26 March 2007 – ID–Day demonstration at Edinburgh Interrogation Centre
On ID-Day, we staged a two-hour demonstration outside the anonymous-looking local IPS office at 95 Haymarket Terrace.
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.
Photographs from the demonstration
10-minute demonstration film on YouTube
The robots stood on both sides of the A8, holding passports and pointing out the IPS office particularly to passengers on buses stopping nearby.
IPS office at 95 Haymarket Terrace
Mark Ballard, then a Green MSP for the Lothians, also attended to lend support while the two policemen detailed to watch the protest had a very easy time.
Support
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.
Publicity
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.
A still photograph of the demonstration was included in the closing credits of the film "Taking Liberties".