CHRIS MOONEY

ACTIVISTS have launched a recruitment drive to train up freelance medics in case violence erupts during this summer's G8 protests in Edinburgh.

Medics will be trained to treat the effects of tear gas on protesters as well as provide information on post-traumatic stress disorder.

The move means protesters will be providing medical treatment for themselves during the 200,000-strong Make Poverty History march.

But protest organisers branded the group "irrelevant fantasists" and said their was no place for them at the march in the Capital on July 2.

And council chiefs said today that adequate medical provision, including members of St John's Ambulance Service, was already being provided for the march.

It was revealed on Saturday that extremists held a secret military-style camp to plan major disruption, including road and rail blockades, during the Gleneagles summit.

UK Action Medics is a network of activists, some of whom are nurses or doctors, who have first aid skills.

The group's website says it will provide three days of in-depth training for protesters who want to be action medics.

An extra day's top-up is available for those who are more qualified and want to concentrate on "action situations and CS gas and pepper spray".

The site continues: "In particular we are organising with a view to when the G8 are coming to Scotland. July 2005. Be nice to think there would be no need for us to but . . ."

Anti-globalisation protestors say they have asked dissent groups expected to attend the march to respect its peaceful intentions.

G8 Alternatives spokesman Willie Black said: "It would be counterproductive to cause embarrassment on that Saturday in Edinburgh, it's a non-starter.

"[But] there could also be other demonstrations, at the parliament for example, and if something goes off and the police steam in people will get hurt. We don't want that, but we need to be prepared ourselves for that eventuality. Nobody else is going to come and bandage people up."

However, Richard Saville Smith of Save the Children, which is involved in organising the march through the city centre, said he had assurances from dissent groups that they would not disrupt the Edinburgh march.

He added: "Nothing is going to happen in Edinburgh on July 2 and all this is doing is frightening people.

"These people are irrelevant. It is easy to set up a website and all they are doing is living in fantasy land. How many of them are there, one guy sitting at a computer? The peaceful protests in Edinburgh will not require anything other than the normal emergency services procedures.

"There are some people who think they are going to have something going on in Tayside, but they have absolutely nothing to do with Make Poverty History."

A city council spokeswoman said: "An event of this scale would not go ahead without the agreement of all agencies, including the emergency services.

"We are not aware of this organisation and they have never approached us."