The Make Poverty History March, in Retrospect contd By Bill Linton

prev page,

Many of the organisations who spearheaded this movement have become marginalized to the point of being no more than a slogan, Trade Not Aid being a fair example. I can recall not a single reference to the G8's domination of the world institutions such as the UN, the IMF and the World Bank, and the American Neo-Cons seizure of the presidency of the World Bank seems to have escaped their notice.

Gordon Brown and Jack McConnell kindly joined Saturday's march to show their support, and were welcomed by the organisers despite the fact that they represent the very interests which many were protesting against. Instead, they were allowed to manipulate the protest of 250,000 people as representing the aspirations of a government which has ridden roughshod over civil liberties at home and has been instrumental in ruining the lives of millions overseas. All we've had from Gordon Brown so far is hot air. He is as guilty as any and should have been sent packing. McConnell, being a nonentity, was merely trying to be seen. The media as I have said, predictably and suspiciously, missed the point. The Live 8 concert in London was a convenient diversion allowing all day coverage for one channel and a focus for the TV news, whilst Edinburgh's march was sidelined to news slots lasting no more than a minute on most channels.

Isn't it interesting to note that there was more attention paid to a handful of nutters on Sunday afternoon than there was to a quarter of a million marchers just the day before? I've got news for you news hounds. Scenes like those on Sunday were nothing new to Edinburgh. If you need proof then take your cameras to any football match between Hearts and Hibs. As for police action, they got a days practical training as planned in preparation for Wednesday, in poor wee Auchterarder of all places.

Today's Auchterarder march however, as I suspected, was not allowed to go ahead. Organisers reported that the police had asked them to cancel the march. When they refused to do so, the police proceeded to inform people that the organisers had voluntarily cancelled. The organisers responded by calling for an impromptu march in Edinburgh at 6 o'clock to protest the breach of civil liberties. Who knows, this might even prompt people to organise demonstrations to show their disapproval of the police state which Britain is rapidly becoming under Blair's "socialist" government. Finally, a word to the good people of Auchterarder. I'm sure I speak for all good hearts who are doing whatever they can in search of justice and an end to poverty, ignorance and the misery of war worldwide. None of the various protest groups chose Auchterarder as the focus of their attention and we apologise for the inconvenience and disruption to your lives over this period and the anxiety that this unwanted attention must have caused.

I suspect you would agree with the vast majority of those who marched in Edinburgh and didn't march in Auchterarder, that the G8 summit was not welcome here and that the cost of entertaining the world's political elite is disproportionate to any good that will come of it.

If you are interested in fingering the person who brought this undeserved disruption to your lives, then you should be looking for some smart-suited young cat in London who gets paid an annual sum that would make your eyes pop. If they want to hold a G8 Summit in Britain again, let me suggest central London. Long live the revolution,

Photographs courtesy and Copyright © Mo and Issac Acheampong 2005

Going Down - Make Poverty History Demonstration in Edinburgh 2nd July 2005 by Rich Mills
	Having been a political activist for many years now, when the Make Poverty History demonstration came around, we just had to do something about it. The result being that with a lot of work from Martin Deane collecting money in, we managed to send a hundred people up to Edinburgh for the day. Along with another hundred or so who made their own way up to Scotland, Hull was well represented. Read more...

Going Down - G8 2005 Demonstration in Edinburgh by Mike Rose
	On Saturday 2nd July we joined what turned out to be the biggest political demonstration in Scottish history. I've been on G8 demos before (Prague 2000 - Genoa 2001) but this one was the most diverse I have ever witnessed. The response from the churches was stunning. We had socialists, environmentalists, Christians, students, pensioners, and babies! Read more...

Going Down - Make Poverty History March In Edinburgh By Sarah Golightley
	There is nothing I loathe more than the sound of one of those wretched free ring tones on my mobile twanging away at 5 o'clock in the morning; especially when 5 o' clock is only three hours after I went to sleep following a night of clubbing at Fuel and accidentally locking my friends out of their own house. And then trying to let them in Read more...

