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Millions join anti-war protests worldwide
BBC ^ | 02/15/03

Posted on 02/15/2003 9:05:36 AM PST by Pokey78

Millions of people worldwide are joining in demonstrations against a possible US-led war against Iraq. Hundreds of rallies and marches are taking place in up to 60 countries this weekend.

Crowds have been gathering in London, where a rally culminating in Hyde Park is expected to draw more than half a million protesters.

Massive demonstrations - a day after UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix issued a largely positive assessment of the UN's disarmament process in Iraq - are also being organised in Rome, Berlin and New York.

Tens of thousands of people braved bitter weather to converge on the German capital from the east and west of the city.

Along with France, Germany has been one of the most vociferous opponents of war with Iraq.

The BBC's Ray Furlong in Berlin says a real cross-section of people are taking part in the demonstration - young students, families with children, as well as pensioners - reflecting the strong anti-war feeling that runs right through German society.

And demonstrators in Paris are preparing to march on the city's traditional rallying point - the Place de la Bastille.

Some of the first protests on Saturday were seen in New Zealand, as environmental pressure group Greenpeace flew a plane over Auckland harbour trailing a banner reading "No War, Peace Now".

About 5,000 marched through Auckland and a similar number in the capital Wellington.

Rallies are being held in several cities in Australia, where a protest in Melbourne on Friday drew a crowd estimated by organisers at 150,000 - the largest there since anti-Vietnam War marches 30 years ago.

In Seoul - capital of South Korea, one of the staunchest US allies in Asia - hundreds of demonstrators rallied, shouting chants such as "Bush, Terrorist!" and carrying banners urging "Drop Bush, not bombs".

Celebrities

In London, organisers are confidently predicting the country's largest anti-war protest.

UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has suffered a fall in popularity following his staunch support of US plans to launch military action against Saddam Hussein.

"We believe that the London demonstration will be one of the biggest and the most pivotal because the British Government is actively involved in the build up to war and the British people definitely do not want war," said Stop The War UK leader Andrew Murray.

Speakers at the rally in Hyde Park include Charles Kennedy, leader of Britain's second-biggest opposition party and US activist Jesse Jackson.

In New York a protest is scheduled to start at 1200 local time (1700GMT) near UN headquarters - the currently scene of intense diplomatic discussions following Friday's report by Hans Blix.

Celebrities and activists such as Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and black activist Angela Davis will be attending the demonstration.

And they be joined by some families of the victims of the attack on the World Trade Center, marching as "9/11 Families for Peace."

Say it with flowers

Anti-war activists in Turkey are calling on fellow citizens to simultaneously turn off all lights at 2000 local time (2200 GMT) as a novel sign of support for anti-war sentiment.

In Malaysia - a predominantly Muslim state - hundreds demonstrated outside the US embassy in Kuala Lumpur bearing banners and placards with slogans such as: "No war. Stop US aggression" and "No more blood for oil".

And in Thailand about 2,000 people - mostly Muslims - rallied in front of the US and UK embassies in the capital on Saturday.

Protests of varying sizes were also reported in: Japan, Nepal, India, South Africa, Cyprus, Spain, Syria, Egypt and Iraq.

The tiny South Pacific island nation of Fiji also saw its share of anti-war sentiment, with an anti-war group sending floral messages to foreign embassies urging them to put pressure on the US and its allies to avoid war.

.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Germany; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
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To: edskid
Well said. It makes me sick to see all these over-the-top protest photos. I don't care how unpopular the war is abroad, or even in our own country. I KNOW it is the right thing to do, and my support for it will not waver. I'm so glad for Free Republic right now, because although I don't NEED other people to validate my views, it sure is nice to know there are a lot that share them.
121 posted on 02/15/2003 11:46:43 AM PST by TrappedInLiberalHell (Let's Iraq and Roll!)
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Comment #122 Removed by Moderator

To: Ickey
The United States has never been so universally hated in its 200+ year history.

The US was never loved. Until WW II it was safe to ignore America. Following WW II America could not be ignored and the hatred of America has grown as America has grown rich and powerful. America will never be universally loved, but it sure will be respected!

123 posted on 02/15/2003 11:51:37 AM PST by RightWhale
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To: Ickey
Here are some more independent thinking people.

Thousands gather for an anti-war demonstration on first avenue on New York City's East Side near United Nations (news - web sites) headquarters in New York City, February 15, 2003. Tens of thousands flocked to the huge rally against a possible war with Iraq, after a New York judge denied organizers a permit for a march through the city's streets citing security concerns. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton

Richard W.

