DEMO AT SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT
THURSDSAY 16th JUNE 2005


There was a demonstration outside the Scottish Parliament on Thursday 16th June with protestors demanding the right to march and rally freely at the G8 summit at Gleneagles next month. Speakers included Scottish Socialist Party MSP Frances Curran, Sandra White of the SNP and veteran campaigner Tariq Ali.

The turnout of around seventy was encouraging on a cool, damp, rainy day. Placards and banners read ` Don’t make democracy history` `End the occupation of Iraq` and `Join the Gleneagles Protest`.

There were chants of `What do we want? The right to march! ` `When do we want it? ` `Now! ` and `2,4,6,8, we demand to demonstrate! `

Sandra White said that part of democracy was the freedom to march and called for First Minister Jack McConnell to take off the blinkers and listen to the protestors.

Tariq Ali, author of `Bush in Babylon` and long time activist who opposed the Vietnam War in the 1960’s said: `We have the right to protest. What is the point of the Gleneagles summit? We know what the point of it is, they will meet each other, they will slap each other on the back and say how well the world is going, they will lie as they have done for years about the occupation of Iraq and the occupation of Afghanistan to protect their own interests. ` He added that they pretend if they actually stop exploiting Africa for a few weeks all will be well in the years to come. `We must not forget why we are protesting. We are protesting to show that a different way is possible not just in Africa but also in Scotland, not just in Latin America but also in Europe. The problems people are facing are the same all over the world – the privatisors and the giant corporations.` He spoke of the isolation of politicians who were out of touch with ordinary people. He stressed the need for an organised peaceful march. He also said that terrorism could only be tackled by going to the root of the problem and not by infringing civil liberties.

There were announcements about the special buses from Edinburgh to Gleneagles on July 6th. The tickets are £10 waged, £5.00 unwaged and the coaches leave central Edinburgh at 10am returning at about 4pm. They can be bought at various location in the city including the Word Power` bookshop in West Nicolson Street.


12 photos are attached.








Word count 416 words.