Bemused journalists arrived at the CIRCA press conference to see the Clowns' vegetable oil powered van, which had been busy cooking chips. The lovely thick-cut potato wedges were then given away in a transparent attempt to bribe the hungry hacks of the corporate media. Journalists schmoozed with a few clowns while watching a CIRCA recruiting video. This cosy affair was suddenly disrupted by the arrival of the massed ranks of CIRCA's Edinburgh Brigade, who marched passed in military precision and very nice outfits (Colanders on the head for protection).

At this point, the Clowns turned serious, outlining the first of their anti-G8 operations: Operation Brown Nose. They explained that they were worried about protests being hijacked, with the G8 now claiming to be interested in ending poverty and tackling climate change, while carrying on promoting the same old policies of capitalism and globalisation. CIRCA warned that they would not tolerate any attempts by politicians from the G8 governments to usurp the message of the demonstrations for their own goals. To this end, they said, they will mount patrols in the Make Poverty History march; anyone who sees a G8 leader attempting to infiltrate the protests should contact their nearest CIRCA patrol, who will deal with the troublemakers.

The clowns explained that they see themselves as acting in the same spirit as the protesters in Argentina, Bolivia, Mexico and elsewhere, who shout 'Que se vayan todos' (they - politicians - must all go). As opposed to professional representatives, managing people's political input, they advocate grassroots, direct political engagement. The Clown Army is itself such a form of engagement.

CIRCA's second operation is also a form of direct political engagement. With Operation HAHAHAA (Helping the Authorities House Arrest Harmful Authoritarian Androids), the clowns hope to prevent the G8 carrying on their destructive global rule. They explained that they applaud the government for building a large fence around the G8 leaders at Gleneagles, and so they intend to ensure that this fence remains in place indefinitely. With the G8 leaders trapped in the luxury hotel, they will no longer be able to create plans to administer the global capitalist system to maintain the power and interests of the wealthy.

Throughout the press conference, the clowns kept the journalists on their toes. In an absolute contrast to the intricate, predictable, clockwork stage-management of the traditional press conference, the Clown Army were mobile and interactive, deciding when, where and how they would approach journalists and allow journalists to approach them. They turned a press conference into a piece of political theatre, both demonstrating and evading the net of control over representations usually wielded by the corporate media against activists.