Our police is doing a formidable job. They protect the law for us all, even if we are politicians. They use as little violence as possible. This gives me a lot of confidence in our constitution.

Wonderfully atmospheric pics. Thanks for sharing those!

Many of the G8 cyclists left the Stirling Hori-zone camp in the early evening of the 5th, due to paranoia about the camp being blockaded by the police. After beings stopped by the feds severaltimes we slept rough in the hills near the summit, most of us waking up at 5am to rain, wet sleeping bags and clothes. We headed to Crieff where several of the cyclist affinity groups met, and then headed to Gleneagles, taking in several blockades along the way, giving support & playing music to the hardcore locked on protestors. RESPECT for putting their arses where our mouths are!

As we neared Gleneagles, we took a Critical Mass formation, with all 40 cyclists occupying roads at very low speed, blocking delegates and journalists behind us. As a result several journalists got out of their stinky fossil fuel powered vehicles to talk to us and experienced firsthand the non-hierarchical autonomy & effectiveness of the groups. Chaos with a smile!

We reached the North gate, nearest the media reception tent at 9.50. We were met by a line of 5 cops, shortly joined by a line of 60 or so silent boiler suited trolls. By this time so many cars had built up that around 300 journalists left their heavy innefficient transport and walked / ran into the summit, weaving their way through the bikes & colourful protestors.

we were accompanied by the unique 'Pedals' communaly owned tandem towed Sound system, which kept morale high throughout the protest, even when it was separated from the protest group by the smelly piggies.

the protest developed into a street party, with funky dancing, games of Giants wizards & elves, & several speeches aimed at edifying the police.

The cops penned us in, giving us the silent treatment. This penning was ILLEGAL - our free movement was restricted, and we were not under any section.

After an hour we were allowed to continue the ride to Auchterarder, perhaps due to the heavy media presence. At the park we joined the protests, moving on to the childrens carnival on the bridge over the A9. DJ EON rinsed the phat party soundz on Pedals - the kidz woz luvvin it! Who could compain about a heady mix of Drumnbass, House, Breakbeat, RocknRoll, Hiphop, Heavy Metal, Jazz (  http://www.mashuptwins.com ) & an impromptu open mic session with kids as young as 7 participating.

A superbly successful day for the G8bikeride, arriving at Gleneagles on the 5th of July having left London on June 19th.

A smallish group of Critical Massers performed a go-slow rolling blockade on the A9 for around 45 minutes today, just before 5 - making a HUGE tail of traffic along the closest trunk road to Gleneagles, that passes right by the fence and under a demonstration on a bridge. Blocking both lanes was a bit hairy (especially in the pissing rain) but the views were still beautiful and the horns and bells were pumping - much support for and from those travelling to and from Gleneagles / Auchterarder by foot, car and bike alike. It felt pretty good till the Met turned up withy 10 vans, forcing us off the road. Some people escaped by speeding off but many were thrown to the ground as their bikes were chucked onto the verge. No injuries but plenty of stress. After being section 60'd, searched, and having our bikes taken away - 21 in total it seems (receipts given, promises of quick collection, but from Perth) we were driven to the nearest junction and abondoned. Much respect is due to the seriously organised support shuttlebus which picked us up before the cops even had a chance to leave! (you shoulda seen their faces!) Another sucessful block. Rock on! Forever Young, Free & Pedal Powered! Peter Panier XXX

The police never hit the soap dodgers hard enough.

I think we made a worthwhile contribution to yesterday's attempted blockade of G8 day one but we also made an unhelpful gesture to the image of the protests.

We had struggled through the police search lines which were imposed yesterday evening and escaped up into the hills in preparation for early action. (Even when it doesn't look like rain, I should never neglect to set up a proper cover for a camping spot, especially on so important an evening and when camping with a buddy.)

By 6am our little party of four were in Crieff waiting for others to ride into town. As we approached town one delegate to the conference sped past us with his police escort but later travellers were not so fortunate as a very effective blockade was established just as we reached the river. Five nervous-looking protestors were locked together through arm tubes and into a service duct on the bridge. For a few minutes until the police arrived to control the traffic, we four helped to stop vehicles from trying to cross the bridge. One local who was trying to catch a 'plane was so irrate that he might well have run people down had the arrival of the police not been impressively quick.

Twenty-something cyclists assembled in the town from various soggy hiding-places but with so brave and effective a blockade on the only river crossing, a critical mass in the town seemed unnecessary. We set off toward the next river crossing rather haphazardly holding up non-local drivers when we could figure out who was who. The next crossing seemed to have been closed as effectively as had the bridge into Crieff so we turned towards Gleneagles itself.

By great good fortune or improbable police sympathy we were allowed to ride at walking pace for several miles up to the northern entrance to the conference compound and just as we began to slow-down that approach road a long caravan of media bods in cars and coaches drove up behind us. Better still we were permitted to block the entrance completely for some minutes before we were cordonned onto the roadside verge. Though most of the dour hacks ignored us some paid us and our message full attention and none could have completely failed to register our existence. What a publicity coup!

A later confrontation on our way home was less auspicious. Heady with delusions of power our younger, more fiery members chose to ignore police demands that we stop blocking both carriageways of the A9. Consequently we were all roughly pulled from our bikes by a swarm of Met officers and bundled to the side of the road where we were thoroughly searched and had our bicycles confiscated. Faced with the prospect of a very long walk home lugging our bags we were almost immediately rescued by two minibuses driven by protesters who are also staying on the Stirling site.

Critical Masses are a valuable form of protest against the congestion of cities and the proliferation of road traffic but they are a largely pointless nuisance on a long stretch of rural dual-carriageway. Perhaps, in the context of so important a protest venue as the G8 summit, any nuisance is worthwile but I don't believe we helped the cause on this occasion.

We should be able to collect our bikes from Perth tomorrow morning, though I cannot imagine even the much more friendly Tayside police being particularly cooperative.

You say that you belive in your constitution but which one ? i don't think united kingdom as got one and neither has the Europe ....

A french citizen who voted