Crowd of 200,000 in Scotland urges poverty action

EDINBURGH - A tide of some 200,000 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 colour 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 organisers 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.

BONGO DRUMMERS

"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 northwest of Edinburgh, for a summit chaired by 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.

The campaigners' message has won wide support in Britain, and is largely endorsed by Blair.

But some aid experts say African countries may struggle to absorb a sudden and massive increase in cash and that writing off debt could encourage irresponsible financial management.

- REUTERS