The World Can't Wait Rally
London, Saturday 2nd June 2007
World Can't Wait 2nd June event evaluation report (pdf)
World Can't Wait 2nd June event evaluation report - Annex C (pdf)
World Can't Wait 2nd June event evaluation report - Annex D (pdf)
Tony Blair's Response to The World Can't Wait - June 2007 (pdf)
Thousands descended on central London for The World Can't Wait: Your Voice Against Poverty rally by Westminster and the River Thames on Saturday 2nd June. It was a bright sunny day, there was an amazing atmosphere and the event was peaceful and good-humoured.
Alongside people who had come from all over the UK, rock stars Midge Ure and Annie Lennox lent their support to the protest. They posed for the press in Parliament Square with a host of semi-naked "pants to poverty" demonstrators and a giant world, which resulted in good media coverage.
There were activities in Central Hall Westminster, the Emmanuel Centre and Archbishops Park all day, including a keynote debate, speech bubble placard-making, an Unfair Ground, a a short film screening and various workshops.
At 2pm everyone headed down to the River Thames, around Lambeth Bridge, for the mass moment. A World Can't Wait boat was out on the river, hung with banners showing the grand total of voices against poverty collected from people all around the UK over the last few months.
At 2.30pm, Kumi Naidoo, chair of the Global Call to Action against Poverty, led a minute's silence in solidarity with those who live in poverty from the boat, followed by three minutes of exuberant noise as the crowd blew whistles, banged drums and let off alarm clocks, chanting: "G8 - The World Can't Wait!"
The grand total of voices against poverty from the UK is 582,287.
More reports, videos, and pictures from the day on the Your Voice Against Poverty website.