TAKE BACK THE STREETS PROTEST EDINBURGH SATURDAY 31ST JULY 2004

There was a `Take back the streets` protest in Edinburgh today. The protest, which began at 12 noon, had two starting points at Festival Square in the financial district of the West End and at Bristo Square near Edinburgh University.
One of the protestors’ grievances is that the Edinburgh Festival is a festival for the rich where the poor, working class and homeless are pushed out of the way and even in the case of the homeless people, pushed out of the city altogether. During the fringe festival rents go through the roof making it even more difficult for those on a low income to find somewhere to live. “Festivity should be all inclusive, a person’s pleasure and happiness should not depend on their fucking bank account!” as one of the flyers put it. From the website: “It's time to take back the streets of our city from the cars that have been swamping our streets, killing thousands of people every year and destroying our environment for far too long.”
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The event started a little slowly but by one o’clock the several dozen in Festival Square marched to Bristo Square along Johnston Terrace at the back of the castle. The fairly sizeable police presence brought up the rear. The two groups of demonstrators merged in the square normally frequented by skateboarders and shortly afterwards went on a march towards the Royal Mile. The protestors numbered around a hundred as they marched down Bristo Place to George IV Bridge. Blowing whistles and carrying black flags they shouted “Whose streets? Our Streets!” and “People not cars!”
A little after 1 o’clock they reached the junction of George IV Bridge and Lawnmarket where a 10-minute sit down was held. There were two further sit downs at the junction of North Bridge and the High Street and at the end of the Royal Mile at Holyrood House, the Queen’s official Scottish residence.
The march then went back up the Royal Mile to New Street where they turned right and then went up East Market Street and Market Street to the Waverley Stairs where they climbed up to the North Bridge around 2.40pm.
The event seemed to pass off peacefully and I saw no arrests. 10 photos are attached.