GARETH ROSE AND JANE BRADLEY

AS MANY as 200,000 protesters will dress in white and form a "human wristband" around the Capital during the massive demonstration to coincide with the G8 summit.

Make Poverty History coalition campaigners today revealed details of their plans to protest when the world's most powerful leaders meet in Gleneagles.

The July 2 rally will begin in the Meadows, before heading down George IV Bridge to The Mound, along Princes Street, on to Lothian Road and back past Castle Terrace and Lady Lawson Street to the starting point.

Organisers are staggering leaving times, with the first group heading out at 1pm, in the hope they will form a white band around the city centre - a human form of the wristband worn by supporters of the coalition to call for the cancellation of Third World debt, fair trade and aid for poverty-stricken countries.

A festival will be held in the Meadows from 11am, with speeches from celebrities, fair trade stalls, children's activities, food and drink, and live music.

Organisers have urged participants not to bring alcohol to the march and to use public transport to reduce congestion in the city. Coaches will ship in supporters from across the UK.

Thousands of messages to be sent to the G8 leaders will be written on white bands of cloth during the protest.

Mary Cullen, chairwoman of the Make Poverty History coalition in Scotland, said: "It will be a fun day with a very serious message for the G8 leaders - take action to make poverty history.

"The rally is about people here showing they care about people elsewhere in the world, doing something to end extreme poverty and demanding that the world's most powerful politicians take the necessary action."

Among the 400 organisations represented will be Oxfam, Save the Children, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Christian Aid, the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the Salvation Army, Islamic Relief, Help the Aged and Jubilee Scotland.

Oxfam spokesman Malcolm Fleming said: "I think it will have a huge impact and make a difference that can really be seen. Protests around the last G8 held in Britain, in Birmingham, did make the world leaders take action."

In 1998 a 70,000-strong human chain was formed in Birmingham. Archbishop of Birmingham Vincent Nichols later said he felt the protest produced a lasting legacy of change in G8 policy.

Mr Fleming said he was confident the July march would be violence and vandal-free.

Richard Saville-Smith, of Save the Children, said: "The hope is that G8 member countries will take on board the agenda of making poverty history - give more, better aid and end debt.

"We want to make sure it is not just a talking point."