124 posted on 02/15/2003 11:59:21 AM PST by arete (Greenspan is a ruling class elitist and closet socialist who is destroying the economy)
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To: Ickey
The United States has never been so universally hated in its 200+ year history.

I thought 'Hate' was not a family value ???

125 posted on 02/15/2003 12:03:18 PM PST by 11th_VA
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To: Pokey78
Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled. America will prevail. The appeasers and anti-war demonstrators can squawk all they want. The train has left the station-First Iraq, then Iran and North Korea. Bush will not be side-tracked. America was attacked-on our own soil! Now we take the battle to the terrorists-in their countries! There are worse things then war-like living in terror with no end in sight. This Americans will never accept!
126 posted on 02/15/2003 12:05:21 PM PST by TracyPA
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To: TracyPA
"America was attacked-on our own soil!" I think that is the point that has been forgotten! I wish I were twenty again! Because I'd enlist, just so I could light-up some of that Jew-hating, America-hating, commie-*ss!
127 posted on 02/15/2003 12:21:54 PM PST by old school
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To: 2rightsleftcoast
Did you see that picture of the demonstration in Croatia?? NOW...those folks REALLY know about swaztikas!!

They fought a civil war against the LEGAL government of Yugoslavia and klinton helped them win!!

During WWII the croats were WILLING and HAPPY to be allies with Hitler....they had a concentration camp called Jasenovac wher 800,000 Serbs, Gypsies(Romas) and Jews were murdered. The Croats deny this!!

Certain Croatian sports heroes, have just lately called hitler a great leader and nazi Germany a well organized place!!

After their latest victory against the Serbs and the nation of Yugoslavia, they marched into Zagreb with arms raised in a hitleresque salutes!! UGH!!!!

What nerve they have to protest against the USA....they are the NEO-FASCISTS of the Balkans!!

128 posted on 02/15/2003 12:22:44 PM PST by crazykatz
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To: marvlus
That sign says a lot. Florida was the decisive state that gave Bush enough votes to win the Presidency. It shows you that these demonstrators are more anti-Bush or anti-Republican than they are anti-war.

They're supportive of the warmongering by the Palestinians and North Korea.

129 posted on 02/15/2003 12:24:51 PM PST by tdadams
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To: Pokey78
Can we now begin collections to send these people over as human shields?
130 posted on 02/15/2003 12:28:01 PM PST by MarMema
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Comment #131 Removed by Moderator

To: Ickey

Anti-war protesters burn an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush during an antiwar demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy in Lima, February 15, 2003. More than four million protesters joined forces around the globe Saturday to deliver a blunt message to U.S. President George W. Bush -- 'Give peace a chance and do not rush into war against Iraq.. REUTERS/Pilar Olivares

132 posted on 02/15/2003 12:57:05 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: edskid
Bush better get on with this Iraq war.

Most of us are impatient, and I'm sure we'd be in there today, if it had been possible. I don't think we will have to wait too long, in any event.

Right

Otherwise, you can bet the rent, world opinion will change the course.

It already has, to some extent, but the composition of our enemies and their enablers could have been pretty well predicted quite some time back. Will this kind of political theatre cause us damage? Only as much as we will let it, and I don't intend to be someone who is inclined to give these lemmings any help.

Your opinion don't matter. World opinion will.

Personally, I don't give a rats ass about world opinion, but It will have an effect.

Everything does, and we will deal with it as we go.

You can deal with it. I find it very tiresome and not to America's benefit

If I had it my way, I would pull our troops out of all countries and turn American into a country with real borders and and put America first for a change. Screw these nations that hate us. Let's keep our food and our money right here.

And if I had my way, there would be a Viper in the driveway and my wife would be a former centerfold;

Mine is centerfold material, and no I don't have a Viper, that would be a waste of time, but I do have a crazy Akita and a black faced German Shepard that would play tug a-war with a stupid snake. I protect my personal borders, to bad our leaders are more concerned about other nations borders, than our own. We will pay a dear price for this.

neither one of us is going to get our wish. Listening to Rumsfeld, etc., it sounds like we may be seeing something you and I would both like better than the recent status quo, at least as far as troop deployments of the future. I agree that the borders are problematic at this time, but setting up a Maginot Line on the Rio Grande and a Siegfried Line from Lake Superior to the Pacific would not be in our own best interests either. As far as the rest of the world, not only George W,. Bush, but people like you and me are going to keep a list of countries naughty and nice. I can't remember what I had for lunch last week, but I can damn sure remember that France, Germany and Belgium bought us more trouble than they were worth. I'm all for making it here and keeping it here- if other nations want to make self-sufficiency more attractive to Americans, they are doing us a favor.Whatever....

