Edinburgh 2nd July 2005

We had just arrived at The Meadows in Edinburgh, Scotland. We left home at 10am with our sandwiches packed and our white clothes. When we got to The Meadows the crowd was only beginning to mass.

We were among the first group to head off on the march through the streets of Edinburgh. Well behaved and extremely loud at times.

One speaker summed up all the fears and doubts. I am aware that me marching in Edinburgh is unlikely to result in an end to poverty. I am aware that the politics surrounding the debt relief, corruption, environment, EU subsidies. We are aware of these issues. Some of us have merely decided to let the G8 leaders know that we are watching them. We will carefully scrutinise what they say and we continue to monitor their actions not just their words. I am more sceptical and cynical regarding politics, than most people. I marched because I am not going to sit on my backside and do nothing. I am not going to point a finger and say look at the fools.

The march was organised by 'Make Poverty History' but many groups had shown up, PEACE, Socialist Workers, Anarchists... But mainly it was made up of couples, families, the elderly, young men and women. People just like me.

Pete Postlethwaite, one of the speakers summed it up using the words of Ghandi.

"First they will ignore you, then they will laugh at you, then they will fight you, then you win."