Salmond intervenes in Saltire row

first minister calls for Beijing olympics bosses to drop rules preventing Scots from waving flag

By David Perry and Nicola Macaulay

Published:

First Minister Alex Salmond last night demanded the Beijing Olympics organisers drop rules effectively banning Scottish spectators from waving the Saltire.

He intervened in a major row which erupted over Beijing organising committee regulations preventing spectators bringing the flags of any “non-member countries” into any venue.

It was seen by human rights critics as a crackdown to prevent demonstrators flouting the Chinese government by displaying the Tibetan flag.

Mr Salmond said it was “very unfortunate”, adding: “National flags are very much part of the international process of sporting events, so I would be extremely disappointed if people were prohibited from taking Saltires to the Olympics.

“That is a restriction on people’s liberties and freedom of expression.”

He said it showed Scotland would be better off competing in its own right.

Aberdeen North SNP MSP Brian Adam said the ban was “nonsense” and urged the British Olympics Association to make representations to the games organisers to get it removed. He added: “There are quite a number of Scots competing in the games and their supporters should be just as entitled to wave the Saltire as the Union Jack.”

The prospective ban was revealed by Amnesty International Scotland director John Watson, who said: “To many Scottish sports fans it will seem absurd that neither they nor our 31 Olympian athletes can show a Scottish flag at the games. These restrictions on freedom of expression mean that anyone supporting Andy Murray at the tennis must wave a Union Jack and not a Saltire.”

Other Scots competing include Aberdeen swimmer and double Commonwealth gold medallist David Carry, whose supporters will also be subject to the same ban.

But the British Olympics Association said the rules were within the international Olympic committee’s guidelines and article 51 of the Olympic Charter and did not represent a new decision by the Beijing organisers. It said it was always the case that the only flags allowed were those of competing nations.

Highland Tory MSP Mary Scanlon said Scots athletes were competing as part of Team GB, adding: “We cannot expect the Chinese authorities to understand the sensitivities of Scottish devolution or independence and there will be ample opportunities to wave the Saltire at home and abroad.”

Gordon Lib Dem MP Malcolm Bruce said the Saltire row was “a bit petty” when there were much more serious human rights abuses in China to protest about.

He said some would argue nobody should be waving national flags at the Olympics.

At the winter Olympics Britain's top skier Alain Baxter, from Aviemore, dyed his hair blue and white in the shape of the Saltire and had to re-dye it, while his cousin, snowboarder Lesley McKenna, was told to remove a flag from her clothing before competing in the half-pipe.

A Stirling design firm’s work will be on display at the Olympics this month. The firm, tensARC, designed a motorised roof commissioned by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. It will provide shelter for the media attending events at the Sha Tin Race Course, where equestrian events will be held.

The company was formed as a spin-off from Dundee University.