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Images from Edinburgh

Brian | 30.03.2003 10:33

Images from Saturday's Anti-War Demo in Edinburgh (article 1)

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh

Images from Edinburgh
Images from Edinburgh


I think about 10,000 people took to the streets for the Edinburgh demo on rather sunny Saturday. Response from the public was supportive with many motorists honking their horns in support. Even the ones caught in the gridlock when about 50-100 of us broke through the barriers and blocked the oncomming traffic on Lothian Road. Earlier on Princess Street was a sit-down protest for about 5 minutes. Lovely sight to see both lanes packed full of people sitting enjoying the sun on a peacefully protest rather than it's usual gridlocked, fume spewing traffic mayhem. Here's a few of the pictures I snapped along the way.

Brian
- e-mail: zuuey@orange.net


Comments

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See the Pictures Here

30.03.2003 11:05

not sure what I did wrong but the pics didnt upload correctly. You can see them all here:

 http://www.urbanrevolution.net/

Brian
mail e-mail: zuuey@orange.net


Edinburgh- 10 000 people can't be wrong!

31.03.2003 15:10

The sun came out to oversee things (mind you so did the wind) as just shy of 100 protestors from Dundee boarded the double decker bus headed to Edinburgh.
The journey went fine until we reached the outskirts of Edinburgh, where we got caught in a long tailback of traffic also headed to Edinburgh to see the rugby match between Scotland and Italy, and by the time we managed to get off the bus (the traffic warden wouldn't let the bus through so we could get to Waterloo Place) it was about 2.10pm.
Fortunately, the march didn't get underway till just before 3pm, giving us all plenty of time to mingle and soak up the vibe, with the sound of ritual drums binding the crowded masses together.

Then, with the syncronous sound of airhorns, the march began.
"1 2 3 4 WE DON'T WANT YOUR BLOODY WAR! 5 6 7 8 WE DON'T WANT YOUR RACIST HATE!!"

The whole of Princes street had been closed to traffic (which is quite impressive considering it's usually chock-a-blocked with cars and busses any time I ever visit Edinburgh) and it was packed solid with people protesting, people who had arrived from all over Scotland to register their disgust at this brutal and unneccesary war.

As the march turned onto Lothian road and slowly sloped uphill, we could see just how many people were there. As usual, what little press coverage the protest did get claimed there were only 5000 people there, but walking up Lothian road and seeing it with my own eyes I can tell you that this is an out and out lie, and there were at least double that figure, and if not more.
The press desperately downplay everything we try to do, but their lies are becoming more and more transparent, to the people they try to con.

One of the first things we noticed on Lothian road was the fact that the police had put up barriers and effectively forced the protest onto 1 lane of the road, so that traffic could still use the other lane. This wasn't to last, as at least 50 protestors broke free of the fences and blocked the other lane, lying in the road directly infront of the cards. Massive cheers were to be heard as a young Australian protestor climbed up the traffic lights and screamed out,
"Let's block the streets! Let's stop the city!!"
Both Jackie and myself jumped the barriers along with plenty other people, who followed along the rest of the march weaving in and out of the cars that were stuck on the other lane, handing out leaflets to the irate drivers. It was interesting to note that the only people who made a point of ignoring us and staring straight ahead were the ones sitting in the luxury cards with the big, fuel-guzzling engines.
At the next set of traffic lights, a policman was stood holding the barrier open and telling everyone to get back inside, which was done without question, and that's how the march continued all the way to the Meadows, where there wer a bunch of really boring speakers lined up for us.
I didn't bother listening to what they had to say as the majority of them represented other political groups, (and are frankly using this war to gain political popularity, that's NOT what these protests are about!!) I think a lot of demonstrators felt the same way, as there weren't half as many people turning up at the Meadows (and most were leaving as soon as the speeches started)

Imperialgodfly


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