Tenth March for Independence brings growing movement to Rhyl this Saturday
Rhyl will host a landmark moment in Wales’s independence movement this weekend, as people from across the country gather for the tenth March for Independence on Saturday 18 October 2025.
The event, organised by YesCymru and AUOBCymru (All Under One Banner Cymru), marks the tenth national march since the first was held in 2019 – bringing the call for Welsh independence to communities across the country.
The march will begin at 1pm, with participants gathering from 11am at the Rhyl Events Arena (LL18 3AF). Following the march, a rally will take place at the Events Arena featuring live music from TewTewTennau and Jacob Elwy, and speeches from a range of campaigners and public figures.
Voices from Wales and beyond
Among the speakers will be Llyr Gruffydd MS, who represents North Wales for Plaid Cymru. He said “Wales should be a wealthy nation – we are rich in energy, water, food production and natural resources, but the people of Wales are not seeing that wealth in their communities.
“We’re at the back of the queue when it comes to investment within the UK. Don’t let anybody tell you that Wales is too small, too poor or too weak to stand on its own two feet – we can and we will flourish when decisions about Wales are made in Wales.”
Also speaking will be Lesley Riddoch, Scottish journalist, broadcaster and leading independence campaigner.
She said: “Scotland has always been seen as the leader of the pack amongst the Celtic nations seeking self-determination – but Wales is giving us a good run for our money.
“It’s high time Wales and Scotland formed stronger links as we approach a year of dramatic constitutional change. I’m delighted to be making this journey on behalf of independence supporters in Scotland.”
“Now is our time”
Tara Bethan (Bandito), the acclaimed Welsh singer-songwriter who was brought up in Rhyl said: “We have the ability and resources to thrive as an independent nation. I firmly believe that now is our time.”
Phil Davies, Deputy Leader of Wales Green Party, will also address the rally. He said:
“I’m looking forward to making Wales Green Party’s clear case for a fully independent Republic of Wales – free from the trappings of both Westminster and the Monarchy – an independence that makes people’s lives better.”
This will be the tenth March for Independence, following major events in Cardiff, Caernarfon and Merthyr (2019), Cardiff and Wrexham (2022), Swansea and Bangor (2023), Carmarthen (2024), and Barry earlier this year, where more than 6,000 people took to the streets.
The Rhyl march will pass through one of the most deprived wards in Wales – an area that has endured decades of economic decline, chronic underinvestment and a lack of meaningful action from successive Westminster governments of all colours.
A landmark poll carried out by Redfield & Wilton Strategies on behalf of YesCymru in April 2025 asked 1,000 adults in Wales how they would vote if a referendum on independence were held tomorrow.
Among decided voters, 41% said they would vote Yes – one of the strongest results in the history of the movement.
Event details
- Date: Saturday 18 October 2025
- Location: Rhyl Events Arena, LL18 3AF
- Gathering from: 11am
- March begins: 1pm
- Rally: After the march, with live music and speeches
Full details, including travel information, parking and accessibility, are available at
www.yes.cymru/rhyl
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These marches seem to be well attended by people who are already committed or genuinely interested in some form of independence. Is there any evidence that they serve to attract new interest, new members to any movements or any other participation in politics at local community level?
New interest. Do you mean Plaid?
The marches help create publicity and publicity helps create interest. I’d genuinely be interested if you have any better ideas?
Someone or more likely a committee came up with the original idea which was quite an inspired move in my humble opinion. However, these things need re-assessing as time passes as they are prone to loss of effectiveness. Who is steering these events now? YC or AUOB ?
In life it’s the ones who shout the loudest get heard. For far too long Wales has effectively been gagged, dismissed as an irrelevance on the western fringe, patted on the head by the British/English establishment. Be quiet Taffy. Know your place, they say. Not anymore. With the current toxic climate Wales and Welsh democracy is under threat like no other. We have three anti-Welsh anti-Wales parties vying to destroy our nation and hard-fought Senedd Cymru democracy with authoritarian UK Labour and English imperialists Reform UK/Conservative pernicious pact waiting in the wings. If you truly care about your country, would… Read more »
A great comment, for 70% of my life the Tories have been in power in Westminster and I’ve watched Cymru become worse off in practically every league table on health, education and the economy. We need independence from Westminster and we need it now!
Totally agree imagine where the Welsh NHS and education system would be without the generous benefits of the Senedd and when it expands to a reasonable size. The whole of Wales will benefit.
We’ve had the Blue Tories in Westminster now we’ve got the Red Tories in Westminster. In Cymru we’ve lived through 15 years of an ideologically driven austerity programme. The Tories red and blue brought us Brexit (Corbyn wanted to leave), austerity, high taxation (coupled with low levels of investment) and we’re now in a doom spiral of increased taxes and low productivity growth. For most of the last 1000 years (including today) we in Cymru have been the poorest part of the British Isles. Why people in Cymru want to be tied to Westminster is beyond my comprehension.
Stockholm syndrome.