220,000 March in Scotland to " Make Poverty History" by Associated Press / Reuters 11:12am 3rd Jul, 2005   Edinburgh, July 2, 2005    http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/    "220,000 March in Scotland to " Make Poverty History", by Jeremy Lovell. (Reuters)    A tide of over 220,000 people dressed in white streamed through Edinburgh on Saturday to demand that leaders of rich nations agree measures to attack global poverty at a summit near the Scottish capital next week.    As part of a day of pressure on the Group of Eight nations, including the Live 8 rock concerts, the marchers urged rich states to double aid to poor countries, especially in Africa. They also called for debt relief and trade reform.    The marchers, wearing the color of the Make Poverty History movement -- a coalition of charities, churches and other groups -- flooded the streets of the historic city for five hours to form a human version of the campaign's white band symbol.    "This has delivered a historic moment. Ordinary people have come and expressed clearly what they want," Matt Phillips of the Save the Children charity told Reuters. "There is no misunderstanding the message - end poverty and end injustice."    Police and organizers estimated the number of demonstrators at 200,000, making the march one of the biggest in Scottish history.    Men, women and children from all corners of Europe flocked to Edinburgh to demand that the heads of the world's richest nations end the triple scourge of debt, disease and poverty.    "I am reassured that there are so many people who really care about what I care about," said teacher Caroline O'Neil from the county of Yorkshire. "The G8 should listen to what people are saying, not come out with empty words next week."    Under blue skies and a blazing sun, the event was opened by Cardinal Keith O'Brien, leader of Scotland's Roman Catholics, with a blessing from the Pope and a call on the G8 to take heed. "Our voice today is a legitimate voice to our elected leaders on behalf of the millions who have no voice," he said.    Demonstrators held placards with slogans such as "Wipe Out Debt," "Trade Justice" and "People Before Profit." Bagpipers and bongo drummers provided an international mix of music.    The G8 leaders meet from next Wednesday at the luxury Gleneagles hotel and golf resort, 65 km (40 miles) northwest of Edinburgh, for a summit chaired by British Prime Minister Tony Blair who has put Africa at the top of the agenda.    Marchers said the G8 leaders had a unique chance to stop 30,000 children dying every day because of extreme poverty.    "I never ever march but this time I felt I had to," said William Bertram, 55, from Edinburgh. "Poverty is a sin and it is wrong that so many have so little," he said. "I hope this march makes a difference next week."    The campaign wants the G8 to cancel poor countries' debts, boost aid to them by about $50 billion per year -- around half of it for Africa -- and knock down trade barriers which prevent African and other produce from getting to Western markets.    "We need more support and better support to agriculture so that we can produce food and feed ourselves," Mubanga Kasakula, a farmers' leader from Zambia, told reporters before the march..    Edinburgh, Scotland. July 2, 2005    "Huge pre-G8 anti-poverty protest". (Associated Press)    Over 200,000 people clad in white streamed through the cobbled streets of Scotland's medieval capital of Edinburgh Saturday, demanding that the leaders of the world's richest nations act to better the lives of the poorest.    The "Make Poverty History" marchers said the world must no longer tolerate the extreme poverty that blights the lives of millions in Africa and elsewhere.    The marchers want to send a peaceful but powerful message to politicians gathering for the summit of the G8 group of rich countries at the nearby Gleneagles resort next week.    "We're not here to march for charity; we are here to march for justice," said Walden Bello, of the advocacy group Focus on the Global South.    The demonstrators urged the G8 leaders to heed Prime Minister Tony Blair's call to erase Africa's debt, pony up for a massive boost in aid and eliminate trade barriers that make it difficult for impoverished nations to sell their goods overseas.    The march coincided with the Live 8 global music marathon to raise awareness of African poverty. Hundreds of musicians were taking to 10 stages around the world Saturday in cities ranging from Johannesburg to Philadelphia, Berlin to Barrie, Canada.    There are shows in all the G8 countries -- the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Japan and Russia -- as well as in South Africa, where former President Nelson Mandela was expected to address the crowd. A tenth, all-African show was being staged in southwest England.    Britain's two main Roman Catholic leaders headed the procession and Cardinal Keith O'Brien, the leader of Scotland's Catholics, read a message from the Vatican. He said Pope Benedict XVI urged those in rich countries to bear the burden of reducing debt for the poor and call on their leaders to fight poverty.    "His Holiness prays for the participants in the rally and for the world leaders soon to gather at Gleneagles, that they may all play their part in ensuring a more just distribution of the world's good," said the message from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano. He conveyed the pope's "ardent hope that the scourge of global poverty may one day be consigned to history."    Thandiwe Letsoalo, who traveled from Soweto, South Africa, for the march, lost two daughters to HIV-related illnesses and is caring for eight grandchildren and two unemployed sons on a small pension. "The G8 leaders have to increase aid but ensure that the governments they are giving aid to are not corrupt so that the money can trickle down to the people," she warned.    Copyright 2005 The Associated Press.    Click on the link below to join in Making Poverty History Visit the related web page
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