War Protest Movement - Bush's welcoming committees and fan clubs the world over

It happens first with the allies - UK this weekend, then spreading.

The next round will be on a different scale than those of late 2002-early 2003, more continuous, and visible.

Politicians and governments at risk, economic welfare of major nations is at risk, and the invading aggressor has no solutions.

Analogies with 1969....

I wish the music of the protest movement would come in flavors other than hip hop and rap, but the message is important.

Are 'No Protest' and 'Protest' Zones going to be as easy to manage in major US cities as they have been by this admin to date. I would pick November as being the big month for them to kick in, and for the heat to really start being applied.



www.guardian.co.uk...



Up to 100,000 expected at London Iraq protest

(Note from MA - thinks there will be far more)

Organisers today predicted a huge turnout because of mounting public anger over government "lies" about the war in Iraq.

That view has been backed by a new poll showing that Tony Blair's political reputation has been seriously damaged by the Hutton inquiry.

The march, which will be from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, is advertised as a "protest against the occupation in Iraq and for freedom in Palestine", and will be the fifth such demonstration this year.

Coaches have been booked to ferry demonstrators to the capital from towns and cities across the UK....

SWC chairman Andrew Murray said there was growing public support for the group's demand that British and US troops should pull out of Iraq immediately.

Mr Murray called for a full public inquiry into the UK's involvement in the conflict, and said it was becoming increasingly clear that the war was "unjust and illegal".

CND, which is helping to organise the march, said that a big demonstration would send a strong message to the government that the public did not condone the "lies" used to justify the war....

"Early indications show that this will be another landmark in the history of the British people's resolve against injustice and tyranny, and that hundreds of organisations, associations and groups will be joining efforts to make September 27 a day to remember and one that will truly influence events at home and abroad."



[Edited on 23-10-2003 by MaskedAvatar]

It might be happening more in the States soon, too. The ACLU is filing suit against the Bush Adminstration, link below.

story.news.yahoo.com.../ap/20030923/ap_on_go_pr_wh/protest_lawsuit_2

"Suit Says Protesters Kept Away From Bush
Tue Sep 23, 3:06 PM ET

By JONATHAN D. SALANT, Associated Press Writer

The American Civil Liberties Union (news - web sites) asked the federal courts Tuesday to prevent the U.S. Secret Service from keeping anti-Bush protesters far away from presidential appearances while allowing supporters to display their messages up close.

The civil liberties group filed the lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania on behalf of four advocacy organizations that claimed that the Secret Service (news - web sites) forced them into protest zones or other areas where they could not be seen by President Bush (news - web sites) or Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) or be noticed by the media covering their visits.

"The pattern we found was at presidential and vice presidential appearances, protesters were restricted to areas where they were out of sight, out of earshot and often out of mind," said Witold J. Walczak, legal director for the ACLU's Greater Pittsburgh chapter.

"Protecting our nation's leaders from harm is important. Protecting our nation's leaders from dissent is unconstitutional." "

Don't think I'm gonna be able to make it along tomorrow, my last day with my girlfriend before she moves 100 miles away to University. I still am tempted to go along, but I think I can wait until Bush's visit to London in a few weeks time.

Whoaaaaaa.

Dubya will not be getting a good reception in the capital of the British Commonwealth.

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
Whoaaaaaa.

Dubya will not be getting a good reception in the capital of the British Commonwealth.

Hey, if I say "boom" ominously will the FBI come and take my computer away?


Hahaa.




"boom"

Ah man, the f.uckers comingover here. That is gunna be one hell of a reception! Anyone know any details of places to be to harrass/heckle him? ?

eathtone, where abouts in the UK are you?

Bush will only be in London, I believe.

We will know about it at the time, I will make sure everyone at ATS knows when he arrives, anyone living in the area should join the protest.

Earthtone, you can join me and my crew, in fact anyone from ATS is welcome, just ask.

Never, never give up the fight!

"Aftermath" - some estimates of the protest crowd said 100,000-120,000. Police said 20,000.

