And Down Comes the Bushit Statue...

DdC · 11-22-2003, 12:34 AM

And Down Comes the Statue... But This Time It's Trafalgar Square
Published on Friday, November 21, 2003 by the Guardian/UK

Mass turnout of young and old watches overturn of US president's effigy
by Jamie Wilson and Matthew Taylor

At first George Bush gently rocked, then he began to sway, before finally the figure started toppling, slowly but inexorably on to the pavement below.

The symbolic end of the five-meter (17ft) tall effigy - a riposte to the pulling down of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad - brought the biggest cheer of the day: louder than the boos when the seemingly never ending procession made its way past Downing Street; bigger even than the shouts and whistles that rang out when Britain's sixth anti-war demonstration in a year began its snaking path through London to Trafalgar Square.

Anti-Bush protesters topple a statue of US President George W. Bush during a protest organized by the 'Stop the War' coalition in London. The coalition is protesting the state visit of Bush to Britain and the war in Iraq. (AFP/Eva-Lotta Jansson)

Yesterday was by far the biggest turnout since the million-plus march in February; along with the crowds, the anger and conviction were back with a vengeance.

The hope of making a difference on that February day, before war had begun, was superseded by
a sense of frustration on subsequent marches.

Yesterday the demonstrators had a target, something tangible to shout at, even if he was hidden behind an impenetrable wall of security.

By mid-morning people were coming together in Bloomsbury for the start of the march, everyone from schoolchildren playing truant to pensioners carrying placards reading "Go Home" and "World's Number 1 Terrorist".

Young and old, doctors, and teachers, students and the unemployed, representing every religion and every color. They had come on foot and on bikes, by train and in cars.

Twenty coaches made their way down the M6 from Manchester, while at least four more came from Exeter. All were assembling to make up the diverse mix that in two years has seen the Stop the War Coalition become the fastest growing political movement in Britain.

By 2.45pm, with Bloomsbury a seething mass of whistles and chanting, the march was led off by a disabled Vietnam veteran-turned peace protester, Ron Kovic, behind the banner "Proud of My Country, Ashamed of my President".

The Stop the War Coalition, the Muslim Association of Great Britain and CND had predicted that more than 100,000 people would turn out to protest at the state visit of the president of the United States.

Yesterday the organizations claimed that more than 200,000 took part, and it was difficult to argue that they were wrong. Scotland Yard, however, gave an estimate of 70,000.

As the procession made its way down Holborn and over Waterloo bridge, the road was filled with banners and flags as far as the eye could see.

Trafalgar affair : Anti-Bush protesters cheer after a statue of US President George W. Bush was toppled during a 'Stop Bush' protest organized by the Stop the War coalition in Trafalgar Square, London. (AFP/Nicolas Asfouri)

More than 5,000 police officers, standing out in their Day-Glo yellow coats, mingled with the protesters and lined the route as the march snaked its way past Westminster.

The next stop, Whitehall, was guarded like Fort Knox. But it did not matter to the marchers, and especially not to the organizers, who had negotiated hard with the authorities to be able to march past the seat of government.

As the march swung past Number 10 there was a cacophony of whistles, boos, jeers and insults. But it was as close as the protesters got to Tony Blair or Mr Bush.

A little further on, at the Foreign Office, hours earlier the prime minister and the president had held a joint press conference - but by the time of the march the president was safely ensconced back in Buckingham Palace.

When the front of the march arrived in Trafalgar Square there seemed to be several thousand protesters waiting to greet them. And, as the speeches started, the organizers claimed that the tail of the march was only just leaving the starting point in Malet Street.

"This is probably one of the largest demonstrations that London has ever seen on a weekday, it is massive," said Lindsay German, convener of the Stop the War Coalition.

The marchers were still arriving as two men in white boiler suits hung ropes around the neck of the effigy of the president and Mr Kovic led the countdown that ended with the toppling of the statue.

The £5m security operation surrounding the president had done its job of keeping him out of sight and sound of the protesters, and it had an added edge after yesterday's bombings in Istanbul.

"Everyone involved should remember terrorists are no respecters of anyone else," warned Scotland Yard's deputy assistant commissioner Andy Trotter. "They would think nothing about launching an attack which injured demonstrators and innocent bystanders.".

But Ms German said that the attacks in Istanbul were an inevitable consequence of the war. "I hate to say we told you so, but we have been saying from the beginning that the war with Iraq would inevitably lead to more terrorist attacks.

"If it does turn out to be al-Qaida, I don't think it can be any coincidence that these attacks have come against British targets on the day that George Bush is visiting London."

There were no weapons of mass destruction, and human rights abuses are occurring in many countries around the world; so why did we go into Iraq?

Kucinich fans out there, Dennis has posted the controversial "secret" Diebold memos on his web site! Our ability to choose our leaders and reform the cannabis laws at the ballot box is in great danger. Read on... Voting Rights www....kucinich/issues/voting.htm

Patriot Act Expansion Moves Through Congress

“When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding.
When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding.”
---Dennis Kucinich

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Sureshot · 11-22-2003, 08:46 AM

I was there.

