Bush faces Londoners

I have left JC. If my deletions disrupt continuity, please accept my apology, but JC is no longer the place to be, as far as I am concerned.

[Monte Smith]

I hope Bush has one of those plastic boxes Americans have been sporting recently.

[Uli]

[mke]

Personally, I don't see why Bush should be cowed by awaited protests. Say he were to cancel his trip because of them, the same people would complain about that.

[Monte Smith]

Those London bastards have some nerve. It's not like America has ever protested anything done by an English "George."

Oh wait.

[clinthopson]

The coward has bailed on speaking to Parliament.

No doubt he can't take the heat.

[Dr Dave]

I'm so happy to see Chris A exhibiting his usual restraint.

Bush has trouble making a sentence, and that will not go down well, but he still radiates the sincerity of a reformed drunk who found Jesus. So forget it, man. After the initial rallies against him, Bush will go into Jimmy Stewart mode (I'm sure he'll be totally unware of and thus deeply hurt by the hostility of the English). It is concievable that the English will find this act charming. So don't hold your breath.

[BFrank]

This should be an interesting week, to say the least.

[Douglas]

Originally posted by BFrank
This should be an interesting week, to say the least.

Indeed, particularly after the following story hit the fan yesterday.


US firms told 'take UK jobs home'
Robert Lea, Evening Standard
18 November 2003

GEORGE Bush's administration has called on US companies in Britain to relocate jobs to America in an astonishing move that could trigger a major trade war.

US-based multinationals have been told they will receive compensation from American trade authorities if they cancel contracts in Britain and take jobs home, according to CBI director-general Digby Jones.

The allegations come only a day before Bush arrives in London for his controversial State visit and escalate the storm of protest he has already caused by slapping big protectionist tariffs on European steel imports.

Speaking at the CBI's annual conference in Birmingham, Jones said: 'Three chief executives of American companies investing in Britain have told me to my face that they have been told to close down, bring their stuff home and make it in the US.'

He said the companies were major employers in defence or manufacturing.

Jones continued: 'Whether flouting international law with their steel tariffs or telling their companies to come home, this bullying affects Britain and British jobs.

'We are America's biggest trading partner, but if this escalates into an international trade war it hits us worst because we are such a big player in the world market.'

...

[Tom Storer]

And here's this from the Observer:

'Shoot-to-kill' demand by US

Martin Bright, home affairs editor
Sunday November 16, 2003
The Observer

Home Secretary David Blunkett has refused to grant diplomatic immunity to armed American special agents and snipers travelling to Britain as part of President Bush's entourage this week. In the case of the accidental shooting of a protester, the Americans in Bush's protection squad will face justice in a British court as would any other visitor, the Home Office has confirmed.

The issue of immunity is one of a series of extraordinary US demands turned down by Ministers and Downing Street during preparations for the Bush visit.

These included the closure of the Tube network, the use of US air force planes and helicopters and the shipping in of battlefield weaponry to use against rioters.

In return, the British authorities agreed numerous concessions, including the creation of a 'sterile zone' around the President with a series of road closures in central London and a security cordon keeping the public away from his cavalcade.

The White House initially demanded the closure of all Tube lines under parts of London to be visited during the trip. But British officials dismissed the idea that a suicide bomber could kill the President by blowing up a Tube train. Ministers are also believed to have dismissed suggestions that a 'sterile zone' around the President should be policed entirely by American special agents and military.

Demands for the US air force to patrol above London with fighter aircraft and Black Hawk helicopters have also been turned down.

The President's protection force will be armed - as Tony Blair's is when he travels abroad - and around 250 secret service agents will fly in with Bush, but operational control will remain with the Metropolitan Police.

The Americans had also wanted to travel with a piece of military hardware called a 'mini-gun', which usually forms part of the mobile armoury in the presidential cavalcade. It is fired from a tank and can kill dozens of people. One manufacturer's description reads: 'Due to the small calibre of the round, the mini-gun can be used practically anywhere. This is especially helpful during peacekeeping deployments.'