Bush is due to visit the UK in November. I'm not so sure it will happen.

UK voters traditionally faced with a Labour/Tory choice greet that with chagrin. Blair has basically taken the Tory position on most things...

www.guardian.co.uk...

Anti-war protesters vent their frustration

Ronald McDonald and "Tony Blair" were dragging a stuffed corpse down Park Lane under a bloodied US flag they had brought from Manchester. Kilburn's Red and Green choir were singing "Bush and Blair have to be beaten" to the tune of Verdi's Hebrew Slaves Chorus while a mute protester with a plastic cheeseburger taped to his mouth punched the air.

This weekend, Britain's fifth anti-war protest in a year snaked from Hyde Park through the centre of London and filled Trafalgar Square with anti-Blair placards. It was the first national rally since Saddam Hussein's regime fell in Iraq and the tone had changed since 1.5 million marched to prevent war in February....

....Several speakers, including the former Labour MP Tony Benn, the mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and the suspended Labour MP George Galloway, likened the gathering to the 1956 Trafalgar Square rally over Suez. "A few months later Anthony Eden was out on his ear", Mr Benn reminded the crowd.

Organisers promised three days of protests would bring Britain to a standstill if President Bush came to Britain for his proposed state visit on November 19. Mr Livingstone said President Bush would not be welcome at City Hall - a reception would instead be hosted for the peace movement.

The film director, Ken Loach, said the Labour Party had shown no motivation to change and the stop the war movement now had to develop into a coherent force. "We have to keep exposing the lies and expressing the real reason the war was fought." ....

Sound bites: marchers speak out

Wasan Altikriti, 16, A-level student, from Leeds
'I was born in Tikrit and came to England when I was three. Our family didn't choose Saddam, we were against a regime that was anchored into power in Iraq. The government goes against what people think and that completely puts me off voting for them.'

Ian St John, 38, history teacher, from St Albans
'I vote Conservative. I don't believe in US global dominance: McDonald's, Starbucks, Pizza Hut - it's a disaster for the world. I think Iain Duncan Smith made a mistake in supporting Tony Blair over the war. Blair has out-Toried the Tories. Disraeli said a government can only die once and this government is dead.'

Jason Fairbourne, 30, Mormon PhD student from Utah
'I'm here because Utah is a very conservative state and there aren't any protests like this. I felt the war wasn't founded on strong grounds. We were told lies. It seems Bush and Blair are one and the same.'

Some interesting media slant from the march in London - I didnt watch a huge amount of the coverage - and this portest was very small in respect of the pre war march but i did note some media bias i think in what I did see

BBC - seemed to interview people from other countries resident in the UK - Blair seen as bad news

ITV reports - mostly UK vox pops - middle England attitude - it costs tax etc

Sky TV - mix of both but slant towards the emigre/refugee population

I can see why the BBC would take this view - but couldnt see the other channels points.

I�m curious: what does a anti-war protestor protest now? I mean, they didn�t get their way. The war is essentially done with; outside the terrorist acts against our troops. Are these protestors now suggesting we cut and run thereby leaving the Iraqis at the mercy of those terrorists?

Are they protesting Laura Bush anywhere in Europe now? Anyone else think she was sent ahead of Bush to test the waters?

I think the protest is mostly over - feels like the CND here when the US were pulling out the nukes. Some people especially Tony Benn feel they need some media spotlight. Interestingly enough there are far more pro-hunting banners springing up in my part of the world right now than "join the anti war rally".

Bob88

If I was a war protestor in the UK right now my personal points would be along the lines of:

* withdrawal of British troops
* disownment of those who stood by fabricated intelligence to commence the invasion
* restoration of international order
* government of Iraq fully by Iraqi people
* peaceful diplomacy at all times not war.

The war protest movement during Vietnam spawned a lot of interesting things and most of it was concentrated on pushing for withdrawal, and contemplation of war as a poor solution at the best of times - not protesting the inevitable initial incursion.

Protest and civil disobedience are fundamental rights which (at least in the US) the incumbent admin is attempting to quash.

