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Scale Up OverviewWhat a weekend! By the end of the 24 Hours, more than 500 MPs had been lobbied in the UK's biggest ever nationwide MP lobby marathon. Tens of thousands of campaigners took part in the 24 hour drive for trade justice, showing campaigning creativity and generating coverage in the regional and national media of an issue that rarely hits the headlines. There can be no doubt now in politicians' minds tha there is massive concern about injust trade rules and their devastating effects. At midday on Saturday, the 24-hour lobby culminated in a huge symbolic action all over the UK. At festivals, rallies and celebrations nationwide, campaigners held up scales, the symbol of trade justice. Scales were projected on the huge screens beside the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury Festival, marked out in human bodies on Brighton beach, towed through city streets, raised on the summit of Mount Snowdon - and lifted high in town centres and across the country. The stories on this page are just a selection of the hundreds of lobby events that took place across the UK. Highlights In Newcastle, from five points in the city, campaigners are marching to Grey's Monument. A minute's silence as a giant set of scales was raised ended with a roar of solidarity with campaigners around the country who were sharing in this moment. In Glasgow, campaigners have taken over Bells Bridge, which will be swathed with banners. In Manchester, campaigners from all over Greater Manchester are holding a Weigh In to celebrate all the MP lobbying that has taken place. Hosted by BBC GMR Sunday Breakfast Show Presenter Mike Shaft, the event is featuring live music with a Zimbabwean band, and talks from Kenyan Margaret Sisilu, Duncan Green from CAFOD, the Bishop of Middleton and others. In Brixton, London, hundreds of people lobbied local MP Keith Hill and gathered in Windrush Square for their Weigh In. In Methley, West Yorkshire, campaigners held holding a 24 hour 'singalongathon' in Methley Methodist Church. In Brighton Campaigners made a giant trade justice symbol on the beach by dressing in white and lying down in the shape of scales. Campaigners from Sheffield Trade Justice Movement tried to beat the 'highest scales in England and Wales' record by enlisting the support of local firefighters who were 'climbing the height of Mount Everest' for a charity stunt. The firefighters declined to carry the scales 8,848 meters up and down ladders - but this didn't deflate the Sheffield campaigners' zeal, who have lobbied five of the city's six MPs. Events with celebrity involvement In Nottingham, World Champion Boxer Jawaid Khaliq had a 'fight' with 10-year old Umar Mohammad to illustrate the injustice of world trade rules. They 'fought' 2 rounds saturday morning and, although Umar got a few punches in, Jawaid was victorious. Three MPs and 300 people watched the bout. In Birmingham, Paul Bradley (Nigel from Eastenders) joined hundreds of people at a city centre carnival. The event includes an 'Unfayre', music and stalls. In Rochdale, comedian Jimmy Cricket joined local campaigners to lobby MP Lorna Fitzsimons CAFOD supporter Delia Smith is supporting Scale Up. The campaign has a huge presence at . Headline band Radiohead are supporting Scale Up for Trade Justice, as are a number of other main performers. 3, 000 festival-goers have faxed their MPs and joined the campaign. A Trade Justice Procession is heading to the Left Field.
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"Many thanks to all the supporters and the staff from the member organisations of the Trade Justice Movement who have made our national lobby marathon such a success. Trade justice has been well and truly pinned to the political map of the UK. We have sent a very clear message to government not to expand WTO powers but to address the existing unfair trade rules that deprive so many people of their basic human rights and threaten our environment. The government should know that the Trade Justice Movement is here to stay. They have listened to us. But now they must act." » Press release: Hewitt changes the rules as 500 MPs get the message on trade justice » 24 Hours for Trade Justice
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