The exclusion zone announcement came at the same time as Perth and Kinross Council said that a demonstration rally could go ahead in Auchterarder park, but that it would have to be limited to 5000 people.

G8 Alternatives, one of the networks of groups organising protests alongside the G8 Summit, had applied for permission to both march past Gleneagles Hotel, and to hold a rally in Auchterarder park. They had been planning for tens of thousands of people to attend the protest. They reacted angrily to the road closures which would prevent their planned march, but also rejected the proposal to allow a rally for just 5000 people as inadequate.

Tayside Police denied that its 'traffic management' plan would dictate where and when protests could take place, a spokesperson saying "ultimatly it's a decision for the council".

=====================

Early Announcement of Traffic Management Plan
17-05-2005
 http://www.tayside.police.uk/g8/newsitem.php?id=36

Perth and Kinross Council and Tayside Police today released details of the traffic management plan for the G8 Summit which will take place at Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder in Perthshire from 6-8 July.

As part of the traffic management plan the following roads will be closed from Sunday 3 July to Saturday 9 July:

1. A823 from the A9 to the A822
2. A824 Orchil Road from the A823 to Western Road
3. C464 Muirton Road
4. C467 from A823 to A822
5. U23 Gleneagles Hotel

Exemptions will permit the use of the roads by emergency services and authorised persons and vehicles. Access will be maintained for local residents and businesses. Police officers will be on duty to provide assistance and direction.

The following rights of way which cross the Gleneagles Hotel golf courses will also be closed during this period:

1. Route Reg No. 21/29/2 Path from Gleneagles Golf Club to Comelyburn Farm
2. Route Reg No. 21/29/9 northwards from its junction with the U188 Panholes Road to the junction with the C467
3. Route Reg No. 21/27/39 Station Road, Gleneagles, Auchterarder from A9 to A823 at Gleneagles Hotel
4. Route Reg No 29/8 Braco Road via Kirkton to Gleneagles Road near Whitehills

The closures will be made under section 14 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The Council will formally advertise its intention to make the temporary traffic regulation order in the local press on Friday, 20th May.

It is intended to temporarily exempt land around the area of Gleneagles Hotel from the Statutory Right of Responsible Access whilst the Summit is taking place under S.11 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

In addition to localised road closures, a number of other measures will be in place to maintain the flow of traffic and ensure road safety in the local area.

Lowered speed limits will be in place on sections of the A9 and police officers will be stationed at junctions at Blackford, Loaninghead, Auchterarder and Aberuthven to help vehicles enter and exit the A9 safely. Police officers will also patrol the local road network to ensure all road users are aware of the traffic management measures.

The Council is working with local bus companies to ensure continued provision of bus services. The main Stirling/Blackford – Auchterarder – Perth bus service will be diverted via Western Road in Auchterarder during the period of the road closures. A free shuttle bus will also operate linking the Orchil Road area with central Auchterarder and the re-routed local bus network.

Bernadette Malone, Chief Executive, Perth & Kinross Council said :

''The early publication of information on the roads and paths which will be affected during the G8 Summit is part of the commitment we gave to the local community last year to keep them informed.

''We will continue to work closely with Tayside Police and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the run up and during the Summit to inform local people and ensure that disruption to the important services we deliver locally is minimised.''

Chief Constable John Vine said :

''Tayside Police is making extensive preparations for the G8 Summit, including all contingencies to make sure we are ready and able to police both the event and any incidents related to it, and maintain community policing services.

''As part of the security operation, we need to close local roads and rights of way that give access to the venue for the summit, Gleneagles Hotel. This will be for the minimum period and measures will be in place to maintain the flow of traffic and assist local people.

''I re-emphasise that there are no plans to close the A9. We appreciate its importance locally and nationally and the traffic management plan has been developed with this in mind.''

Tayside Police and Perth and Kinross Council will continue to work closely with the community to keep them informed.

Further information will be published by Perth & Kinross Council and Tayside Police in June when a special edition of the G8 Community Update will be delivered to households and businesses in and around Auchterarder.

--------------------------

Throughout the period of the Summit, the Police will be working with the National Drivers' Information Centre Scotland (NADICS) and messages giving the most up-to-date information will be provided through variable message signs. Road users are also encouraged to use the NADICS website (www.nadics.org.uk) to check on the latest information about travel conditions and journey times.

Four rights of way which cross the Gleneagles Hotel golf courses will also be closed from the 3rd to the 9th of July :

* Route Reg No. 21/29/2 Path from Gleneagles Golf Club to Comelyburn Farm
* Route Reg No. 21/29/9 northwards from its junction with the U188 Panholes Road to the junction with the C467
* Route Reg No. 21/27/39 Station Road, Gleneagles, Auchterarder from A9 to A823 at Gleneagles Hotel
* Route Reg No 29/8 Braco Road via Kirkton to Gleneagles Road near Whitehills

=========================

PRESS COVERAGE:

Anger over G8 road closure plans
17 May, 2005
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4553509.stm

Scheme set to disrupt G8 protesters
17/05/2005
 http://northtonight.grampiantv.co.uk/content/default.asp?page=s1_1_1&newsid=6628
(includes video report)

G8 protest group vows to fight demo ban
17 May 2005
 http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2005/05/17/story7140486t0.shtm

G8 protesters' fury at road blocks
17 May 2005
 http://icperthshire.icnetwork.co.uk/news/national/headlines/tm_objectid=15526445&method=full&siteid=88886&headline=g8-protesters--fury-at-road-blocks-name_page.html

Protesters to ignore Gleneagles march ban
May 18, 2005
By Shirley English
 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-1616659,00.html


===========================

QUOTES:

Rose Gentle
(whose son Gordon was killed in Iraq)

"Tony Blair isn’t listening to us at Downing Street so it’s important to be heard here at Gleneagles. We are not animals or terrorists, we just want our voices to be heard."

---

Aamer Anwar
(human rights lawyer)

"We have consistently said that we wanted to cause the least amount of disruption to the people of Auchterarder and what they have actually done is put us bang in the middle of Auchterarder"

"I don’t think they give a damn about the people of Auchterarder. This is a disaster for democracy."

"What they are talking about is a five-mile ring of steel. They are basically creating an exclusion zone."

"We have a democratic right to march peacefully set out in the European Convention of Human Rights, but we are being denied that by the police and George Bush"

"This is a disaster for democracy, a recipe for disaster"

"I have real concerns because at the end of the day, there will be several thousand police officers here at Gleneagles, a ring of steel"

"If they have that, why not give the people the right to march?"

---

Gill Hubbard
(G8 Alternatives)

"As far as we are concerned, we are still going to march past Gleneagles Hotel. We are not accepting the road blocks. This is the 21st century and we are in a democracy. We should be able to take to our own roads in Scotland and march past the hotel and have our voices heard."

"We want the leaders to know that we want action against poverty, we want the troops out of Iraq and we want action on climate change and we are not going to be satisfied until we are able to march right past this hotel."

"We wanted the minimum of disruption for the people of Auchterarder and the maximum for the G8 as we marched past Gleneagles Hotel, before finishing with a rally in Auchterarder Park"

"However, we have been told there will be roadblocks in place that will effectively stop us from marching past the hotel"

"We want to be visible and we want to be heard. This will not happen in Downing Street. We have marched past the Scottish Parliament. We have marched past Westminster. We are sure as hell going to march past Gleneagles"

======================

LINKS:

G8Alternatives
 http://www.g8alternatives.org.uk

Tayside Police Traffic Management Plan
 http://www.tayside.police.uk/g8/local_traffic.php