MA you might be surprised to know that the anti war lobby in the UK suggested Civil dissobediance before the war started - and that was probably why the movement lost significant ground.

After a major beginning building up to a huge march in london they then suggested strikes and "sick days" as a protest - st that point the movement lost its ground roots support. The UK protest movement tends to gain strength from middle ground support - and these people were the last to want to break the law or be seen to be rebels in that sense. There was actually a good analysis of this attitude on BBC Radio 4 in i think November of last year - sorry I dont have any links.

As a nation our psyche tends to be one of protest - but dont do anything to rock the boat. Evidenced by the fact that the major protests in this country have been limited to student action at LSE in the 1960s, the Miners Strike in the 1980s and the Poll tax riots of the mid '80s.

I don't think a protest march of 1.5 million people before the illegal invasion occurred, along with similar marches throughout the world, could be considered 'lost ground'.

I can see why hitting the hip pocket nerve of employees with later suggestions would be counter-productive.

But what is of more concern is the powerlessness and disenfranchisement that some amongst the currently apathetic must feel; that is a state of affairs that needs to be driven out of western societies wherever it exists. It is hard for me to say where the origins of apathy are in countries I have spent little time in.

Originally posted by �any

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
Whoaaaaaa.

Dubya will not be getting a good reception in the capital of the British Commonwealth.

Hey, if I say "boom" ominously will the FBI come and take my computer away?


Hahaa.




"boom"

'Bang' or 'Boom'?

I suggest 'Bang' as it has less dangers on bystanders..



Seriously..

i hope that the 'cake man' hits again..

the same that force fed Bill Gates with a cream pie..

Well Im sorry to disillusion you MA - but that is what happened here in the UK. Perhaps we lack the revolutionary zeal - but it works that way - we had a million plus protest the war before it started - now 150/200k according to the promotors - probably a lot less turned up at the march. Perhaps the UK reflects its involvement - now if the USA can have some big march / protest that makes the news ?. No good asking others to fight battles if the protest movement doesnt follow ?.

Sept 13 2001 - GWB US Congress paraphrased "We salute our allies"

Fulcrum -
I chatted to you a while ago - you seemed a nice sensible person - now why descend into this ?

Originally posted by MaskedAvatar
Bob88

If I was a war protestor in the UK right now my personal points would be along the lines of:

* withdrawal of British troops
* disownment of those who stood by fabricated intelligence to commence the invasion
* restoration of international order
* government of Iraq fully by Iraqi people
* peaceful diplomacy at all times not war.

The war protest movement during Vietnam spawned a lot of interesting things and most of it was concentrated on pushing for withdrawal, and contemplation of war as a poor solution at the best of times - not protesting the inevitable initial incursion.

Protest and civil disobedience are fundamental rights which (at least in the US) the incumbent admin is attempting to quash.

so, you mean cut and run? - seriously though, w/ out the troops how do any of the goals in your list get accomplished?? And, you're right about Vietnam, imho. BUT, this is far from Vietnam, far.

www.internationalanswer.org...


"A.N.S.W.E.R." = Act now to stop war & end racism.

The A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition was formed in the days after September 11 by progressive organizations and people in the United States who recognized the need to take immediate action in response to the Bush administration's headlong rush to war and the racist attacks against the Arab and Muslim communities in the U.S. The Coalition organized the first national demonstration against war and racism following September 11 on September 29, 2001, which brought 25,000 people into the streets of Washington DC and 15,000 in San Francisco. The Coalition has worked to build an anti-racist, peace and social justice movement, including mass mobilizations on April 20, 2002 (in support of justice for Palestine) and October 26, 2002 (the first demonstration in opposition to the war drive against Iraq), and the first global day of action against the war in Iraq, January 18, 2003, when millions of people around the world took part in simultaneous demonstrations, including a half a million people in Washington DC. The Coalition coinued to organize mass demonstrations in February and March and began the campaign against U.S. occupation of Iraq in April, 2003.


Nice informative website, and well organized on their logistics and transport links...