Pro-independence campaigners have vowed to get information on the referendum to Dunfermline residents, despite attempts to “silence” them.
After having a gala stall cancelled last week, locals claimed attempts were made to prevent Yes Scotland leaflets being distributed outside the Bruce Festival, with event staff being accused of being aggressive towards one pregnant campaigner.
Event security staff threatened to contact police when the activists refused to take down a street stall outside Pittencrieff Park on Saturday morning, arguing they were doing nothing wrong by offering leaflets to interested passers-by.
But the situation was defused when Dunfermline Central councillor Neale Hanvey stepped in to speak to festival organisers Dunfermline Delivers. After negotiations, Yes Scotland was allowed to remain at the Glen Gates.
A small group of activists met outside the Glen Gates on Sunday morning to hand out leaflets and balloons while Mr Hanvey made representation to Dunfermline Delivers before setting up the stall again, but they said event staff reacted angrily.
Local Yes Scotland co-ordinator Fay Sinclair said: “We were approached by a man waving a walkie-talkie, telling us to leave.
“We argued that we were entitled to hand out leaflets in a public space and were outside of the park gates but he got very angry and aggressive and was using quite abusive language.
“When it was pointed out that Bruce himself fought for Scottish independence, he shouted, ‘no, Bruce just fought for money’.
“I was gobsmacked someone involved in the Bruce Festival would yell something like that in the face of a heavily-pregnant woman while people were passing to go into the event. That’s surely not the image such an event would want to promote.”
“The guy was shouting at a heavily-pregnant woman and was really quite aggressive,” Mr Hanvey added.
“I spoke to him and asked him to tone it down a notch as it was agreed we would be there, but he did not mince his words and was really quite hostile.”
He said the festival itself had been “extremely good humoured” and no-one had been pressured into engaging with the campaigners.
“The hostility was totally unnecessary. Really, to stop people exercising their democratic right to free speech is censorship.”
Despite the alleged hostility of event staff, Mrs Sinclair said they had a warm reception from members of the public.
She added: “Literally thousands of leaflets, balloons, flags and badges were handed out.”
Maggie Mitchell, chief executive of Dunfermline Delivers, said: “Yes Scotland was unaware that the area outside the Glen Gates was booked by the Bruce Festival through the appropriate Fife Council channels. This is where the confusion arose.
“Fortunately, the exhibitor, whose allocated space the campaigners were occupying, didn’t turn up so we were able to accommodate them, after all.”