200,000 MARCH AGAINST BUSH IN LONDON

The Mirror, UK ^ | 11-20-03 | By Naveed Raja

[Oldeconomybuyer]

A massive demonstration against George Bush drew up to 200,000 marchers on the streets of London today.

Organisers of the march, ending in a rally at Trafalgar Square, said the number was a record for any weekday protest in Britain.

With a huge police presence the Met reported no incidents of violence and the march passed off peacefully.

"This phenomenal response shows the depth of feeling of the British public towards this visit," said a spokesman for the Stop The War Coalition.

The march started near Euston Station and went past the House of Commons and Whitehall before finishing at Trafalgar Square.

When the march passed Downing Street anti-war protesters booed and jeered at Bush and Blair inside number 10.

A huge papier mache statue of Bush was hauled down by protestors in Trafalgar Square in protest at the Iraq war.

Vietnam veteran Ron Kovic, on whose life the film Born on the Fourth of July was based, was the guest of honour.

Other speakers at the rally included former leader of the SNP Alex Salmon and Labour MPs Jeremy Corbyn and Alice Mahon.

Former Labour MP George Galloway spoke to the crowd and described the march as "unbelievable".

He said: "This is the largest march on a midweek day that this country has ever seen - it is absolutely overwhelming.

"We're speaking for the majority of people in the world who want Bush out and who want Blair out."

"Tony Blair added insult to injury by bringing this ignorant, foolish and dangerous man to these shores and I think we are speaking for the majority of the country."

Caroline Lucas, of the Green Party told the crowd: "The eyes of the world are on Trafalgar Square today. We are making history."

[microgood]

With that many supporters, Saddam should be able to start anew somewhere else.

[seowulf]

Well, they're right. There appears to be "up to 200,000" in the march. There are certainly no more than 200,000 (or 1 million, or 1 billion).

[hellinahandcart]

Oh man, I was actually at the GPO at about 11:30 pm on an April 15 many years ago. You are absolutely right about the numbers. The place was jammed with people waiting in line to buy stamps, waiting for the guy to come out with the boxes for Holtsville or Albany, or crowding at the tables as they FILLED OUT their tax forms. I've never seen anything like it. I always thought it would make a great scene in a movie.

[Hatteras]

"I counted 50,004"

Dang! think of all that plaque...

[hellinahandcart]

Truthfully, there do appear to be between 1 and 200,000 people assembled. It's somewhere between those two numbers.

[TomB]

Dang! think of all that plaque...

What's this, pick on the dentist day? :)

[Twinkie]

The grandchildren of the supporters of Neville
Chamberlain before WWII. Not convinced until the
terrorists bring bombs to their doorsteps & then
will cheer Blair & deny they ever marched with all
these "stars". - After awhile you won't be able to
find a dozen who will admit to marching in this. -
How soon they forget. - They took the Chamberlain
way out back then, and then when the Nazis rammed
their cowardice down their British throats it was
almost too late. They then HAD to act or perish.

[DeFault User]

drew up to 200,000 Well 35,000 is under 200,000, so I guess they didn't really lie.

Neither does the Publishers' Clearing House: You may already have won $8,000,000!

Neither do car dealers: You will save up to $10,000!

Odds 1 in 500,000,000

[rwfromkansas]

The local news said 50,000 protestors.

I believe these numbers are closer to accurate.

I have met the producer/anchor of the noon news and she would not report numbers without some backing. The 200,000 people is just for shock.

[Hatteras]

Dentist to hygenist: Holy crap! Get on the horn and call for some back up!

[twigs]

As appreciative and impressed as I've been with Tony Blair's support of us, I have to say that I am reminded why the Revolution of 1776 occurred in the first place.

[cookcounty]

Number includes schoolchildren---BBC

I just checked BBC online, 1940 in the evening, It looks like they're still trying to find a way to break the "bad news" about the low turnout (still speaking of it as a future event-----at 20 minutes before 8 pm!). It sounds like they're piddling in their pints.

Their story includes the interesting tidbit that many London schoolchildren are expected to be released for the protests. So the number of REAL protesters, is even lower!!

[Cobra64]

FYI, the President's MBA is from Harvard, his undergraduate degree is from Yale. Your point was excellent, just need to make sure you keep the schools straight (they get touchy).

Thanks. I stand corrected. I get my Ivy League schools confused. Must be old age setting in.

[David Hunter]

The grandchildren of the supporters of Neville Chamberlain before WWII. Not convinced until the terrorists bring bombs to their doorsteps & then will cheer Blair & deny they ever marched with all these "stars".

Let's not forget that most of these useful idiots were brought in from around Britain and the rest of Europe on specially chartered buses and a significant number were just liberal-brainwashed school children playing truant. Everyone I spoke to today in Britain thinks that the Bush visit is OK, except for two of my French colleagues. I wonder how many Frenchies came across on the Eurostar for this little lefty get together?

[sharkhawk]

LOL

[HenryLeeII]

Caroline Lucas, of the Green Party told the crowd: "The eyes of the world are on Trafalgar Square today. We are making history."

What a self-centered, self-important, self-deluded little twit! I would be willing to see U.S. tax dollars used for the reconstruction of Trafalgar Square (and the rest of London) if we could drop a MOAB there...

[YourAdHere]

Hmmm. I guess "International" ANSWER isn't really international after all.

[TomB]

Dentist to hygenist: Holy crap! Get on the horn and call for some back up!

Funny you should mention that.....

There is great in-person report at Samizdata.net