[Reader-list] War protests in the UK

[Avishek Ganguly]

heartwarming!

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War protests gather support
 
Thousands of anti-war protesters have taken to the
streets of Britain to show their opposition to the use
of military action against Iraq. 
More than 5,000 young people brought central London to
a standstill on what campaigners have branded a "day
of shame". 

Banner waving groups shouted, chanted and blew
whistles outside Parliament - hours before an
organised demonstration by the Stop the War coalition
got underway. 

Police have warned that such protests have been
drawing them away from other duties at a sensitive
time. 

In Brighton, police had to use CS sprays after a dozen
protesters forced their way into the town hall. 

There were also protests in other UK cities including
Glasgow, Leeds, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cambridge and
Sheffield. 

Police had to seal off Bristol city centre and arrest
two people after about 400 protesters - some of them
schoolchildren - flooded on to streets. 


In pictures: UK war protests 


And in Newcastle upon Tyne a crowd of up to 250 trade
unionists, council workers, and university students
gathered in the city centre with anti-war
demonstrators, bringing traffic to a halt. 

Protesters also gathered in Jersey's St Helier's Royal
Square while students at schools in the West Country
faced suspension for skipping lessons to attend
anti-war protests. 

About 200 anti-war campaigners marched through
Cardiff. 

A Metropolitan Police spokeswoman said 17 people were
arrested during the demonstration in Parliament Square
for public order offences. 

They included a 13-year-old boy, 15 men and one woman.


Most protesters remained calm but there were some
involved in isolated clashes with Metropolitan Police.


Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens
warned the protests "draw police away from their very
important duties at this time in protecting vulnerable
locations and those communities who may feel
threatened and fearful. 


I still believe we should tell people that war is
wrong 
Darius Zaerin, aged 15 
"We are disappointed that today's protests included a
significant number of young people playing truant from
school. 
"We would urge parents to work in partnership with
teachers and the police in dissuading young people
from carrying out any further similar unorganised
protests." 

Stop the War coalition chairman Andrew Murray said:
"The war has started which is an outrage against world
peace, against the population of Iraq and against law
and democracy in Britain. 

"This is going ahead without the support of British
people. This is a day of shame for Britain. Our
country has been dragged into a ridiculous war by a US
administration which has shown contempt." 

Blockade 

Anti-war groups organising a national demonstration in
London on Saturday will be boosted by the numbers that
turned out into the sunshine on Thursday. 

Demonstrators who gathered in Parliament Square
spilled into Whitehall, forcing police to blockade the
route to Downing Street with police vans. 

Some protesters climbed on railings and up traffic
lights to secure a better view, or to scream orders to
make friends sit down, causing a bigger obstacle for
officers to move. 

One senior policeman used a loud-hailer to get a crowd
trying to pass the vehicle blockade back into the
Square, but his amplified voice was drowned out by the
mêlée. 

Things were slightly more orderly in the square, where
young people sat on grass strewn with litter, lager
cans, bikes and dogs. 

Darius Zaerin, 15, and his cousin Alys, 14, donned the
t-shirts and waved their colourful banner, stressing
that they were representing the voices of many of
their fellow pupils at Alexander Park School in
Muswell Hill. 


"I don't think our protest will make much difference,
but I still believe we should tell people that war is
wrong," said Darius. 
CND said it was "appalled" by the start of the
"illegal, immoral war against Iraq". 

"This war will, in all probability, kill and injure
hundreds of thousands of innocent people and devastate
the entire nation, weakened already by 12 years of
economic sanctions," a spokesman said. 

"Mr Blair has made a grave error of judgment when he
abandoned the UN route to follow the US road to war." 

Osama Saeed, spokesman for the Muslim Association of
Britain, described Thursday's bombings as "dreadful". 

If America gave Iraq back to its people, "we would
come back here and apologise to America", he said, but
feared the hostilities will result in "many
casualties". 

Labour rebel Alice Mahon told a news conference on
Thursday: "This is the most one-sided war in the
history of mankind." 

Labour left-winger Jeremy Corbyn said: "The ordinary
people of this country are showing revulsion over what
is going on." 

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/uk_politics/2866921.stm

Published: 2003/03/20 21:11:16

© BBC MMIII


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