British demonstrations say 'Bush go home!'
By Deirdre Sinnott
London
At least 200,000 people marched in the streets
of London Nov. 20, to tell U.S. President George W. Bush to go
home.
This was the biggest London demonstration ever held on a
work day. Organizers--from the Stop the War Coalition, the
Muslim Association of Britain and the Committee for Nuclear
Disarmament--announced that the demonstration had shut down
major sections of central London.
Masses of angry demonstrators chanted "George Bush, go
home," "Who let the bombs drop? Bush, Bush and Blair!" and
"George Bush terrorist," as they poured through city streets
and simultaneously closed down two major crossings of the River
Thames.
After intense negotiations with authorities, the coalition
had won the right to march past the British Parliament building
and rally in Trafalgar Square. The Bush administration, citing
"security concerns," had tried to insist that London
authorities create an exclusion zone in central London and
close off parts of the underground train system.
In recent years when the International Monetary Fund, World
Bank and trade-zone negotiators have met in cities around the
world, worried imperialists have demanded that officials close
down critical parts of the host cities to protect the
participants from vigorous protests.
Bush, who arrived with a 700-person entourage, had to
severely curtail the scope of his visit.
He was unable to get the customary ride in an open carriage
with Queen Elizabeth that normally accompanies a state visit.
And he had to scrap plans to tour many other areas of
London.
A speech before Parliament was also canceled for fear that
"unruly" members of Parliament might heckle Bush with
catcalls.
Several current and former members of Parliament--including
George Galloway, an outspoken critic of the war and sanctions
against Iraq--spoke before the cheering crowds at Trafalgar
Square.
"Because of the demonstrations, George Bush has been on
virtual lockdown in Buckingham Palace for almost his entire
visit," Galloway announced.
As part of the demonstration, artist activists pulled down a
20-foot-high papier-mache statue of George W. Bush holding a
missile. The crowd chanted, "Pull him down, pull him down" as
activists threw rope around the effigy. A massive cheer went up
as the effigy hit the stage.
Students from high schools and colleges came from all over
Britain to participate, ignoring police threats to detain them
on the basis of truancy laws. The British public was outraged
at the high cost of protecting Bush. His unpopularity on the
streets was clear, as demonstrators got much encouragement from
the sidelines.
Signs at the demonstration included one that read: "George
Bush an American War Wolf in London."
This massive demonstration was the culmination of a series
of activities that pulled together various sectors of the peace
and anti-war movement.
Kicking off the activies on Nov. 18, some 2,000 activists
overflowed the Quaker Friends Meeting Hall in Euston Square.
Speakers at that rally included playwright Harold Pinter,
former British Labor Party Members of Parliament Tony Benn, who
has also been a cabinet minister, and Geo rge Galloway of the
Stop the War Coali tion, Caroline Lucas of the Green Party,
Kate Hudson from the Committee for Nuclear Disarmament and,
from the United States, Deirdre Sinnott for the ANSWER
Coalition and author, anti-war activist and disabled U.S.
Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic.
"The question really is how can we develop the movement into
a global movement so powerful that no government can disregard
it?" Tony Benn asked the crowd that had packed into the hall.
"Imper ialism is motivated by economic concerns and it has
seized power for its own interests."
Ron Kovic described his transformation from gung ho soldier
to a leading anti-war activist, which he documented in his book
"Born on the Fourth of July": "I'd like to say to those who'd
like to glorify war, how disgusting. We are going to change
society and we will do it together. We have a rendezvous with
history."
On Nov. 19 demonstrators staged an alternative State
Processional in an open horse-drawn carriage. There was a
constant demonstration near Buckingham Palace, where Bush and
entourage were being hosted by Queen Elizabeth and Prince
Charles.
The Lord Mayor of London, Ken Living stone, hosted a
different kind of gathering: a "peace reception" for Ron Kovic
at Lon don's City Hall. "Most mayors in the Uni ted States
wanted to have me arrested--not honor me and other peacemakers
in City Hall," commented Kovic.
Reprinted from the Dec. 4, 2003, issue of
Workers World newspaper
This article is copyright under a Creative
Commons License.
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