in the world. Christmas is a time for enjoyment and memory making, and the fact that so many people travel to our country to share this with us is a positive thing not a negative. The grass will be repaired as it always is and you will have ‘your’ gardens back in January.

Kieran Coyle

Christmas has always had something going on. I remember when I was a young lad we used to go to the carnival where the Princes Mall is now. Anyone remember those days?

William James Mcgill

They all need to get a life! The Christmas Market has been in the gardens for years.

Lisa Ward

Has the scaffolding not collapsed yet? All the armchair engineers said it would, first time anyone stood on the platform - and now with the addition of all the protesters!

Colin Gasman Mckay

Should have gone the whole hog and asked for city centre back!

Debbie Higgins

The only thing I would say is the market needs a one-way system. Someone had a heart condition the other and couldn’t get out - too many crushing people. We also need more local art and craft stalls, instead of every other stall selling the same thing.

Lesley Russell

The idea of the Christmas Market is brilliant and the location at Princes Street is spectacular. But if the venue becomes so busy it becomes dangerous, that’s when the venue sustainability becomes an issue. Is that the case at Princes Street?

Gary Corrigane

Fifteen people? Oh dear, not much of a protest. So how exactly is the market “destroying Edinburgh” as some people are saying? I’m not particularly a fan. I have been previously and it is too busy and expensive, so I won’t go back. But others enjoy it and it’s not doing any harm apart from killing the grass, which is replaced anyway. Yes Princes Street in years gone by was a very upmarket place with independent shops etc, but times have changed. The snobbery of some residents of Edinburgh has not it seems..... Would much rather residents protested about the potholes in the roads that are there all year, every year!

Gillian Hazelwood

Bah humbug right enough. Glad I’ve read this. I was thinking of having a day out in Edinburgh and taking in the market but if it means that much to people, you can take your Christmas market, Princes Street along with the gardens and ram them where the sun don’t shine. Glasgow looks like a friendlier proposition.

Graham Swan

Some people need to just lighten up and learn to have fun. Next they will want Christmas cancelled as they can’t bear to see people have a happy day.

Con Lafferty