Ministers have made clear to Washington that the firepower of the mini-gun will not be available during the state visit to Britain. In return, the Government has agreed to close off much of Whitehall during the visit - the usual practice in Britain is to use police outriders to close roads as the cavalcade passes to cause minimal disruption to traffic.

A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'Negotiations between here and the US have been perfectly amicable. If there have been requests, they have not posed any problems.'

An internal memo sent to Cabinet Office staff and leaked to the press this weekend urged staff to work from home if at possible during the presidential visit. Serious disruption would be caused by 'the President Bush vehicle entourage requesting cleared secured vehicle routes around London and the security cordons creating a sterile zone around him'.

Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing between police and demonstrators about the route of the march. Representatives of the Stop the War Coalition will meet police at Scotland Yard tomorrow to discuss whether protesters will be able to march through Parliament Square and Whitehall. Spokesman Andrew Burgin said he hoped for 'a good old-fashioned British compromise'.

[clinthopson]

Now there's a picture. Shrub on the Picadilly Line.

[Monte Smith]

Here's hoping Bush craftily destroys the Finsbury Park mosque, aka the Terrordome, using some kind of unilateral strategery.

[Darryl G. Thomas]

What's funny is that the Brits have been dealing with Irish terrorists since the '70s and their capital is still fairly open. We had Oklahoma City and The Twin Towers and half of DC and is blocked off. Now we've got the Secret Service basically trying to shut down London to protect Bush.

[GregM]

Italy, India, Germany, Portugal, Russia, China, Poland

Despite the kicking and screaming of the journalists, all of those countries have disgracefully participated in wars that make removing Saddam indeed seem worthy of the nobel peace prize.

[Uli]

The mayor of London does not seem to be overly thrilled by Bushi's visit:

"London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who this week called Bush "the greatest threat to life on this planet that we've most probably ever seen," complained that £2 of a typical Londoner's local taxes would be spent on policing the visit.

"I think most Londoners would be happy to give £4 for him not to come," said Livingstone, who has planned an alternative anti-war reception at City Hall on Wednesday. "

[Monte Smith]

Originally posted by Chris A
I recall when Nixon was stoned in South America--this monumental lack of respect for Bush makes that incident almost seem trivial.

Let us know when something MONUMENTAL happens, won't you, Chris?

[Uli]

[jesus marion joseph]

Originally posted by Uli

"Dreadfully sorry, sir, but the parade route was changed at the last minute."

[clinthopson]

Originally posted by jesus marion joseph
"Dreadfully sorry, sir, but the parade route was changed at the last minute."

Uli gets a double, JMJ hits it out of the park!

[Monte Smith]

Bwahahaha.

Low turn-out for anti-Bush protests



Peace campaigners say they aren't disappointed at the low turn-out for George Bush protests across central London.

Around 200 protesters gathered at Jubilee Gardens on London's South Bank for a colourful parade.

But organisers from the Stop The War Coalition said they were not concerned with the relatively small number.

Aiden Hutton from Suffolk, who played the role of George Bush in the procession, said: "There have been about 14,000 police, I think that's a wonderful turn-out."

As the demonstrators reached Trafalgar Square, the water in the fountain pools turned a blood red colour after a demonstrator was thought to have released dye into the water.

To a chorus of booing, "George Bush" and "the Queen" addressed a crowd which contained hundreds of demonstrators and scores of journalists.

Six-year-old Juan Stone, from Daventry, sat looking out from the front of a pink tank covered in biodegradable heart-shaped balloons.

Nancy Elan, a musician from New York who has lived in London for 10 years, said she welcomed the opportunity to register her opposition to Mr Bush.

Ananova.com

[Tom Storer]

Damn. That's it? Protesters numbered in the hundreds? I'm disappointed in those Brits. No gumption!

Unless, of course, tens of thousands are even now being kept at gunpoint in heavily guarded stadiums!

[Uli]

Originally posted by Monte Smith


Aiden Hutton from Suffolk, who played the role of George Bush in the procession, said: "There have been about 14,000 police, I think that's a wonderful turn-out."