Large but somewhat disjointed crowds.

SS

Governor · 11-22-2003, 12:59 PM

"disjointed"? No pot?

Loved the pics....

kameelyun · 11-22-2003, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Governor
"disjointed"? No pot?

Loved the pics....

LOL Gov

Sureshot · 11-24-2003, 09:47 AM

*chuckles*

Never guv, no medicine, I think not!

What I meant was simply that there were so many factions there, there were the anti war on terror protestors, anti any war protestors, anti capitalist protestors, free trade advocate (anti protectionism) and a fair number of purely anti Americans. Not to mention the small minority who would protest against anything as.... There were even, you'll be glad to hear, a few pro legalisation demonstrators who were largely anti bush by default.

Of course, there is no inherent problem with this, more numbers if you like, however I wonder how much of the message is lost by those who let's face it will be the biggest tools in any movement (no pun intended I assure you

), the press, in the coverage of the event.

For absolutely sure it got far less press than I would have expected and indeed the discussion has already died only a few days after the man has left. And besides, where was Bush in all this? Not listening to the protestors that for sure. Bush in a bubble, that was quote of the week for me.

And oh what a surprise, no let up in steel tariffs from the lord high protectionist George, "yeah, free trade man, that's what we need to aim for, except where we're concerned, then we'll do whatever we can to save our expensive and inefficient industries regardless of supposed free trade ideas".

The entire state visit in the first place was a farce, an utter farce, posturing for the President in the run up to an election campaign.

Bollocks to them all.

Protest or no protest, success or no success, there is a movement out there slowly building, it can't and won't be stopped, more and more people are asking the crucial question, why?

SS

11-22-2003, 12:34 AM	#1 (permalink)
DdC Decade Yahookan Join Date: Feb 1999 Location: Santa Cruz,CA,USA Posts: 2,117 Blog Entries: 5 Thanks: 51 Thanked 607 Times in 399 Posts	And Down Comes the Bushit Statue... And Down Comes the Statue... But This Time It's Trafalgar Square Published on Friday, November 21, 2003 by the Guardian/UK Mass turnout of young and old watches overturn of US president's effigy by Jamie Wilson and Matthew Taylor At first George Bush gently rocked, then he began to sway, before finally the figure started toppling, slowly but inexorably on to the pavement below. The symbolic end of the five-meter (17ft) tall effigy - a riposte to the pulling down of the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad - brought the biggest cheer of the day: louder than the boos when the seemingly never ending procession made its way past Downing Street; bigger even than the shouts and whistles that rang out when Britain's sixth anti-war demonstration in a year began its snaking path through London to Trafalgar Square. Anti-Bush protesters topple a statue of US President George W. Bush during a protest organized by the 'Stop the War' coalition in London. The coalition is protesting the state visit of Bush to Britain and the war in Iraq. (AFP/Eva-Lotta Jansson) Yesterday was by far the biggest turnout since the million-plus march in February; along with the crowds, the anger and conviction were back with a vengeance. The hope of making a difference on that February day, before war had begun, was superseded by a sense of frustration on subsequent marches. Yesterday the demonstrators had a target, something tangible to shout at, even if he was hidden behind an impenetrable wall of security. By mid-morning people were coming together in Bloomsbury for the start of the march, everyone from schoolchildren playing truant to pensioners carrying placards reading "Go Home" and "World's Number 1 Terrorist". Young and old, doctors, and teachers, students and the unemployed, representing every religion and every color. They had come on foot and on bikes, by train and in cars. Twenty coaches made their way down the M6 from Manchester, while at least four more came from Exeter. All were assembling to make up the diverse mix that in two years has seen the Stop the War Coalition become the fastest growing political movement in Britain. By 2.45pm, with Bloomsbury a seething mass of whistles and chanting, the march was led off by a disabled Vietnam veteran-turned peace protester, Ron Kovic, behind the banner "Proud of My Country, Ashamed of my President". The Stop the War Coalition, the Muslim Association of Great Britain and CND had predicted that more than 100,000 people would turn out to protest at the state visit of the president of the United States. Yesterday the organizations claimed that more than 200,000 took part, and it was difficult to argue that they were wrong. Scotland Yard, however, gave an estimate of 70,000. As the procession made its way down Holborn and over Waterloo bridge, the road was filled with banners and flags as far as the eye could see. Trafalgar affair : Anti-Bush protesters cheer after a statue of US President George W. Bush was toppled during a 'Stop Bush' protest organized by the Stop the War coalition in Trafalgar Square, London. (AFP/Nicolas Asfouri) More than 5,000 police officers, standing out in their Day-Glo yellow coats, mingled with the protesters and lined the route as the march snaked its way past Westminster. The next stop, Whitehall, was guarded like Fort Knox. But it did not matter to the marchers, and especially not to the organizers, who had negotiated hard with the authorities to be able to march past the seat of government. As the march swung past Number 10 there was a cacophony of whistles, boos, jeers and insults. But it was as close as the protesters got to Tony Blair or Mr Bush. A little further on, at the Foreign Office, hours earlier the prime minister and the president had held a joint press conference - but by the time of the march the president was safely ensconced back in Buckingham Palace. When the front of the march arrived in Trafalgar Square there seemed to be several thousand protesters waiting to greet them. And, as the speeches started, the organizers claimed that the tail of the march was only just leaving the starting point in Malet Street. "This is probably one of the largest demonstrations that London has ever seen on a weekday, it is massive," said Lindsay German, convener of the Stop the War Coalition. The marchers were still arriving as two men in white boiler suits hung ropes around the neck of the effigy of the president and Mr Kovic led the countdown that ended with the toppling of the statue. The £5m security operation surrounding the president had done its job of keeping him out of sight and sound of the protesters, and it had an added edge after yesterday's bombings in Istanbul. "Everyone involved should remember terrorists are no respecters of anyone else," warned Scotland Yard's deputy assistant commissioner Andy Trotter. "They would think nothing about launching an attack which injured demonstrators and innocent bystanders.". But Ms German said that the attacks in Istanbul were an inevitable consequence of the war. "I hate to say we told you so, but we have been saying from the beginning that the war with Iraq would inevitably lead to more terrorist attacks. "If it does turn out to be al-Qaida, I don't think it can be any coincidence that these attacks have come against British targets on the day that George Bush is visiting London." There were no weapons of mass destruction, and human rights abuses are occurring in many countries around the world; so why did we go into Iraq? Kucinich fans out there, Dennis has posted the controversial "secret" Diebold memos on his web site! Our ability to choose our leaders and reform the cannabis laws at the ballot box is in great danger. Read on... Voting Rights www....kucinich/issues/voting.htm Patriot Act Expansion Moves Through Congress “When our children fail competency tests the schools lose funding. When our missiles fail tests, we increase funding.” ---Dennis Kucinich Brain Buttons BushSpeaks.com Cartoon List __________________ Al Capone and Watergate were red herrings to divert the countries attention from the Fascist acts of eliminating competition. Booze/Ethanol then Ganja//Hemp.

