JANE BRADLEY

AN enormous sign spelling out the "Make Poverty History" message is to be built on the Meadows to coincide with a G8 protest march.

Massive letters, made of wire and standing eight metres tall, will be arranged in a 120m-long display at the point where more than 200,000 demonstrators are set to start and finish their circular march on July 2.

Protesters will write messages addressed to the G8 leaders on pieces of white cloth and attach them to the wire structure so that, by the end of the day, the giant metal skeleton will turn white.

The king-size sign is being made at a former timber yard in the city centre by a group of craftsmen and women.

The former Lawson's Timber yard on Lady Lawson Street is believed to have been loaned to the protesters.

Make Poverty History spokesman Richard Saville Smith said: "The idea is that people are going to bring a piece of cloth on July 2 with a message to the G8 leaders. The cloth will be put on a wire frame in the shape of the words "Make Poverty History". By the end of the day, the sign will be entirely covered in white from the messages. It's essentially a sculpture that will be created during the day."

Friends of the Meadows chairman Peng Lee Yap said he thought the sign was a good idea.

He said: "As long as the sign is temporary, I think it is fine. If it is not taken down immediately, it will probably be vandalised, which would be a shame.

"The organisers of the march have worked with us all of the way - they are coming to the next meeting of the Friends of the Meadows, so people can raise their concerns if they have any."

George Pitcher, chairman of the Southside Association, added: "I think it's a great idea. It's time we had a decent use for the Meadows. We've had too many objections from the goodie goodies over things like the skatepark - the Meadows belong to the city and if the sign makes use of them, then that's great."

The giant letters will be on display on the west of the Meadows, parallel to Melville Drive. They will form the centrepiece of a festival which is to kick off in the Meadows at 11am, with speeches from celebrities, fair trade stalls, children's activities, food and drink, and live music.

Three zones - focused around children, faith and campaigning - will be set up for people to visit.

An Edinburgh City Council spokesman said: "We know about the sign and as far as we're concerned it's fine, as it is a temporary structure. It's a really nice idea, because if someone cannot make it to the march, someone else can put up a message on their behalf."

The sign will be put up the night before the march in preparation for protesters to post their messages before the Meadows rally begins at 11am, and removed when the rally's other equipment is dismantled the next day.

The march, which begins at the Meadows, heads along George IV Bridge, Forrest Road and Princes Street, before moving down Lady Lawson Street and Chalmers Street to return to its starting point. Organisers hope the marchers, dressed in white, will form a white band around the city to emulate the white Make Poverty History wristbands.