[IMC-UK-Features] [FEATURE PROPOSAL] Anti-Bush demo

Mon Jun 16 15:50:16 PDT 2008

Hello

There are quite a few postings with reports, pics and videos of  
sunday''s anti Bush visit demo in parliament Square, so I've put a  
feature together that I'd like for the front page, london, repression  
and maybe socpa topic too.

For the title i've played, on purpose, with the sort of typical  
corporate media's headline, but in the inverse. If peeps don't like it  
change it like that change it to something different.

I propose the feature for tomorrow tuesday evening, BUT i won't be  
around to put it up myself, so please feel free to do so, otherwise  
it'll have to wait till wednesday.

Cheers
maqui

========
FEATURE:
========

TITLE:
Anti-Bush Visit Protest Marred by Police Violence and Snatch Arrests

AUTHOR;
IMC-UK Features

PIC:
http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/06/401277.jpg
OR
http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/06/401240.jpg
OR
http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/images/2008/06/401296.jpg

ABSTRACT;

On sunday 15th of June, as George W. Bush was making his way to Downing 
Street for his last state visit to the UK, thousands of people were 
gathering in Parliament Square following a call from the <a 
href="http://www.stopwar.org.uk/ 
index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=642&Itemid=27">Stop the War 
Coalition</a>.

Although the turn out to sunday's protest was much smaller than in <a 
href="/en/actions/2003/bush/">2003 when Bush visited the UK</a> in the 
<a href="/en/actions/2003/nowarf15/">high of the Anti-War protest 
movement</a>, by mid afternoon a crowd of around 2500 determined people 
were already making clear what they thought of the legacy of George 
Bush's wars in the Middle East and the US driven War on Terror [<a 
href="/en/2008/06/401258.html">Video reoport</a>]. A powerful sound 
system had been set on the square from where several people, including 
<a href="http://www.parliament-square.org.uk/">Brian How</a>, made 
speeches. Meanwhile the crowd kept demanding the arrest of George Bush 
for his "terrorist activities and war crimes" in countries such 
as Iraq and Afghanistan.

The protest had already <a href="/en/2008/06/400898.html">been 
banned</a> by the Metropolitan Police from marching through Whitehall, 
therefore crash barriers and police lines had been set at the southern 
end of Whitehall to prevent the demonstration from marching forward. At 
some point, the crowd approached the barriers and police lines to 
demand their right to demonstrate, but they were faced by a line of 
baton wielding police that started hitting those at the front. As a 
result a series of scuffles followed, resulting with some head injuries 
and bruises to some protesters, and the first wave of arrests.

Eventually, a large number of police wit riot gear took positions to 
protect the entrance to Whitehall, whilst at the same time groups of 
TSG and FIT police forces started to carry a series of <a 
href="/images/2008/06/401290.jpg">snatch arrests</a> around the 
Parliament Square area [<a href="/en/2008/06/401293.html">Video of 
arrests</a>]. By the end of the evening 25 people had been arrested, 
some of which have already been released but others are being <a 
href="/en/2008/06/401302.html">charged</a>.

<p>
<strong>Photos:</strong> <a href="/en/2008/06/401236.html">1</a> | <a  
href="/en/2008/06/401276.html">2</a>
</p>

CONTENT:

Although this may be the first time that the Metropolitan Police openly 
attacks a Stop the War Coalition demonstration in London in such a 
generalised way, the truth is that many autonomous groups, antiwar 
protesters and activists have encountered this sort of police behaviour 
in previous anti war mobilisations when they have been targeted for 
repression, without any show of solidarity from the STWC or even, at 
times, with an alleged tactical co-operation from Stop the War stewards 
[I KNOW THERE HAVE BEEN REPORTS ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST BUT COULDN'T 
FIND ANY. DOES ANYONE KNOW OF ANY? CAN YOU ADD IT HERE? TA]

STWC has now issued an <a href="/en/2008/06/401305.html">statement</a> 
protesting for the "violent policing of the demonstration and 
stating that they will not be "co-operating with the police in 
regard to future protests until these concerns are addressed to our 
satisfaction". It is therefore not surprising that whilst some 
people find this an "interesting development", they also <a 
href="/en/2008/06/401305.html?c=on#c197699">ask</a> whether this may 
mean that the "STWC will shortly be issuing a press release 
apologising to the anti-authoritarian movement for stewards 
antagonising them, impeding their movement, labelling them the reason 
the anti-war movement has died, etc?"