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Review of Marches and Parades: A Survey of Views Across Scotland
CHAPTER TWO EXPERIENCE AND IMPACT OF MARCHES
EXPERIENCES OF LOCAL GALA DAY PARADES
2.1 Respondents were asked about their experiences of 'local gala day parades, carnivals with floats, or student rag weeks and that kind of thing'. They were asked whether they had been participants, spectators or whether they had '…ever found yourself near to kind of parade. For example, as a passer-by, or because you live or work nearby?' The extent of respondents' experiences is illustrated in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1 Experience of local gala day parades, carnivals with floats, student rag weeks etc
Base: 676 (All respondents)
2.2 Experiences of this type of parade appear quite common: over a quarter (28%) have been participants, two-thirds (65%) have been spectators and approaching half (46%) have been 'otherwise affected'.
2.3 Differences between groups were unsurprising: in general, women and those aged 30-59 were somewhat more likely to be involved.
2.4 Those aged 30-59 were more likely to have been participants than those aged 60+ (34% compared with 21%), they were more likely to have been spectators (72%) than those aged 16-29 (56%) or 60+ (58%), and more likely to have been 'otherwise affected' than those aged 60+ (51% compared with 33%).
2.5 Women were somewhat more likely than men to have been participants (32% compared with 23%) and spectators (71% compared with 58%). There were no differences between men and women in relation to being 'otherwise affected' by this type of parade.
EXPERIENCES OF POLITICAL PROTESTS OR DEMONSTRATIONS
2.6 Figure 2.2 below shows respondents' experiences of 'political protests or demonstrations about particular issues, for example, local hospital closures, anti-war protests, Countryside Alliance marches, student protests, or Trade Union demonstrations'.
Figure 2.2 Experience of political protests or demonstrations about particular issues
Base: 676 (All respondents)
2.7 Fewer respondents have been involved in political protests than local gala parades - and, not surprisingly, a much lower proportion of those involved were involved as spectators.
2.8 It is interesting to note that much of the experience of this type of march has been recent. Figure 2.2 shows that most of those involved have been involved in the past five years. Moreover, approaching half of those who have ever been involved (46% of participants, 47% of spectators and 43% of those 'otherwise affected') have been involved in the past year. This perhaps indicates that there has been an increase in this type of demonstration.
2.9 Respondents were asked whether the protests or demonstrations they had been involved in were about local or national issues. Responses indicated that there was a similar number of each (for example, 43% of participants said the protest was about a local issue and 41% said it was about a national issue).
2.10 Men and women were equally likely to have experience of this type of march or parade.
2.11 Those in social classes ABC1 were more likely than those in social classes C2DE to have been participants (19% compared with 12%), spectators (21% compared with 11%) and to have been 'otherwise affected' (30% compared with 14%).
2.12 Those aged 30-59 more likely to have been participants than those younger or older (21% compared with 7% of those aged 60+ and 10% of those aged 16-29). Those aged 60+ were least likely to have been 'otherwise affected' (11% compared with 25-30% of those in the other age-groups).
2.13 Participation was highest in Strathclyde (22%) and lowest in Central (9%), Grampian (7%) and Lothian & Borders (8%).
EXPERIENCES OF ORANGE ORDER/IRISH REPUBLICAN WALKS
2.14 The experience of Orange Order/Irish Republican Walks is illustrated in Figure 2.3 below. In comparison with local gala parades and political protests, few people have been participants but relatively large numbers have been spectators or 'otherwise affected' - and experiences have been less recent.
Figure 2.3 Experience of Orange Order/Irish Republican Walks
Base: 676 (All respondents)
2.15 We did not ask respondents whether they were referring to Orange Order or Irish Republican Walks - but 21 of the 22 respondents who had been participants said they had been brought up as Protestants, and more Protestants had been spectators than those brought up as Catholics or in another religion/no religion (31% of Protestants compared with 14% of Catholics and 11% of others).
2.16 There were no differences in participation by age or sex. Those aged 60+ were more likely to have been spectators than those aged 16-44 (30% compared with 18%) but two-thirds of this oldest group had not been a spectator for more than 5 years.
2.17 Respondents in social classes C2DE were more likely than those in classes ABC1 to have been participants (5% compared with 1%) and spectators (29% compared with 19%).
2.18 As might be expected, there was most experience of these types of walk in Strathclyde (52% involved/affected in some way in the past five years), Central (49%), Lothian & Borders (32%) and Fife (28%) and least in Grampian (2%) and the Northern Constabulary area (3%).
2.19 Interestingly, those brought up as Catholic more likely to report being 'otherwise affected' (67% compared with 44% of Protestants and 34% of those brought up in another/no religion) 1. This perhaps suggests that Catholics may be more conscious of these types of march taking place (see section on impact below).
