G8 Riots In Edinburgh >:[

[Agent 47]

If You Haven't Heard Already, There Are MASSIVE Riots In Edinburgh Central, It's Really Getting Out Of Hand, 500+ Riot Squad Plice Have Been Dispatched And The Protesters Are Smashing Into Banks And Shop Like GAP And McDonalds. Now my Mum's Stuck In Her Work, Waiting For The Riot Squad to take care of This.

[Rosie]

:o glad i dont live ther some of meh family do ;(

[Agent 47]

And Now Princes Street has Been Closed, I Think

[disco]

whats this riot about?

[Rosie]

live 8 protest

[disco]

live 8 protest

why would they be protesting live 8? isn't that for good or maybe i'm just confused right now?

[Agent 47]

No, G8 Protest

[disco]

No, G8 Protest

ok i'm confused? why are they protesting against g8?

[Agent 47]

So that they'll give money to stop pverty

[disco]

ok but isn't that what g8 is doing?

[NekkLe]

Why are the crowd going mad over the protest, afterall, they shouldn't prove whats right by causing violence? You have to look who your helping, then protest to make new comers feel they want to help for whats right in the world. I think by rioting, your making people feel as if the whole campaign is taken seriously? anyone agree ?

[-Soph-]

wow those people must be randomers to protest against that
everyone shout RANDOMERS
1,2,3...!
RANDOMERS!!!! lol

[Dust-Ball.]

G8 unrest escalates in Edinburgh

There have been scuffles involving police and protesters
Police have sent in officers trained in public order to deal with several hundred anti-G8 protesters in the centre of Edinburgh.
Missiles were thrown and weapons recovered as the trouble escalated, Lothian and Borders Police said.

Lines of officers have forced back protesters at various locations. Roads are closed and businesses are being advised to consider shutting.

A senior officer accused protesters of pursuing their own "selfish agenda".

Tension began to rise during the "Carnival For Full Enjoyment", which was called by anti-capitalist groups.

The Wombles and Dissent are committed to fighting capitalism and the ideas of the G8.

In an online advert for the event the groups asked people to: "Bring drums, music, banners, imagination for action against the G8 that expresses our resistance in work, out of work or wherever we live."

Police said they were dealing with "sporadic incidents by several hundred activists intent on causing major disruption". They were behaving in a "threatening and confrontational manner".




How will the G8 impact Scotland?
Anarchist explains reasons for protest

A number of police lines have been formed to contain crowds. Some officers are on horseback and others have donned riot gear.

The demonstrators appeared to want to focus on the west end of Edinburgh, which is the city's financial area.

At 1245 BST, the main body of protesters was hemmed in at Canning Street, with no access into side streets.

More protesters tried to join the march at the Shandwick Place end and were pushed back. One managed to climb halfway up a building with a black flag.

There was a report that a group had entered the Caledonian Exchange building, which houses some offices of the financial services company Standard Life. The company said they did not get into their premises.

'Flexible policing'

Lothian and Borders Police said the "carnival" organisers had failed to discuss their intentions with them or Edinburgh City Council.

In a statement, they said the event was "clearly intended to cause disruption and inconvenience". "We have had to devise flexible policing arrangements to respond," it went on.



"As a result of the conduct of the groups," ACC ****inson said, "traffic has been disrupted in the Princes Street area. This will have an effect on traffic in the central area and motorists are urged to avoid the area for the time being.

"This confirms that this was never intended to be a carnival in a conventional sense. It is unacceptable behaviour intended to disrupt Edinburgh."

Later, ACC ****inson said the groups had been "determined to challenge the community and the police service for their own selfish agenda to inflict disruption and significant disorder".

Intensive police resources will remain in Edinburgh until the situation is resolved.

Nuclear protest

On the other side of Scotland, protesters turned out for a mass blockade at the Faslane naval base.

The MoD site on the banks of the Clyde is home to the UK's Trident nuclear submarine fleet and has been the focus of protests for many years.

Organised by CND and Trident Ploughshares, Monday's event is the eighth sit-down protest at the base since February 2000.

The promotion of the global arms trade and nuclear weaponry by G8 nations must be stopped

Mark Ballance
Green MSP


Protesters blockade Faslane

The event seeks to highlight the links between poverty and war, militarism and destructive globalisation ahead of the G8 summit.

A spokesman for the protesters, Joss Garman, said: "On Monday, we will make history by shutting down the home for port for Britain's weapons of mass destruction.

"Whilst the G8 leaders will talk about ending poverty, we will show they are creating it through war and the arms trade.

"You can't end poverty unless you also end war."

'Demand for change'

The event began at 0700 BST and has the backing of the Scottish National Party and the Scottish Green and Scottish Socialist parties.

Green MSP Chris Ballance said: "Following the historic demonstrations in Edinburgh and across the world at the weekend, that spirit of overwhelming demand for change will now focus on militarism, the arms trade and our very own WMD on the Clyde.

"At a time when the clamour for action on poverty and climate change is resonating louder than ever before, the promotion of the global arms trade and nuclear weaponry by G8 nations must be stopped."

Pictures
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4848/41264751policeprotest2030iq.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/4923/41264753protestersgetty2032iw.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)


http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/3196/41264759policeprotesttwo2036cq.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)


:eusa_snoo Copyright to BBC News :eusa_snoo

[Dust-Ball.]

These Riots are really bad

[Fraz-man]

Where did u say that was again? I wanna join in the fun! :D

[Pawf]

We've seen through history that non-violent protest doesn't work that well... so why not be violent?

I'm assuming that G8 won't drop all the debts and stuff because there is just TOO MUCH money to be lost in doing so.

Could you honestly say you would live rough to help someone you don't know, thousands of miles away, who is used to living like it anyway?

NOTE: DON'T BAD REP ME FOR THIS, I AM PLAYING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE MEANING I AM SAYING THINGS TO KEEP ARGUMENTS UP

[Tommy]

There deciding the fate of the world on a golf course... how sad...

I mean they shouldnt have to discuss it, there deciding if they are going to let people live, its just human to give money to poverty!

[RedStratocas]

The G8 is a meeting of the world's most powerfull leaders to decide things, such as poverty, and other problems. Thats all.

Live 8 is a cocert to try and send a message to the g8 to do something about poverty.

Just to clear that up

Also, the debt has already been dropped, but people dont think that is enough, since obviously, they cant pay back anyway, so really, it wasent anything.

[Roboevil]

Hummbug, not saying that violence is the answer, but it's not like we chinwagged our way through to winning the first and second world war. Voilence is devistating and brutal, it will make people think, but then it also shows the extent we have to go to make some people listen to us.
There's no point in trying to make people realise that civilised talking is just as effective as violence, as there will always be "hooligans" and always people who don't listen.
This riot that has happend sounds horrid, it will make the G8 consider, at the very least. Dropping the debt is a fine thing to do, we put the African's in the position they are now, we should get them out, it's our fault, now we have to pay the price. Perhap's the G8 will discuss further matters about the poverty sooner than expected, for britain's own protection at least.

[RedStratocas]

The debt was already dropped.

[Dust-Ball.]

What dose G8 stand for is Great 8 or goverment 8?