Bwahahaha.

[Monte Smith]

Originally posted by Chris A
Don't worry, Tom, the BBC reported that today's turnout was expected to be low--tomorrow is the big rally. Not unexpectedly, Monte suffers premature gloating.

I'm sure I do. So tomorrow is the MONUMENTAL event. Expectations are high.

[Monte Smith]

From the BBC:



Among the demonstrators were a spoof Saddam Hussein, a mock Camp X-Ray prisoner and a pink "love tank".

-snip-

Police kept a low profile and were heavily outnumbered by journalists.

-snip-

At Buckingham Palace, where President Bush was treated to a welcoming ceremony by the Queen, some of the assembled crowd carried banners with anti-Bush slogans. Others carried banners bearing messages of support for the American president.

-snip-

Police said 25 people were arrested during Wednesday's protests for offences including criminal damage, theft, possession of an offensive weapon and possession of drugs.

[Uli]

snip snip snip

"He added: "It's not America I don't like, it's the Bush administration. I think they are bully boys."

[Monte Smith]

-snip-

[Monte Smith]

Inside the belly of the beast!


British police officers, directing the security operation surrounding the visit of U.S. President George W. Bush, watch monitors showing CCTV (closed-circuit television) and news images in the control room at New Scotland Yard in London, November 19, 2003. Bush is in the UK for a four-day official state visit. REUTERS/POOL/Kirsty Wigglesworth

[Uli]

[Nathaniel Catchpole]

The 600-1000 will be mainly people either unable to do tomorrow, or more likely, full-time activists hoping for direct action opportunities. It'll be interesting to see how many turn up tomorrow. I'll be in Central London anyway, so will see what's going on, although I don't see much point in the march itself, apart from if there's several hundred thousand people and it registers on American news stations and elsewhere. More about the protests than Bush himself on BBC, LWT and Channel 4, and of course the journalist who laid out chocolate and nuts for Bush last night having been working as a footman for the past two months (hehehe).

What's more interesting about this visit is the tiny numbers of people that Bush will actually see. All of his travelling is being done behind 6" thick steel (presumably sound-proofing from the protests, seems like the internal security of the palace isn't of much concern), he's not meeting any members of the public (I saw something about a pub lunch in Blair's constituency, presumably hand--picked pensioners from the local Tory party, so if that happens, that'll be it, but it's far from London, note that this is at the end of the trip, easy for them to cancel due to the rest of it over-running).

The whole visit is characterised by a fear, not of some terrorist attack on Bush, but on allowing any of the British public to come into contact with him. He's not addressing parliament apparently - anyone who's seen TV footage of parliament will know it's likely he'd get jeered, almost everyone else does, and there's to be no kissing of babies, shaking of hands etc. Several families of WTC victims or Iraq casualties have refused to meet Bush, after being invited to some kind of sympathy party. And Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London), along with several MPs has organised an anti-reception at City Hall tonight, with several hundred guests (including the Vietnam vet who inspired Born on the Fourth of July).

All this happening while there's a massive revolt in parliament - immediately after the offical welcome at Buckingham Palace, Blair et al had to dash back to Westminster to vote for Foundation Hospitals - since had the cabinet not voted themselves, the government would have lost the vote despite a 100 majority.

Monte, you can try to downplay the ill feeling here by referring to plastic tanks, arrests, and people on their lunch breaks from work turning up to wave, but since the whole visit has been designed to avoid any contact whatsoever with any British people not members of the government, royalty, or press, it would seem that Bush's aides and the government both agree it wouldn't look very good if there was. I'd imagine any opportunity would be taken to show Bush with "ordinary people", all we've seen him with today was the Queen, and I reckon it'll stay pretty much like that for the next couple of days.

[Monte Smith]

Tomorrow will indeed be interesting. I'm looking for my MONUMENTAL moment, and I suspect it will come from the mock pulling down of a G.W. statue in Trafalgar Square. Now that's theater.

Remember to wear something ridiculous, Nathaniel.



The man with the largest number of badges on his cap wins!