50,000 in London Protest Iraq Action

Yahoo ^ | Sat Sep 28 | AUDREY WOODS

[adam stevens]

50,000 in London Protest Iraq Action Sat Sep 28, 2:38 PM ET By AUDREY WOODS, Associated Press Writer

LONDON (AP) - More than 50,000 Britons from all regions, ages and social backgrounds, marched in central London Saturday, urging Prime Minister Tony Blair ( news - web sites) and President Bush ( news - web sites) not to invade Iraq.

AP Photo

As they wound their way from Embankment on the River Thames to Hyde Park, many of the demonstrators stopped to shout through the gates of Blair's 10 Downing St. residence.

"Tony Blair, shame, shame, no more killing in my name," went one chant.

"We believe it would be wholly immoral and wrong and criminal for the United States and Britain to attack Iraq and inflict casualties upon innocent people," Tony Benn, a former Labor Party legislator and veteran left-winger, told the crowd. "We must see it is not allowed to happen."

Tam Dalyell, who holds the title father of the House of Commons, said the Iraq dilemma was the most dangerous standoff since the Cuban missile crisis.

"We are sleepwalking to disaster," he said.

Streams of people poured out of subway stations near the march's starting point and demonstrators at the back of the march were still setting off after those at the front had reached Hyde Park, more than a mile away.

Scotland Yard said it was still working on a crowd estimate but that there were more than 50,000 demonstrators.

Andrew Burgin, of the Stop the War Coalition, which helped organize the march, said there were 250,000 people and added that the crowd was still growing.

"Iraq is not our enemy, stop Bush," said a homemade banner carried by Irial Eno, 12, who attended the rally with her sister, mother and grandmother. She said it was not right to kill innocent Iraqis in order to topple their leader.

Irial's mother, Anthea Eno, said she would support an attack on Iraq if it had United Nations ( news - web sites) backing, but added that she did not expect that to happen.

The march came as Britain and the United States worked together on a draft resolution on Iraq which they plan to propose to the United Nations.

Blair has been Bush's staunchest ally on Iraq and last week released a dossier claiming Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites) has stockpiled chemical and biological weapons, and is trying to develop nuclear arms.

Legislators from the prime minister's own Labor Party are among the leaders of the Stop the War Coalition, which organized the march with the Muslim Association of Britain.

The march was also meant as a protest of Israel's policies in the West Bank and Gaza, and many protesters expressed sympathy for the Palestinian cause. "Stop Israeli war crimes," said one sign.

London Mayor Ken Livingstone said the wrong motivations were driving the confrontation with Iraq.

"It's not about defense of British people or British interests, it's so that corrupt American politicians can get their hands on Iraqi oil," he told reporters.

___

[BJungNan]

USA PROTEST
Somehow I don't think the group protesting in London would get along to well with these folks in the U.S.

I sure hope our fellow FReepers
did not run into this bunch.

[Phillip Augustus]

Uh, Brian, the non-white population in the US is four times that per capita of that of the UK.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Really, are these Washington "protesters" in the photo more interested in their cause or in being exhibitionists?

[Brian Allen]

<< Uh, Brian, the non-white population in the US is four times that per capita of that of the UK. >>

1. What does your introduction and usage of the term "non-whites" -- and of the all that is implied by its use -- have to do with the facts I stated? [By which I stand]

2. America's population, made up as it is by immigrants and their descendants from more than 200 countries, is hardly comparable with the pre-immigrant colonization population of the UK and;

3. As the atrocities of September 11 2001 surely sheeted home to even the most dense and/or stupid of Us, we have not missed out on the presence in our midst of hostile colonies of inassimilable savages, either.

[FreeReign]

I am thoroughly ashamed of these people. I have to apologise to you lot for the rubbish they spew.

Only the people who were at the march need to apologize. Not you MadIvan.

Regards

[ladyinred]

No apology necessary from you friend! We have the same kind in this country too. None of them have ever had to sacrifice anything for their freedoms, therefore they don't value it as they should. Too much has been handed to the last few generations on a silver platter. It is now time to step up to the plate, and they expect the plate to be delivered by someone else as usual. You are a real patriot and a credit to your country!

[Defender2]

Iraq at the present time is a threat to the United States and the rest of the Free
World! Iraq cannot be allowed to develope or possess weapons of mass
destruction. Sadam Hussein has used weapons of mass destruction on his own
people as well as having used them during Iraq's war with Iran(It's being looked
into if he used them against Our troops during the Gulf War). I would not be
surprised if Hussein's regime backed the attack on New York and Washington on
9/11!!!! To allow Hussein's Regime to aquire(if he has'nt already) Nuclear
weapons or transfer weapons of mass destruction technology to Terrorist entities
would be Disastrous!!!! Hussein and his Bathe Party are very Brutal(with proven
Deadliness) to Iraq's own people. Don't believe the Democrats party line that War
with Iraq is not part of the War On Terror!!!! Eliminating Hussein and his Bathe
Party and replacing it with a Free and Democratic Government helpful to the Iraqi
people as well as the rest of the world will be a BIG VICTORY in the WAR ON
TERROR!!!! The War On Terror and Eliminating Hussein is one and the same!!!!
Hussein and his Bathe party are a proven terrorist(against Kuwait as well as his
own people) that must be eliminated!!!!

[knighthawk]

Islam Online has got the record: 'almost 500-650 thousand'

http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2002-09/28/article33.shtml

[BlazingArizona]

Most are representatives from the "religion of peace" and the far left however.

Do we have any reading on what percentage were Muslims?

[klpt]

[spitz]

'almost 500-650 thousand

Note to Islam Online
When counting stay in sequence, i.e. 1 . . 2 . . 3 . . .
Do not count 1 as 2 or 3 or 4
Do not double, triple or quadruple the final figure.

P.S. If you want to show unity to Iraq, renounce your British citizenship (if indeed your not an illegal immigrant), get the next banana boat to Saddam land, pick-up an AK47 and prepare to die.

[Mo1]

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[Howlin]

Uh, they don't look very British.

[knighthawk]

Well, maybe in a while all UK citizens will look like them...

[knighthawk]

Translation:

The Syrian regime murders 20.000 fundamentalists...

Saddam Hussein butchers countless Shi'its and Kurds (also with poison-gas)...

In Algeria and Afghanistan there are a lot of terrible massacres...

The Americans launch cruise-missiles on the Taliban...

[spitz]

what percentage were Muslims?

Not allowed to publish these figures in the West. It would be ‘racial profiling’, very unPC, big no no. /sarcasm

[Phillip Augustus]

And they have no business in Great Britain.

[knighthawk]

PS: The crowd yells: "Muslims are being killed"

[TERMINATTOR]

Yeah, but you can't legally use them if "peacefull muslims" are trying to murder you and your family. You've already lost!

Molon Labe !