Posted on 11/20/2003 6:43:19 PM PST by yonif
They were anti-war, anti-American, and anti-globalization activists; pro-Palestinian, pro-animal rights, and pro-environment advocates. Tens of thousands of demonstrators, some say hundreds of thousands, poured into Trafalgar Square late Thursday afternoon to ignite a firestorm of hatred.
What united the disparate groups was irrational and unreasoning hatred of the visiting US President George W. Bush – and, of course, of Israel.
Protesters might be excused for appearing somewhat perplexed as they arrived to the sight and sound of a muezzin calling the faithful to spontaneous prayer under the shadow of Nelson's Column.
As the cry echoed around the darkening square, members of the Muslim Association of Britain, one of the main components of the anti-war coalition, moved among the gathering demonstrators, urging them to join their Muslim brothers and sisters in the Ramadan fast.
Did they not have second thoughts about the demonstration since news a few hours earlier of the suicide bombings in Turkey, which claimed 27 lives, including the British consul-general in Istanbul?
"Oh no," responded a spokesman for the Muslim Association. "Don't you see that terrorism has actually increased since Bush started his so-called war against terrorism? He has already destroyed two countries. What will he do next? "And even now," he hastened to add, "he is allowing the terrorist Israeli state to continue killing innocent Palestinian children every day."
The elegant words of the White House speech-writers and the impressive presentation by Bush in his major foreign policy speech on Wednesday had clearly failed to cool the boiling hatred of the demonstrators.
They were determined to show that wars against the Taliban, Saddam Hussein, and al-Qaida were illegal acts of aggression by the brutal tyrant in Washington and his poodle in London.
Under a shower of placards bearing the legends "Bush-Blair-Butcher" and "Free Palestine," the crowd chanted "Down with Bush" as the organizers staged the ritual toppling of an eight-meter-high papier-mache image of George Bush clutching a missile.
It was intended to mirror the earlier television pictures of the toppling of Saddam Hussein statues throughout Iraq, and the crowd was ecstatic. Few minds were changed by Bush's visit. If anything, pre-existing prejudices were reinforced. It was a dialogue of the deaf.
Those, perhaps the majority, who perceive Bush as a dangerous cowboy or a naive fool will have had their prejudices confirmed.
So, too, will those who regard Bush as the leader of the free world, committed to spreading democracy and prosecuting a war against international terrorism.
To the anti-Bush demonstrators, the Turkish bombings underlined the impotence of his policies; to Bush supporters, they underlined the need to pursue the war on terrorism even more vigorously. While Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, who flew to Turkey Thursday night, described the Istanbul bombings as "appalling acts of terrorism," one Muslim demonstrator in Trafalgar Square had a quite different interpretation.
"Of course, it was justified," he said. "Turkey is a Muslim country, but it also wants to be secular and democratic. And don't forget it has close relations with Israel."
Blair and Bush appeared before the media like an old married couple, barely masking the fact that they had failed to agree on a formula to settle a dangerously festering trade dispute between the US and Europe over US tariffs on steel.
Nor were they able to resolve the difficult domestic issue (for Blair) of what to do about the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Bush is understood to have handed Blair a poisoned chalice, offering to hand the men over for trial in Britain.
But with no certainty that British courts would be willing to try them, let alone convict them, the issue would be even more politically embarrassing for Blair, and the two decided to think further. How much will the visit help Blair pacify his critics, particularly in his own party? How much will it help Bush in his reelection efforts next year? The jury is out on both counts.
What is certain is that when it was planned 18 months ago, it must have seemed like a win-win idea, a great photo-opportunity for two allies marching shoulder-to-shoulder into a free and democratic future.
Two wars later, both will no doubt be having second thoughts, perhaps privately concluding that they would have been better off on different planets these past three days, let alone different towns.
Meanwhile, as the turbulence of demonstration swirled through the streets, the one person who was out of sight and sound was Bush himself, safely ensconced in Buckingham Palace.
But for all the exquisitely detailed preparations, the intricate choreography, and the gargantuan security operation designed to shield Bush from the wrath of the mob, he did not escape entirely unscathed.
At his joint press conference with Blair, the final question came from the political correspondent of Britain's major commercial television network.
"Mr. President," he asked, "with thousands marching on the streets of London, what is your conclusion about why so many free citizens fear you and even hate you?"
For the only time on the visit, Bush appeared rattled: "I'd say freedom is beautiful. It's a fantastic thing to come to a country where people are able to express their views."
But the ferocious terrier was not satisfied and snapped at his heals again: "Why do they hate you in such numbers?" he demanded.
"I don't know that they do," Bush responded. "All I know is that people in Baghdad weren't allowed to do this until recent history. They're not spending a lot of time in North Korea protesting the current leadership. Freedom is a wonderful thing and I respect that.
"I fully understand that people don't agree with war, but I hope they agree with peace and freedom and liberty."
Don't count on it, Mr. President.
It was the BBC! SAY it! SAY IT!!!
A better question would be for the reporters to ask the protesters: Why aren't you acting as a human shield in Baghdad, Istanbul, and Tel Aviv? Why aren't you using your body and your convictions to dissuade terrorists from bombing hotels, hospitals, UN headquarters, and buses?
,,, I'm a great one for the bottom line but look at the top one!! [LOL] Simply gotta have that pro-animal rights representation to call it a party.
Actually, Bush has saved two Islamic countries from murderous, tyrannical, human rights destroying regimes. History and hopefully future more enlightened Muslim generations will thank Mr. Bush for this. The Moslem world is complicit in encouraging Palestinian suicide bombs of civilians, including children. Mullahs are actually on record for saying these type of attacks are morally acceptable. President Bush calls for a two state solution and an end to terrorism. He calls for the end of new settlements and the building of a wall that would prejudge final boundary negotiations. The majority of Palestinians apparently do not want a two state solution, but rather to destroy Israel, and do not wish to end terrorism, which they view as justified. They will not even talk about a solution. They rejected Clinton's Camp David proposals even as a basis for negotiations and restarted the Intifadah. They undermined Abu Mazen's efforts to rein in the terrorist thugs and endorse the terror-master Arafat.
Actually, it was ITV, but the dweeb did spend some time with the Beeb.
An interesting turn of phrase.
The Iraqis get it, too bad these moronic protesters don't.
And Nazi military action increased when we decided it was time to fight them.
More like dirty filthy communists. That's all they are. Trotskyites and Maoists who hate life and everything in it. They like to make big talk about freedom, democracy and sometimes even God, but they have nothing to do with these things.
ENVIRONAZIS are NOT harmless do-gooders.
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