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"Thousands march against Bush" (take your pick - 300,000 120,000 100,000 or 70,000)
Reuters ^ | 11-20-03 | By Janet McBride and Kate Holton

Posted on 11/20/2003 11:07:45 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

LONDON (Reuters) - Around 100,000 protesters have marched through London and torn down a mock statue of visiting U.S. president George W. Bush, many of them convinced his policies were to blame for anti-British bombs in Turkey.

Demonstrators of all ages beat drums and blew whistles along a three-mile route that took them past parliament and the end of Downing Street, where crowds paused to jeer towards Prime Minister Tony Blair's office.

When they reached Trafalgar Square, protesters felled a six-metre (20-foot) papier mache statue of Bush in a parody of the toppling of a statue of Saddam Hussein when U.S. and British troops swept into Baghdad. In its top pocket was a puppet with a grinning Blair face.

"Bush and Blair said they were fighting a war against terror to make the world a safer place for people," said Paul Burrows, 38, a university lecturer. "They haven't done that. Going out bombing people just gives them more reason to hate the West."

Hours earlier, suspected Islamist suicide car bombers had attacked the British consulate and the offices of Britain's HSBC bank in Istanbul, killing at least 27 and wounding hundreds.

At a joint news conference, Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair declared their determination to wipe out terrorism wherever it occurred.

That stance won little backing among demonstrators angry at the U.S.-led war in Iraq and suspicious of American motives.

"The terrorist attacks are exactly the sort of thing we predicted would happen if they went into Iraq. They've proved us right," said Martin Smith, 64, a documentary film maker from Bristol in the west of England.

Alex Pummell, 28, said invading Iraq had greatly increased the risk of attack "and not just for us but for any country supporting British countries and organisations".

KIDS SKIP SCHOOL

Organisers estimated as many as 300,000 people had taken part in the demonstration. A police crowd control officer on the ground put the turn-out at above 120,000, while Scotland Yard's press office said there were 70,000 protesters.

A group of London schoolchildren skipped class to join the demonstration. "We don't want Bush here," said Dyana, 14.

She and her friends marched shoulder to shoulder with pensioners, office workers and students banging drums and blowing whistles. Some protesters wore George W. Bush masks, others were dressed as Ronald McDonald.

Philip Miller, 79, said he had flown over from the United States especially for the march: "I was in World War Two and I've seen some of the horrors of war, the distress of the civilian population, the hunger and homes destroyed."

Touring Buckingham Palace's collection of jewelled Faberge eggs, first lady Laura Bush told reporters she had barely noticed the opposition to her husband's state visit to Britain.

"We've seen plenty of American flags. We've seen plenty of people waving to us -- many many more people in fact than protesters," she said.

All police leave was cancelled for the duration of Bush's visit and over 5,000 officers were on the streets. Police said they had made 46 arrests since Bush's arrival on Tuesday evening, all for minor offences such as drunkenness.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; United Kingdom; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: anarchists; communists; lefties; marxists; socialists; ukvisit; vermin; wankers
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Counting vermin ain't easy.
1 posted on 11/20/2003 11:07:46 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
How about 2,000?
2 posted on 11/20/2003 11:09:25 AM PST by My2Cents ("Well....there you go again...")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Can we hire Saddam to do crowd control? Afterall, he's their hero.
3 posted on 11/20/2003 11:09:57 AM PST by Callahan
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Fox reported about 30,000 which is probably closer to the truth than any other.
4 posted on 11/20/2003 11:09:58 AM PST by GrandmaPatriot
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
It's safe to say that the entire planet is protesting.

Even Blaire and Bush are protesting the American President's state visit to London.

5 posted on 11/20/2003 11:09:58 AM PST by Cobra64 (Babes should wear Bullet Bras - www.BulletBras.net)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Calling "Reverend" Louis Farrakkan to do the million man march math.....
6 posted on 11/20/2003 11:13:12 AM PST by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary? Me Neither!!!!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
It's hard to count with your eyes watering from the stink.
7 posted on 11/20/2003 11:17:39 AM PST by Mr. Silverback (Pre-empt the third murder attempt-- Pray for Terry Schiavo!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
others were dressed as Ronald McDonald.