IMPACT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF PARADE
2.20 For each type of parade, respondents who had been involved in some way in the past 5 years (whether as a participant, a spectator or 'otherwise affected') were asked which of the following they had experienced: 'feelings of community spirit', 'enjoyment', 'feeling you were making a difference', 'feeling you were involved in something important', 'being annoyed or upset by the noise', 'being held up or delayed', 'feeling angry, offended or upset by the march or marchers', 'feeling that you were in physical danger', 'being prevented from going somewhere you wanted to go'. (The order of items was randomised). The results are shown in Figure 2.4.
Figure 2.4 Impact of different kinds of parade
Bases: 374 (Local gala day parades) 160 (Political protests) 188 (Orange Order/Irish Republican) (All those who have been a participant, spectator or 'otherwise affected' in past five years 2)
2.1 It is clear that most people involved felt they gained positive experiences from local gala day parades - over 80% of those involved felt they had experienced enjoyment and feelings of community spirit and over half (55%) said they felt they were involved in something important. However, these types of parade do also cause some disruption. Almost a third (31%) report being held up or delayed and 17% said they have been prevented from going somewhere.
2.2 Women were more positive about their experiences of local gala parades than men. Women spectators were more likely to say they experienced feelings of community spirit (89% of women spectators compared with 78% of men), and that they felt they were involved in something important (63% compared with 36%). Women who were 'otherwise affected' were also more likely to say they experienced feelings of community spirit (89% compared with 65%) and enjoyment (92% compared with 73%). Male spectators were more likely to have been annoyed or upset by the noise (12% compared with 4%).
2.3 Many respondents also report positive experiences in relation to political protests or demonstrations. Almost three-quarters (73%) say they felt they were involved in something important, and almost two-thirds (63% in each case) say they experienced feelings of community spirit and felt that they were making a difference. One of the main purposes - if not the main purpose - of a local gala parade is enjoyment, so it is not surprising that a very high proportion of those involved say they enjoy them. However, it is interesting that a third (35%) of those involved in political protests also say they have enjoyed them.
2.4 Respondents report somewhat more disruption in relation to political protests than they do in relation to local gala day parades. Almost half (48%) have been held up or delayed and a third (33%) have been prevented from going somewhere. A significant minority (20%) also report feeling angry, offended or upset at the march or marches, and 1 in 20 have felt in physical danger.
2.5 There were no significant differences by area, age, sex or social class in terms of experiences of political protests.
2.6 Overall, the positive experiences are reported more than the negative experiences in relation to both local gala parades and political protests. The pattern for Orange Order/Irish Republican walks is different with a lower proportion of those involved reporting positive experiences and a higher proportion reporting negative experiences. While this reflects the impact of each kind of march on everyone involved or affected (whether participants, spectators or those 'otherwise affected'), the balance of positive/negative experiences is likely to be influenced by the relative proportions of participants, spectators and those 'otherwise affected': one would expect participants and spectators - who have presumably 'chosen' to be involved - to report more positive experiences than those 'otherwise affected'. Compared with Orange Order/Irish Republican walks, a much higher proportion of those reporting their experiences of political protests were involved as participants and spectators rather than having been 'otherwise affected'. It is therefore also useful to consider the experiences of those who have been participants and/or spectators compared with those who have been 'otherwise affected' only.
2.7 Figure 2.5 shows the experiences of those who have been participants and/or spectators at a political protest (regardless of whether they have also been 'otherwise affected') compared with those who have been 'otherwise affected' but have not been participants or spectators. Figure 2.6 shows the same comparison for Orange Order/Irish Republican walks. 3
Figure 2.5 Impact of Political Protests
Bases: 125 (Participant and/or spectator, regardless of whether also 'otherwise affected', and involved in some way in past 5 years) 56 ('otherwise affected' only, in past 5 years). 4
2.8 As might be expected, a much higher proportion of participants/spectators reported experiencing the positive impacts of enjoyment and community spirit - although approaching half (44%) of those just 'otherwise affected' reported feelings of community spirit. Conversely, a higher proportion of those just 'otherwise affected' reported the negative impacts of being held up, being prevented from going somewhere or being annoyed or upset by the noise (the differences between the groups in relation to being angry, offended or upset or feeling in physical danger are not statistically significant).
2.9 It should be noted that respondents were not asked separately about every single march or parade - so someone might report having experienced enjoyment at one and been angry, offended or upset at another.
Figure 2.6 Impact of Orange Order/Irish Republican walks
Bases: 89 (Participant and/or spectator, regardless of whether also 'otherwise affected', and involved in some way in past 5 years) 99 ('otherwise affected' only, in past 5 years)
2.10 As with political protests, participants/spectators at Orange Order/Irish Republican walks are much more likely than those only 'otherwise affected' to report enjoyment and feelings of community spirit - and the difference between the groups is more evident for this type of parade. Similarly, those only 'otherwise affected' are more likely to report negative impacts. It is worth noting that a sizeable minority of those who have been participants/spectators also report negative impacts. It is quite possible that many of those reporting negative impacts are doing so in relation to walks at which they were 'otherwise affected' rather than ones at which they were participants or spectators. However, the numbers of who been participants or spectators only, and not 'otherwise affected' is too small (n=19) to enable us to verify this. Again, it should be noted that respondents were not asked separately about every single march or parade - so someone might report having experienced enjoyment at one and been angry, offended or upset at another.
