Between 200 and 300 protesters held a sit-down protest on the Mound for a couple of hours. The demonstrators were then went forced down Market Street and towards Waverley Station shouting: "Peaceful protest!" Peaceful protest!"
When they got to the junction of Market Street and Waverley Bridge, some of the crowd broke through police lines and started to head to Princes Street. At that point the police drew their truncheons and called for reinforcements.
Duly cowed, the crowd retreated up Cockburn Street to deafening whistles. They were then surrounded on the Royal Mile.
Police then drove them down Nicolson Street, really fast. Three police vans charged them from the rear, getting bystanders out of the way and making room for their reinforcements. One protester was arrested.
The protesters are now quite grumpy and are facing up to the police.
Update, 5.15pm: After a certain amount of confrontation on Nicolson Street, with increasingly anxious police pushing and being pushed by demonstrators and bystanders alike, the crowd was shepherded down towards the meadow, where they mostly dispersed. A few headed back toward the Royal Mile, still chanting.
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