Undoubtedly protesting "Blood for Happy Meals."

8 posted on 11/20/2003 11:18:08 AM PST by My2Cents ("Well....there you go again...")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
I've been watching these posts by you today...Hysterical.
9 posted on 11/20/2003 11:18:30 AM PST by Michael Barnes
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"The terrorist attacks are exactly the sort of thing we predicted would happen if they went into Iraq. They've proved us right," said Martin Smith, 64, a documentary film maker from Bristol in the west of England."

You got it Martin. After all, there were no terrorist attacks before Iraq, right?

Never forget.


10 posted on 11/20/2003 11:20:47 AM PST by I still care
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
>>Philip Miller, 79, said he had flown over from the United States especially for the march: "I was in World War Two and I've seen some of the horrors of war, the distress of the civilian population, the hunger and homes destroyed." <<

Oh so this was all okay when we were saving the world from Germany but now since it's Iraq it's not okay??

Hey, no hunger, no homes destroyed and Mr or Mrs Iraqi let me show you the way to the shredder....right.

11 posted on 11/20/2003 11:23:07 AM PST by netmilsmom (Proudly, A painful wart on the big toe of progress--No gay marriage!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Philip Miller, 79, said he had flown over from the United States especially for the march: "I was in World War Two and I've seen some of the horrors of war, the distress of the civilian population, the hunger and homes destroyed."

I guess he doesn't think World War II was worth the effort...Should have let Hitler take over the world. Of course, he completely ignores the horrors to the Iraqi people, the distress to the non-Baathists populations, the families and homes destroyed by Saddam. As long as his precious fat ass isn't on the line, who cares how many people get slaughtered by ruthless thugs in power in faraway lands, or who bring their violence to other lands by sponsoring terror?

12 posted on 11/20/2003 11:23:24 AM PST by My2Cents ("Well....there you go again...")
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
But we have "Belly Girl"!!!!
13 posted on 11/20/2003 11:27:04 AM PST by keithtoo ((I-slam, you-slam, we all slam for Islam)
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To: keithtoo
bbbbelly ggggirl bbbbump !!!!
14 posted on 11/20/2003 11:32:33 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The democRATS are near the tipping point.)
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To: keithtoo
Boy, I sure miss Belly Girl. Where's she been lately?
15 posted on 11/20/2003 11:32:57 AM PST by Lee'sGhost (Crom!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
CNN had it around 120,000.
Whatever, it just shows there are a lot of morans out there.
16 posted on 11/20/2003 11:34:45 AM PST by CMClay
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To: keithtoo
Belly Girl makes everything A-OK. :)
17 posted on 11/20/2003 11:34:45 AM PST by TheBigB (Teddy Kennedy wouldn't know the American mainstream if he drove his car into it.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
3.2 Billion Protest Against Bush (Boo!)in London
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1025806/posts
18 posted on 11/20/2003 11:46:10 AM PST by finnman69 (cum puella incedit minore medio corpore sub quo manifestus globus, inflammare animos)
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To: My2Cents
People are sheep just waiting to be led to a stable. World War II, why did America get involved in that war at that particular time they did. Was America not at one point supplying munitions to both sides while Hitler was in power ? Please correct me If I am wrong but it is funny that when CNN reports something LIBS believe everything down to the details of the report and when Hannity or Limbaugh or FOX news reports anything REP's feel as now they know the truth. Does anyone think for themselves anymore. I believe every NEWS channel pushes their owen agenda and yes the majority of the media does seem to be of the liberal persuasion but do people really take there word as gospel ??
19 posted on 11/20/2003 11:52:01 AM PST by Independentamerican (Independent Freshman at the University of MD)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
"Billions and billions."
20 posted on 11/20/2003 11:52:18 AM PST by <1/1,000,000th%
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