2.11 A high proportion of those 'otherwise affected' report negative impacts. In terms of disruption, two-thirds (65%) of those 'otherwise affected' have been held up or delayed and half (52%) have been prevented from going somewhere. Half (48%) have felt angry, offended or upset, 42% have been annoyed or upset by the noise and a quarter (25%) have felt in physical danger.
2.12 Among those 'otherwise affected' only, there were no significant differences between those brought up as Protestant and those brought up as Catholic in relation to either the positive or negative impacts of these types of march. As discussed above, however, Catholics were more likely to report being 'otherwise affected' by Orange Order/Irish Republican walks.
THE EXTENT TO WHICH DECISIONS ABOUT MARCHES ARE AN ISSUE
2.13 Respondents were asked two questions about how much of an 'issue' decisions about marches were in their area. They were asked first: 'In some places, arrangements for making decisions about marches and parades has become an issue because of the disruption caused by them, for example, to traffic or business, or because of the mess that they create. Thinking about your local community, how much of an issue would you say this is?' The second question was about whether marches were an issue because of 'controversy about the nature or purpose of the march'. The results are shown in Figure 2.7.
Figure 2.7 How much of an issue are decisions about marches and parades in your local community?
Base: 676 (All respondents)
2.14 Overall, around two-thirds of respondents indicated that marches were 'not really an issue' or 'not an issue at all' in their area. The remaining third said that they were either a 'big issue' or 'something of an issue'. The extent to which marches are seen as an issue because of disruption is very similar to the extent they are seen as an issue because of their nature or purpose. This suggests that the two are closely linked - marches that are an issue because of their nature are also an issue because of disruption. There are perhaps two main reasons for this. Firstly, if people are unhappy about a march because they object to its nature or purpose they also object to the disruption caused (and if they are happy about the nature of the march they are more willing to put up with the disruption caused). Secondly, it may be that if the nature or purpose of a march is controversial, it leads to more disruption because of road closures or measures taken to minimise the risk of trouble.
2.15 Disruption was more likely to be seen as a big issue in Strathclyde (17% - compared with 14% in Lothian & Borders, 3% in Central and 5-7% elsewhere). The nature or purpose of marches was more of a 'big issue' in Grampian (18%) 5, Strathclyde (17%) and less of a 'big issue' in Fife (5%).
2.16 More respondents in the Northern Constabulary area thought marches were 'not an issue at all' (64% in relation to disruption and 68% in relation to the nature or purpose of the march).
2.17 The types of march that were seen as an issue are shown in Figure 2.8. In terms of both disruption and the nature of the march, over half the respondents who thought there was an 'issue' said that this was in relation to Orange Order walks. Respondents brought up as Catholics were more likely than those brought up as Protestants to say that Orange Order walks were an issue because of disruption - but not more likely to say they were an issue because of their nature or purpose 6. Those in Strathclyde were more likely than those in other areas to say that Orange Order walks were an issue because of disruption, and those in Strathclyde and Lothian & Borders were more likely than those in other areas to say they were an issue because of their nature or purpose. 7
Figure 2.8 Type of march that is an issue (among respondents who think that marches are an issue)
Base: 179 (All those saying decisions about marches were an issue or something of an issue)
SUMMARY
- A sizeable proportion of the Scottish population has been involved in, or affected by, some form of march or parade. Much of the experience has been of local gala day parades/carnivals with floats/student rag weeks and similar parades - two-thirds have been spectators at these kinds of parade, over a quarter have been participants and almost half have been 'otherwise affected' (i.e. not participants or spectators but affected in some way by the march, for example, as passers-by or because they live or work nearby).
- Although few have been participants in Orange Order/Irish Republican walks, a quarter have been spectators and approaching half have been affected.
- Around 1 in 7 people have been participants in a political protest or demonstration, a similar proportion have been spectators and a fifth say they have been 'otherwise affected' by this kind of march. Experiences of political protests tended to be more recent than experiences of other types of march.
- It is clear that many people felt they had gained positive experiences from marches and parades - enjoyment, feelings of community spirit, feeling involved in something important and feeling that they were making a difference.
- Some disruption is caused by local gala day parades but there is more disruption associated with political protests and Orange Order/Irish Republican walks.
- In relation to Orange Order/Irish Republican walks, 4 in 10 of those 'otherwise affected' said they were annoyed or upset by the noise and around half reported feeling angry, offended or upset. A quarter of those 'otherwise affected' said they had felt they were in physical danger.
- Overall, around two-thirds of respondents indicated that decisions about marches were 'not really an issue' or 'not an issue at all' in their area. The remaining third said that they were either a 'big issue' or 'something of an issue'. Of this third who thought they were a big issue/something of an issue, the majority (i.e. around 15% of all respondents) said this in relation to Orange Order walks.
- The extent to which marches are seen as an issue because of disruption is very similar to the extent they are seen as an issue because of their nature or purpose. This suggests that the two are closely linked.
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