ABSTRACT
The message of the 'countryside' mobilizing as a united force was further conveyed by the merger of the British Field Sports Society (BFSS), Country Business Group and Countryside Movement to form the Countryside Alliance in March 1997. The Countryside Movement broke new ground in recognizing the need to build political links beyond the Conservative party. The rise of the Countryside Alliance is part of a broader emergence of a rural social movement that has taken place not only in Britain, but also in many other developed nations. The Countryside Rally and London marches were richly imbued with the symbolism of 'the country comes to town' and followed carefully selected routes through key landscapes of nation identity, such as Trafalgar Square and Whitehall, and sites associated with political dissent, including Hyde Park and, again, Trafalgar Square. The patriotic mission of the countryside protests was underscored by the appropriation of national symbols and signifiers.