11-22-2003, 08:46 AM	#2 (permalink)
Sureshot Can't-Get-Right Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Surrounded by the unimaginative Posts: 6,444 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 16 Posts	I was there. Large but somewhat disjointed crowds. SS __________________ - The information in the above post is conjecture and the poster a figment of your imagination. - All images are computer generated or were taken in nations with forward thinking laws. o GrowFAQ o Add A Canna Grow Tip o Other Highs FAQ o Inquiring Minds FAQ o

11-22-2003, 12:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
Governor Decade Yahookan Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Denver Colorado amerika Posts: 4,146 Thanks: 0 Thanked 18 Times in 17 Posts	"disjointed"? No pot? Loved the pics.... __________________ 'Marijuana is responsible for evolution itself' Dr. Robert Melamede "Fuck the monkeys" Ken Gorman potgov@yahoo.com 420 Medicine

11-24-2003, 09:47 AM	#5 (permalink)
Sureshot Can't-Get-Right Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Surrounded by the unimaginative Posts: 6,444 Thanks: 0 Thanked 19 Times in 16 Posts	chuckles Never guv, no medicine, I think not! What I meant was simply that there were so many factions there, there were the anti war on terror protestors, anti any war protestors, anti capitalist protestors, free trade advocate (anti protectionism) and a fair number of purely anti Americans. Not to mention the small minority who would protest against anything as.... There were even, you'll be glad to hear, a few pro legalisation demonstrators who were largely anti bush by default. Of course, there is no inherent problem with this, more numbers if you like, however I wonder how much of the message is lost by those who let's face it will be the biggest tools in any movement (no pun intended I assure you ), the press, in the coverage of the event. For absolutely sure it got far less press than I would have expected and indeed the discussion has already died only a few days after the man has left. And besides, where was Bush in all this? Not listening to the protestors that for sure. Bush in a bubble, that was quote of the week for me. And oh what a surprise, no let up in steel tariffs from the lord high protectionist George, "yeah, free trade man, that's what we need to aim for, except where we're concerned, then we'll do whatever we can to save our expensive and inefficient industries regardless of supposed free trade ideas". The entire state visit in the first place was a farce, an utter farce, posturing for the President in the run up to an election campaign. Bollocks to them all. Protest or no protest, success or no success, there is a movement out there slowly building, it can't and won't be stopped, more and more people are asking the crucial question, why? SS __________________ - The information in the above post is conjecture and the poster a figment of your imagination. - All images are computer generated or were taken in nations with forward thinking laws. o GrowFAQ o Add A Canna Grow Tip o Other Highs FAQ o Inquiring Minds FAQ o

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