Get in your boat and go to Dunkirk and fetch people from France for the G8 is Sir Bob

[lemonice]

saying and doing the right things on this?

[Enid]

haven't been following it but I feel very sorry for edinburgh having the threat of a million people descending on it...and feel it was slightly irresponsible of (otherwise gorgeous IMO) sir bob

[Twiglett]

comment on this from Paul merton on 'have I got news for you' (excuse paraphrase)

'you know you think someone would build a big tunnel so you can get 'em over quicker'

made me LOL anyway

[expatinscotland]

No, but I can certainly kick Bob Geldof in the nuts (if he's got any) with steel-toed boots if I ever see him in person.

Irresponsible, publicity-seeking git. 'Let's help the poor', but saddling Scotland's working poor with the cost of this 'rally' for which he couldn't bother to ask the city's leaders if it were okay to have.

Not to mention what could happen in terms of violence, injury and property damage since the city is now frantically trying to source extra security, toilets, etc.

I think Edinburgh Council should sue Bob Geldof to recoup the costs of his self-promotion. And if - God forbid - someone gets hurt or worse I think Geldof should be held accountable in criminal court.

The 'protesters' are now demanding free camping in the city's parks. If they REALLY cared about poverty in this world they'd offer to stay at home and give their free parking to the city's homeless and traveller population, who are not offered such a luxury.

[lemonice]

Apparently Helen Mcarthur is supporting the thousand of boats crossing the channel idea announced by Bob - but no sea agencies know anything about it -

[beansmum]

he's such a prat! I was already angry with him about fathers for justice, 'who cares if 'spiderman' is a violent drug addict it doesn't make him a bad father', and then sending 1000's of people to edinburgh (a very small city by the way), and now this.

[Twiglett]

it is hardly 'self-promotion' though .. it is promotion of world issues around the G8 conference which previously has done f' all to sort out some fundamental issues that the human race is inflicting on itself

[tabitha]

While I agree entirely with the 'make poverty history' cause, I too think that Sir Bob is being a complete, irresponsible pratt trying to get a million people to march to Edinburgh. Has he actually been to the city ffs? If he had then he would know that there is no way it could actually physically hold this number of extra bodies. I used to be a Police Officer in Edinburgh and I know that they would find it difficult, if not impossible, to police numbers like this although apparently thousands of extra police are to be drafted in from all over the UK. Where they're going to stay whild there up here, I dont know.
It's totally mad, especially as there is already an anti-poverty march arranged for 2nd July....oh, but it's not bee organised by Sir Bob, so it doesn't count!

[expatinscotland]

I agree, tabitha. The crowd numbers at Hogmanay now have to be carefully numbered - it's now a ticketed event. Tix are free, but first come, first served - due to security concerns and safe transport of people to hospital if need be as well as maintaining easy access for emergency vehicles. There's also only 1 A&E in town, and it's on the city's outskirts. Just last week, the fire brigade was unable to reach a burning tenement b/c of narrow streets with cars parked along them. They had to stop about 50m away from the fire and fight it from there.

In addition, Edinburgh's town centre is very densely populated, especially in summer. Its streets also have networks of narrow, steep alleyways lined with multi-story (some stories under the ground entirely) tenements connecting them. One of these buildings went afire a couple of Christmases ago. It took two days to put b/c it turned out that there were 3 stories under the ground itself which were on fire, too. Special experts specialising in mine fires had to be brought in.

There are only 3 streets in town centre which are straight.

Crowd dispersal in an emergency without appropriate time to plan could be tragic.

The population is heavily reliant on buses to get into town centre, which is still an important work centre and trade centre.

And let's not underestimate the risk presented to outnumbered law enforcement, fire brigade and paramedics if enough security isn't sourced.

I agree with trying out best to eradicate world poverty.

But I prefer to do this by volunteering my time and effort to charitable organisations, not over-running an unsuspecting populace from whom I did not even extend the common courtesy to ask.

[lemonice]

I can understand the desire to promote awareness of world poverty but although he gets news coverage I wish his ideas on this were more constructive and less odd, impulsive?

[katierocket]

oh I can't stand Sir Bob. Who does he think he is? and his silly 'I'm a journalist I am, nothing to do with daddy of course' daughter Pixie or fairy sunflower or whatever her name is

[lemonice]

Judgin from yesterday's press conference Bono and Branson seem to have split from this mass protest view (if they ever shared it) and are discouraging people from going to Edinburgh unlesss they have accommodation/transport/etc.

[expatinscotland]

Yes, lemon. B/c the council is considering suing Geldof & company for the costs of extra policing and services for their impromptu rally. Quite rightly. Otherwise, the cost gets passed onto the city's council taxpayers. Thanks, Bob, for having so much compassion for Edinburgh's working poor.

One of the councillors has a fab idea, however! The protesters are demanding free camping. This councillor is a representative of Craigmillar and Niddrie, the most deprived districts in all Edinburgh, where 70% of the inhabitants live below the poverty line. The state of the 'housing' there is shocking - in fact, a lot of it has been condemned. But they've plenty of sites available for free camping ! Hey, if they're coming here to make others aware of poverty in the entire world, well, hope they brnig their cameras to film this area. Although, they might need knives and flame retardant blankets as well .

[TwoIfBySea]

Bob Geldof has totally lost the plot. You would think that 20 years on they would guess that throwing money at the problem is not making it go away and to perhaps try and influence an end to the unfair trading policies that are actually causing the poverty!

And we usually go into Edinburgh at least once a month and avoid the summer when all the tourists are there. The place is going to be wrecked, I don't care how rose-tinted the glasses are they are looking through, there are trouble makers who will destroy the place and it makes me sick.

I really hope he does get sued, why should the cost be passed onto what expat said were the poorest inhabitants of the city.

I really started getting annoyed when the "protesters" started demanding free this and that saying the council had a responsibility to give free camping and free transport into the town! FFS. Reality check folks, maybe if these protesters knew what being poor was like they wouldn't be so damn high horse telling the rest of us that we are all amoral for not letting them run riot - literally.

The boat thing is just hilarious! There was a letter in the Edinburgh Evening News the other day saying we should find out what hotel Bob and Midge Ure were staying at and ask to bunk down in their suite!

Haha! Rant over, I'm glad I got the chance - cheers Lemonice!

[tabitha]

expat,

I think if the protestors camp at the Jack Kane and then go to the march, they may find they don't have any tents etc to come back to

[morocco]

surely it's just said to get everyone talking about it? Sir B could go round being reasonable and talking quietly and sensibly for decades before anything would change in the slightest, it's only when wild ideas like this get thrown around that the press and government seem to get remotely ruffled. (of course I don't live anywhere near Edinburgh so I guess I don't feel too personally worried).