Millions join anti-war protests worldwide

BBC ^ | 02/15/03

[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.

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[cynicom]

Let me think, what organization is capable of organizing such an event???? No help now. Trying to think who would benefit from such.....Thinking...

[old school]

If you were to believe news reports, (most of it propaganda), the entire sentient world is oppsosed to forcibly removing the terrorist regime in Iraq! If nothing else, recent developments have demonstrated to me the urgent need of the U.S. to get out of the U.N.! I don't quite understand why the President would allow the whole host of freaks to array themselves against the U.S. as they have. But, I think he should "move on" with all due speed to the purpose for which he has set the course; and to remember that this is a contest between good and evil!

[Pokey78]

FYI, as I find the anti-American pics, I'm posting them here.

Dutch protesters carry anti U.S. banners during a demonstration against a possible war against Iraq in Amsterdam, February 15, 2003. Millions of people are expected to take to the streets of towns and cities across the globe on Saturday to demonstrate against a looming U.S. led war on Iraq in the biggest protests since the Vietnam war. REUTERS/Jerry Lampen REUTERS

Anti-war protesters wearing masks of Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair (news - web sites) (R) and U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) kiss during a demonstration against war on Iraq in Glasgow, February 15, 2003. Millions of people took to the streets of towns and cities across the globe on Saturday to demonstrate against a looming U.S. led war on Iraq in the biggest protests since the Vietnam war. REUTERS/Jeff J Mitchell

[Dane]

From America's support of Saddam's biological weapons research to the sanctions that have denied medical supplies to the Iraqi population to the bombs that drop constantly on Iraq, the America's actions have been anything but quick and painless.

Oh sheesh, where did you get that fax from, Paris? It is the French who have supported saddam.

Just admit it, you see America as the greatest evil in the world and saddam is just a wittle wuvable puppy dog.

[hflynn]

God, I've never seen so many people at one time.

Ickey since you've only been here for a day let me give you the real news. Billions ignore anti-war protests worldwide.

God, I've never seen so many people missing at one time.

[B Knotts]

The fact that these protests are being coordinated worldwide

What?!? You mean these aren't spontaneous eruptions of anti-American hatred?

BTW...coordinated by whom???

[JohnHuang2]

What's with the "Damn U Florida" sign in the top picture?

Let 'em. The more REAL America gets to see these scummy cretins, the stronger their support for Bush.

[wardaddy]

Ickey's profile page is not very encouraging is it?

Is there a new label for that kind of psuedoconservative?

[BobFromNJ]

Bump to you--"Corporate America" joined us on Wednesday THIS WEEK !!! What a liberal jerk!

[Pokey78]

Well put King! It's not anti-war. It's anti American, anti capitalism, anti liberty and pro socialism & communism.

A woman holds a picture of U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) with an Adolf Hitler moustache during a peace really outside the presidential palace La Moneda in Santiago, February 15, 2003. Millions of people took to the streets of towns and cities around the globe on Saturday to demonstrate against a looming U.S. led war on Iraq. REUTERS/Claudia Daut

[pgkdan]

God, I've never seen so many people at one time.

Then you should go to next year's March for Life. You'll see hundreds of thousands of honest, decent, clean cut pro-life Americans...marching peacefully.

And, unlike the marches we're seeing today around the world, they will be there for ONE reason. They'll be marching against abortion, today's marches, as we've seen in marches in the last few weeks, are being done by some to oppose the war, others oppose Bush, others oppose America in general, others want to free Mumia, others want slavery reparations, others want approval and implementation of the Kyoto accords, others want to save the rain forest...ban the internal combustable engine, feed the hungry, and on and on abd on.

These marchers are simply a left wing subterfuge, the organizers are communist anarchists who hate America.

[Pokey78]

Chilean protesters for peace burn a U.S. flag outside the presidential palace La Moneda in Santiago, February 15, 2003. Millions of people took to the streets of towns and cities around the globe on Saturday to demonstrate against a looming U.S. led war on Iraq. REUTERS/Claudia Daut

[old school]

I could be mistaken, but your post appears to be inconsonant with the perspectives generally evinced in this forum

[JohnHuang2]

Thanks ;^)

[HighRoadToChina]

THE BROCHURE ON IRAQ TO COUNTER THE PEACENIKS AND TO INFORM REAL AMERICANS ON THE REAL REASONS WHY THE US AND OUR ALLIES ARE GOING TO IRAQ ... TO LIBERATE IRAQ!

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! Right Click on picture and then select "Save Target As"

[txradioguy]

Nah, the "Damn U Florida" is a reference to those wonderful people in the state screwing up the effort to get Algore elected by any illegal means necessary.

[Pokey78]

Thousands of anti-war activists march through downtown Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003, protesting against the possible US-led war against Iraq. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe

[Steel Wolf]

Why don't we get any coverage about the anti-Saddam protesters in Iraq?

Or the pro-democracy protesters in China?

Or the anti-Castro protesters in Cuba?

Or the anti-communist protesters in North Korea?

Or the pro-secular protesters in Iran?

Why, if I didn't know better, I'd say that these smug 'anti-war' protesters don't realize that the only reason that their voices are heard is because there are no tanks on the way to run them down. The freedom of speech that they take for granted is in the hands of those who need it the least: those who are already free.

The ones who are truly oppressed, who need to speak out, and want the crimes of their masters to be known, cannot be heard.

[txradioguy]

Ok now that's the last straw. These peaceniks should learn about "Don't Mess With Texas".