Concerns about mass G8 protest
Bob Geldof’s call for a million people to take to the streets of Edinburgh has been met with concern by both the police and teaching unions.
Sir Bob made his call for a mass demonstration to coincide with the G8 summit in Gleneagles as he launched plans for Live 8 concerts.
There will be five concerts around the world on July 2 – featuring many of music’s biggest names – in an attempt to raise public consciousness of poverty in Africa and put pressure on the G8 leaders to act.
And Sir Bob said he hoped that a million people would attend at rally in Edinburgh on July 8. Police were already anticipating 100,000 people to turn up for a Make Poverty History rally in Edinburgh on July 2.
Lothian and Borders Assistant Chief Constable Ian Dickinson sounded a note of caution, saying that rally would already have been the biggest in Scottish history.
“Now there has been talk of up to million people coming to Edinburgh but, frankly, it is difficult to conceive how they could all get to this area in the first place and where they could assemble in safety,” he said.
“Crowds of this size are potentially hazardous. No-one wants tragedy to distract world attention from the real aims of the campaigners.”
And teaching union NASUWT told pupils that they should not follow Sir Bob’s call to bunk off school and attend the demonstration.
General secretary Chris Keates said: “This is a crucial campaign and it is vital that the opportunity presented by the G8 summit for a powerful message to be sent to world leaders is not missed.
“However, there is no need for anyone to truant from school to attend. A major rally is planned in Edinburgh for Saturday 2 July and, therefore, anyone who really wants to be involved in a demonstration can.”
