Thousands march to push G8 on African poverty – Yahoo! News
EDINBURGH (Reuters) – Tens of thousands of demonstrators dressed in white marched through Edinburgh on Saturday to demand leaders of rich nations agree measures to tackle global poverty at a summit nearby next week.
As part of a day of pressure on the Group of Eight nations including the Live 8 rock concerts, the marchers in Edinburgh urged rich states double aid to poor countries, especially in Africa. They also called for debt relief and trade reform.
The demonstrators wearing the color of the Make Poverty History movement — a coalition of charities, churches and other groups — streamed through the streets of the historic city to form a human version of the campaign’s white band symbol.
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, some 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.
A group of about 20 anarchists scuffled with police soon after the march began but there was no sign of the more serious violence that accompanied some G8 protests in other countries.
