On ID-Day 26 March 2007 NO2ID Edinburgh staged a two-hour demonstration outside Apex3, the anonymous office block at 95 Haymarket Terrace which had been designated as the site of the local IPS office (opened in November 2007). Eight members were dressed eye-catchingly as barcoded robots in white hooded overalls with featureless white masks. Other members held up the group's new placards or handed out leaflets. The robots stood on both sides of the A8, holding passports and pointing out the IPS office particularly to passengers on buses stopping nearby. Mark Ballard, then MSP for the Scottish Green Party, also attended to lend support while the two policemen detailed to watch the protest had a very easy time.
There was a gratifying response from a large number of passing drivers who sounded their horns and gave the thumbs up sign; indeed there was 100% support from the many refuse and recycling trucks going to a nearby depot. The only negative comment was from a passerby who thought that ID cards would help stem illegal immigration.
The demonstration got good pre-publicity in the local press and on BBC Online. The Daily Record carried a photograph and a short report in its printed version and there was coverage on local radio stations Radio Forth and Talk107. There are more photographs here. A still photograph of the demonstration was included in the closing credits of the film "Taking Liberties".
Finally, you can view a 10 minute film of the
event, 'ID-Day Demonstration',
here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQMtrq8BQ8w
Click here for further details
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