Drinks giant Diageo announced it would close the plant on 1 July as part of a restructuring of its Scottish operations. As a result, 700 jobs will be lost in the Ayrshire town out of a total 900 in Scotland.
The decision has drawn criticism from across the political divide and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond, Conservative leader Annabel Goldie, Labour MP Des Browne and Liberal Democrat Ross Finnie all attended the rally.
Goldie said the march sent a powerful and passionate message to the firm, according to the BBC. “Corporate success should never exclude corporate responsibility,” she said.
The march forms part of the ‘Keep Johnnie Walker in Kilmarnock’ campaign that is said to be drawing up an alternative plan to present to the firm with the support of Scottish Enterprise.
Salmond has previously said the company needed to understand the full economic consequences of their proposals, particularly to the economy of Kilmarknock and Ayrshire.
Diageo has said the cuts are necessary to ensure the long-term future of the business in Scotland, and 400 jobs would be created at the packing plant in Fife.
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