>From: Jabou Joh <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: The Gambia and related-issues mailing list <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Fwd: As War Looms, Protesters March >Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2003 19:23:12 EST > >Reuters. >LONDON (Feb. 14) - Millions of people are expected to take to the streets of >towns and cities across the planet at the weekend to demonstrate against a >looming U.S.-led war on Iraq in the biggest peace protests since the Vietnam >war. > >The Australian city of Melbourne kicked off the global series of >demonstrations which will eventually spread to some 600 towns and cities >stretching from Antarctica to Reykjavik. > >"This is a truly global movement. We are in contact with peace movements in >the United States and across Europe," Stop The War UK leader Andrew Murray >told Reuters on Friday. > >As the world waited for United Nations chief weapons inspector Hans Blix to >give his verdict on whether Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has concealed >weapons of mass destruction, 100,000 people took to the streets of Melbourne. > >Men, women and children joined in the protest chanting anti-war slogans and >waving banners that read: "No blood for oil," "Don't bomb Iraq," and "We are >all one." > >The main target of the demonstration was U.S. President George W. Bush and >his thrust for war, but it was also directed at Australian Prime Minister >John Howard who has joined British Prime Minister Tony Blair in committing >troops. > >On Saturday the protest movement will move west to Europe. > >"We believe that the London demonstration will be one of the biggest and the >most pivotal because the British government is actively involved in the build >up to war and the British people definitely do not want war," Murray said. > >Blair, who has unflinchingly supported Bush since the September 11 attacks on >New York and Washington, has seen his popularity plunge in successive opinion >polls as a result. > >Prominent American peace campaigner Jesse Jackson has come to London >specially to address the throng, which some expect could top one million >people because Blair's support for Bush is seen as the key to war or peace. > >"Iraq is a challenge that must be put in perspective. It is not the priority >that Bush and Blair have made it to be," he told BBC radio, urging Blair to >meet Saddam in Baghdad. > >Police have said more than 500,000 people could attend the march in the >British capital. > >VALENTINE'S DAY PROTEST > >On Friday, twinning Valentine's Day with the anti-war movement, protesters >chained themselves and a pink heart to the railings across the entrance to >Blair's Downing Street office. > >But Londoners are by no means alone in their distrust of the American >motivation for the conquest of Iraq and fear of the possible global >conflagration it could trigger. > >Organizers in Rome are expecting more than one million people to attend >Saturday's peace march. > >"This is not a political or union rally, this is a mobilization of feeling," >said organizer Carlo Testini. > >German peace organizations say they expected more then 100,000 people to join >protests around the country. > >"People think it's time to finally do something themselves," organizer >Kathrin Vogler said. > >In Paris, organizers said they expected move than 50,000 to take to the >streets. > >"All the signs are extremely encouraging," said Arielle Denis, joint >president of the Peace Movement, which is coordinating Saturday's marches in >over 40 cities in France. > >In leading anti-war mover Russia, a series of demonstrations are planned, as >they are across the United States. > >In South Africa, whose President Thabo Mbeki and former president Nelson >Mandela have both spoken out strongly against the war, a series of >demonstrations are planned. > >The United States and Britain have poured troops and armor into the Gulf, >insisting Saddam is concealing illegal weapons. But they are facing mounting >resistance from fellow United Nations Security Council permanent members >Russia, France and China who argue there is no proof of the weapons >allegations. > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l >To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: >[log in to unmask] > >To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface >at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~