People's Democracy

 British People Angry At Unwelcome Guest

Nagen Das From London

LONDON was a changed city on Tuesday, November 18, when the American president George Bush arrived in the evening. Police vans could be seen parked at various points in the central parts of the city, right from the prime minister’s residence in 10, Downing Street to the Queen Elizabeth’s Buckingham Palace.

He was taken straight from the ariport to the Queen’s palace in a helicopter, so that he did not see the posters expressing anger at his presence here. Such scenes were giving a clear impression that all was not well within the government circles, and that there was disquiet among the citizens. They were not ready to welcome a guest imposed on them, and who they see as a person spreading instability in the world and a threat to the world peace.

Tuesday evening has given a clear signal to Blair --- people of Britain have neither approved nor forgotten the unjustified attack on Iraq!

This evening was just a beginning of the protests, which will continue on Wednesday and peak on Thursday, when more than one lakh people will take to the streets of London, in protest against George Bush’s presence in this country.

The atmosphere surrounding Bush’s provocative visit has gone to the centre of British politics. Blair’s speech barely a week before the visit, defending the visit, and pressure from the White House to turn the heart of London into an exclusion zone, hit the headlines of all major dailies here. The Financial Times, with a Europe-wide business readership, ran the front page headline: “Blair Defends Bush As Iraq Protests Loom.” Its story inside warned:

“The Blair government --- still trying to find its feet on many aspects of domestic policy --- must manage demonstrations running into tens, possibly hundreds of thousands of people that are expected to bring London to gridlock.”

The Guardian’s front page headline was: “Row Over Bush Security As Blair Defends Visit.” The Telegraph’s contribution was: “Blair: Time Is Right For Bush Visit.” Its political editor predicted: “Much of central London is likely to be brought to a standstill by security measures and protests from groups such as the Stop the War Coalition.” It has dawned on many commentators how mass protests can damage both Bush and Tony Blair. Andy McSmith wrote in the Independent on Sunday last week how the Bush visit was one of three major crisis points Blair faces before Christmas.

Last Thursday’s Guardian editorial said: “George Bush, the fountainhead of perhaps the most controversial, confrontational and divisive US administration in living memory, whose actions have caused great dissension within our country, is far from being universally welcome. Mr Blair must appreciate that it would be immensely damaging during such a period for a New Labour prime minister to appear too chummy with the sort of political thinking represented by Mr Bush.” Families of British soldiers who have died in Iraq have come to the forefront of condemning the Bush visit.  Reg Keys, whose son Thomas was killed in Basra in June, says he has developed a “quite passionate hatred” of the US leader.

“He has a nerve coming to this country after all the misery he’s caused,” says Keys. I just can’t understand why Bush was so keen to go to war against Iraq --- it’s almost as if he was hell-bent on making a name for himself.”

Christine Brierly’s son Shaun was one of the first British soldiers killed in the war. She says, “I think it’s disgusting the way Bush is carrying on. It’s a war that should never have been fought. I just wish all the troops were back home-Americans and English.” Liane Seymour’s husband Ian died in Iraq. She says, “Being invited for a state visit isn’t appropriate now. “It really isn’t time to be showing off with glorious tributes, considering the political dimension. For me, and for many other people, this war isn’t over. People are still losing their lives, be they Iraqi, British or American.”

Anti-war activists across Britain are going all out to make the coming three days, a festival of resistance to wreck Bush’s visit. Thursday will see a national demonstration assembling at 2 p m in Malet Street, London WC 1, and marching to Trafalgar Square, where a giant statue of George Bush will be toppled. The protest will continue throughout the day so people who cannot get out of work until the evening can come to central London to fill the streets and lay siege to Bush.

Blair says people have a democratic right to demonstrate. But scandalously the police at the start of this week were refusing to allow people to march through Parliament Square and Whitehall. Jack Straw, the British foreign minister, has wound up everyone planning to be in central London by saying, “We do not know how many will come. Much will depend at this time of year on the weather.” As the Stop the War Coalition puts it, there are going to be protests for three days solid.

November 19, 2003