Being dependant on these nations will eventually paint us into a corner. A corner that we do not want to be in. It will only get worse. Most countries want to see us on our knees. Bet on it.

Yeah, brother! Amen! The penis envy some of these nations have for Uncle Sam is something to behold, yet there are still twits here who think we can reason with Americophobes like rational adults. Tell me this... don't you think we are just about through being dependent on some of these people anyway?

No, I don't. To much UN globalony BS going on. Not to America's benefit, and it never has been.

In the last few days, I have heard some surprising voices being critical even of the Almighty Most High U.N., and I'll wager some of today's photo-op discontent is fanned by the same crowd that has vested interests in Rockefeller's Tower of Babel. I think that the Security Council circus has been a good example of solar disinfectant, regrdless of how the decrepit parts of Europe intended it. We are - today - moving farther from atrophied, European socialism than we were a year ago, and that is a good thing.

Do you really think we are going to bail out of the leftist, communist UN? I think not.

I say, turn our front door into a freaking gun port.

Starting at the family level.

No, starting at our bleeding borders would be a little more appropriate at this point. Unfortunately that aint going to happen either, so I will just continue to protect my own personal borders and in my own little way, will refuse to contribute to this anti-American, one world order, global UN, bull sh*t.

133 posted on 02/15/2003 1:00:04 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf
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To: Pokey78

Two protestors pretend to drink from fuel cannisters at a demonstration by tens of thousands of anti-war protestors near United Nations headquarters in New York City, February 15, 2003. Thousands flocked to a huge rally against a possible war with Iraq, after a New York judge denied organizers a permit for a march through the city's streets. REUTERS/Mike Segar


Anti-war protesters demonstrate against the possible war

134 posted on 02/15/2003 1:00:52 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: Pokey78

A man shouts during an anti war protest in downtown Montreal, February 15, 2003. Millions of people are expected to take to the streets of towns and cities across the globe to demonstrate against a looming U.S.-led war on Iraq in the biggest protests since the Vietnam war. REUTERS/Shaun Best


More comic relief:


Actor Sam Rockwell, left, kisses actor and director George Clooney, right, during the 53rd Berlinale Film Festival Award Ceremony in Berlin, Germany Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003. Rockwell was awarded the Silver Bear for Best Actor in 'Confessions of a Dangerous Mind', which was directed by Clooney. (AP Photo/Franka Bruns)

135 posted on 02/15/2003 1:08:59 PM PST by Pokey78
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To: Pokey78
We need the French, to show Iraq how to SURRENDER PROPERLY!!!!!!!
136 posted on 02/15/2003 1:38:05 PM PST by buffyt (We need the French, to show Iraq how to SURRENDER PROPERLY!!!!!!!)
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To: Pokey78
The no longer shoot off the fireworks at the Disneyland Park in France. The first time they did that, at 9 pm one night, 200,000 Frenchmen surrendered!
137 posted on 02/15/2003 1:39:41 PM PST by buffyt (We need the French, to show Iraq how to SURRENDER PROPERLY!!!!!!!)
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To: Ickey
I think you are right. The longer we wait the worse it is going to be. Too bad we didn't already strike them months ago. We have bombed Iraq daily since the Gulf War, even during Clinton admin. But it is time to take Hussein OUT.
138 posted on 02/15/2003 1:52:56 PM PST by buffyt (We need the French, to show Iraq how to SURRENDER PROPERLY!!!!!!!)
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To: edskid
How many French men does it take to guard France?
No one knows, it has never been tried.

How many Frenchmen does it take to change a light bulb? Three. One to Run away. One to surrender to the light bulb. One to call the US crying for help!

How many Germans and Frenchmen died in WWII?
Not enough.

Where can you find 60 Million French Jokes?
In France!

Why don't they shoot fireworks off at the French Disneyland?
The noise causes too many Frenchmen to surrender!
139 posted on 02/15/2003 1:56:12 PM PST by buffyt (We need the French, to show Iraq how to SURRENDER PROPERLY!!!!!!!)
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To: dighton; Ickey; general_re; BlueLancer; Poohbah; All
Here's what an Iraqi who is free to express himself thinks of these demos.
140 posted on 02/15/2003 1:57:20 PM PST by aculeus
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