Going Down - Make Poverty History Demonstration in Edinburgh 2nd July 2005 By Mo
	Martin Deane invited me along with 2 full coach loads of people from Hull to the Make Poverty History Demonstration in Edinburgh on the 2nd July 2005. It was an early start, 6am, because we had a long 6 hour trip up to Scotland (and another 6 hours back which I tried to forget) as we hopped aboard that drizzly morning. I'd packed my sandwiches, water etc and had a flask of hot coffee prepared for me by Cilla Read more...

Going Down - World Music Day at Queens Gardens Saturday 18th June 2005 By Mo
	This year's Hull World Music Day saw another impressive array of artists from across the globe. A warm sunny day was the perfect setting for various performances. These included the Shyani Ngcobo Band from South Africa, Persian band Flame, the Zeela Women's Choir from Liberia, Allah Lake Afro Mandinka from the Gambia, Shantha Rao of the Annapurna Indian Dance Company, Hako from Kurdistan Read more...

Going Down - Overnight Investigation of the Paranormal with The Spiritual Renaissance Group By Blair Ashworth Photos by Mo
	Insomnia must be a real advantage when you're investigating the paranormal. At least, it would have been if the night at Holmpton had passed slowly - but for me, and for Mo, it was an amazing and unforgettable experience, and I for one intend repeating it as soon as the opportunity next arises. So, there we were, the car drawing up to the guardhouse of the Holmpton bunker near Withernsea. Read more...

Going Down - Isn't 'Ull Brilliant! Hull Aid Tsunami Benefit Event By Cilla, 11 page Photo Gallery by Darren Rogers.
	After the unbelievable response to the Hull Aid Tsunami Benefit Event, where hundreds of you turned up to be entertained by some of the fabulous talent from in and around Hull, we can announce the current total donated by YOU! Together with collections at Yo-Yo Read more...

Going Down - thisisUll.com Tuesday 11th January - Hull Aid Tsunami Benefit Gig By Daniel Laney.
	It is 5am, I am with three proud members of thisisUll.com, sitting back and reflecting on eight hours of music. I have to break myself from conversation in order to put together my own thoughts of this magical event. In the background of the room I can hear Read more...

Going Down - thisisUll.com 2004 in Pictures.
	Both Cilla and I want to thank all the contributors for their work in 2004. Without their participation this website could not be possible, Over 100,000 people from over 80 countries are seeing Ull at it's very best with over 2,000 pages of superb Read more...

Going Down - Reclaim the Night - Wednesday 10th November 04 By Rich Mills
	Embarrassed as I'm to say it, but you can hardly have failed to have seen my ugly mug staring back at you from the pages of the Hull Daily Mail recently. What has got them so excited that I will soon need to employ a Press Officer? Well, the simple idea of Reclaim the Night. Read more...

Going Down - Newland Avenue Christmas Lights Switch On - Wednesday 24th November 04 By Tony Waddington
	The community spirit is not dead. This was demonstrated by the great attendance of the local residents for the switch-on of this year's Christmas lights. The event was a combined venture between the Newland Avenue Traders Association, Read more...

Going Down - Only Fools and Horses Convention By DJ Chris Plant
	The 3rd October2004 saw the Only Fools & Horses Convention road show arrive in Milton Keynes at the biggest venue to date, at the Bletchley Leisure Centre. My friend Alex and I set off at 7:30am to make sure that we got a good queue position. When we arrived in Milton Keynes, we searched for Read more...

Going Down - The Leeds Festival, Bramham Park August Bank Holiday Weekend 2004 By Steve Rudd
	One of the finest rock-orientated festivals of any given summer season, this was the second time that the massive 3-day event was held at Bramham Park, which is a beautiful site on the eastern fringes of Leeds - and that has previously been used for horse trials. Read more...