Sunday 23 October 2011

Occupy Edinburgh - peaceful protest in St Andrew's Square (Includes first-hand account)

Digital Journal Reports

Oct 23, 2011 - 4 hours ago by Gemma Fox - 2 comments

article imageOccupy Edinburgh - peaceful protest in St Andrew's Square Special

By Gemma Fox.

Edinburgh - The Occupy movement has spread steadily around the world and now the Scottish capital becomes part of that as Occupy Edinburgh takes over St Andrew's Square.

The Occupy Movement started on September 17 this year in America where a peaceful protest was organised to take place in Wall Street in New York. The idea was that protest would be against the greed and corruption of the wealthiest 1% of the American population.

The idea was that people would gather and make a difference but the first day, when the turnout was thousands less than expected, the idea was deemed a failure but people still persisted. The occupation went relatively unnoticed and mainstream news channels failed to report on it.

However, as the days and weeks went by the numbers occupying Wall Street Grew, people started to take more notice and the movement spread across the USA and Canada and then throughout the world.

Occupy Edinburgh first arrived just over a week ago in the Scottish Capital. Tents sprung up in St Andrew's Square and since then protesters have peacefully and patiently spent hours speaking with members of the public whose interest they have drawn, explaining the reasoning behind the Occupy Movement and the part Occupy Edinburgh plays in that.

Occupy Edinburgh - an explanation
Occupy Edinburgh - an explanation
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Occupy Edinburgh
Occupy Edinburgh
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Occupy Edinburgh
Occupy Edinburgh
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St Andrew's Square is a busy thoroughfare in Edinburgh, with people cutting through who have come from the St James shopping mall or from the Leith area of the city through to the shopping areas of Princes Street and George Street. The Square is the location of the city's bus station.

Members of the public have no problems with using St Andrew's Square as they did before the occupation. The protesters don't hinder their passage through the Square and certainly, on Saturday, it seemed that the passing public were more than happy to stop and listen to what the occupiers had to say.

Members of the public came along to find out more about what the Occupy Movement is
Members of the public came along to find out more about what the Occupy Movement is
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Occupy Edinburgh - peaceful protesters gather with the public to explain what the Occupy Movement is
Occupy Edinburgh - peaceful protesters gather with the public to explain what the Occupy Movement is
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 Humanity: Don t leave home without it  banner tied to the Melville Monument in St Andrew s Square d...
"Humanity: Don't leave home without it" banner tied to the Melville Monument in St Andrew's Square during Occupy Edinburgh
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Part of the tented village that sprung up in St Andrew s Square  Edinburgh during the Occupy Edinbur...
Part of the tented village that sprung up in St Andrew's Square, Edinburgh during the Occupy Edinburgh protests 2011
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The very peaceful Occupy Edinburgh event on Saturday October 22 2011
The very peaceful Occupy Edinburgh event on Saturday October 22 2011
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The public still wander through St Andrew s Square freely and unhindered during Occupy Edinburgh pro...
The public still wander through St Andrew's Square freely and unhindered during Occupy Edinburgh protests
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A passerby looks up to read a banner tied to the Melville Monument in St Andrew s Square Edinburgh.
A passerby looks up to read a banner tied to the Melville Monument in St Andrew's Square Edinburgh.
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The very peaceful Occupy Edinburgh event on Saturday October 22 2011
The very peaceful Occupy Edinburgh event on Saturday October 22 2011
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Two police officers make their way around the tented village of Occupy Edinburgh in St Andrew s Squa...
Two police officers make their way around the tented village of Occupy Edinburgh in St Andrew's Square
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Occupy Edinburgh
Occupy Edinburgh
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 We are the 99%  and  99% serve 1% you are the 99%  more signs around the Occupy Edinburgh tented vi...
"We are the 99%" and "99% serve 1% you are the 99%" more signs around the Occupy Edinburgh tented village in St Andrew's Square
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Over all the atmosphere was carnival with people enjoying themselves and listening to music while having picnics.