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President Bush's state visit to the United Kingdom. 19th-21st November.

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unheimlich manoeuvre

14:36 / 31.10.03

No palace parade for Bush as Blair gets cold feet

...

Unwelcome Bush
NOTIFICATION: Bush State Visit...

Anti-war protesters [...] vowed to swamp London streets when George Bush makes a state visit as guest of the Queen from 19-21 November.

Police are planning the biggest security operation ever seen in Britain, amid fears of terrorist attacks, and that tensions over Iraq will cause violence.

President Bush will stay at Buckingham Palace and will be honoured by a state banquet. He will hold talks with Tony Blair and may be invited to address Parliament.

The trip is a payback for the rapturous greeting given to Tony Blair in July by the US Congress for his backing over Iraq.

Andrew Murray, of the Stop the War Coalition, said the protest could attract record crowds.

...

Has this been brought up before? Anyone up for some Bush baiting? Maybe i should post this in Gathering?

15:21 / 31.10.03

well, if it's the practical side of the demonstration you want to address, the Gathering's prolly better, but there's some theoretical concerns I'd been going to start a thread on. The Socialist Workers Party (i.e those behind the Stop the War Coal. in the above link) has been putting posters up re: this visit all over London. IIRC they read A Killer Comes To Town and called for people to participate in a non-violent demo. (The STWC/SWP are very anti-violence.) Anyway, though I don't especially want to say where I work, there's been a mega-scandal. The posters on the premises and nearby have all been removed, and an e-mail circulated to all workers stating that there's an equal opportunities policy here and that such material is in breach thereof. (There are close links between this workplace and the Land of the Free.) However, defining an anti-Bush demo as somehow racist to Americans strikes me as quite ridiculous. It would be funny, were it not so serious. (This is the bit where I get accused of anti-Americanism, isn't it?) As for am I up for Bush-baiting, weeeel, I'll be there in a non-violent capacity, health allowing.

17:31 / 31.10.03

Put up a flier for a rally in support of Bush at yer workplace. A fictional rally, sure. Just to see what happens....

10:29 / 03.11.03

Well! If that don't beat all!
Look:
They pull the same crap here. Sometimes it flies, other times it doesn't. But anyone trying to tell you that protesting this president is somehow unamerican has obviosly not gotten the memo on what America is all about!

Tryphena Absent

10:42 / 03.11.03

The 19th is the DA day and I'll be wandering around outside Buckingham Palace for most of it (I think there was a rumour about a 'state' procession staged by activists) and going on the protest march on the 20th. I was planning to write the words to the Red Flag out on a shirt and carry a sign stating No More New Labour but I don't know that I can be arsed and have a feeling I'm going to need to be rather mobile. They're not releasing any solid plans until the last minute. If anyone definitely wants to go I think we're really going to need some kind of group plan so if they PM me we can maybe get together and sort out what we fancy doing (on the 19th because it's totally all over the place)?

13:20 / 04.11.03

*bump* Just found out this is in the middle of my days off that week, definately up for doing something.
Will PM you Anna.

Tryphena Absent

14:09 / 05.11.03

Thought I might as well stick the only information I can find up here-

On Wed 19th there's a plan for some kind of drifting samba street party. It starts at 12 noon but they have no idea where at the moment. I assume they're either 1)keeping that information back so the authoritar can't get hold of it or 2)haven't cleared it with the police just yet. At 4.30pm there's meant to be a picket of the ESSO building at Aldwych near LSE. Apparently for further details you can contact campaigns@younggreens.org.uk.

This samba party acts as a possible alternative to STWC's Alternative State Procession or maybe even in conjunction with it. The procession starts at 11am and will assemble at the Jubilee Gardens, South Bank, London SE1. There will be a number of cars that they intend the procession to follow. It sounds like a good dress up type thing.

On Thurs 20th STWC are planning a National Demo at 2pm. It's starting at Malet Street (nearest tubes: Goodge Street, Russell Square and Euston/Euston Sq) and finishing at Trafalgar Square. There will be a statue of Bush to pull down once there. Alternatively some anarchic folks are meeting at Victoria at 3pm. I get the feeling that it's going to be pretty hardcore but could provide some interesting photo opportunities if anyone wants to go along to that. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do, I know that the 3pm people are considering padding up and that puts me off a bit!

16:48 / 10.11.03

Yeah, there is some rather heavy black bloc talk over on U75. Tho' violence will not help us one little bit, I doubt there'll be much of it, not overall. What may help our cause (i.e. may turn people against Bush) is that now they appear to be invading our country and telling us what we can and can't do and even the police are all mad at them! Met fury at US orders to shut down London.

Tryphena Absent

09:03 / 11.11.03

This worries me just a little allowing Bush bodyguards to shoot anyone they believe is clearly threatening the life of the President. People in this country are likely to try and approach Bush without the intent to threaten his life and the bodyguards might not distinguish someone yelling irately (as I would) from someone with an intent to maim the man. What if someone gets shot by accident?

09:54 / 11.11.03

well, someone got shot in highly dubious circumstances in Genoa at some WTO protest, and absoultely nothing happened. They will lie, cover-up, and get away with it and nothing will ever change.

That said, I've been assuming all along that we won't be allowed within miles the man himself, so I don't think we need worry too much about lead in the vitals.

11:20 / 11.11.03

The SS leaning on the local guardians of law and order isn't anything new. British playwright Justin Butcher was visiting Bucharest when Bush made a state visit. Butcher and a friend were in a bar, making rude remarks about George and his security lockdown when a woman in a suit approached them and demanded to see their passports. They told her to get lost and demanded to see hers. Not getting satisfaction, the woman, a Secret Service agent (think Scully in "Josie Chung's 'From Outer Space'") got a policeman, who'd actually been drinking with Butcher and his friend. The cop actually hated being jerked around by the American, but Butcher and his friend quickly showed their passports, pointing out they are in fact SUBJECTS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, not U.S. CITIZENS.

A little later, Butcher was inspired to write a play. I saw it. It was very, very funny.

So please, on behalf of *all* of us Americans, North, South and Central, go out and show a bit more sand than your prime minister. Thanks.

Tryphena Absent

12:27 / 11.11.03

To be honest I'm totally unimpressed by the number of people I know who aren't going. If you don't protest than you don't have a right to complain about the President of the Free World. It's as simple as that and anyone who dares say an ugly word about him who doesn't turn up at one of the Resist Bush protests will be spit upon by me.

12:45 / 11.11.03

"You're either with us... or against us"

14:06 / 11.11.03

"If you don't protest than you don't have a right to complain about the President of the Free World"
But anna, didn't you recently express apathy over voting? There would seem to be parallels between voting and the right to complain and protesting and the right to complain.

Tryphena Absent

14:07 / 11.11.03

I spoil my vote though. I never don't turn up.

11:04 / 12.11.03

Most of today's papers and the news and Newsnight last night focussed on the "we're being invaded by Amerikkkans" claim that some Brits are making. This cheers me: the march is now getting far better publicity than it otherwise would have, and people are having to seriously think about this stuff. The way the Bush administration is behaving is kinda doing our work for us, which is nice. Neither Bush nor Blair are looking terribly popular atm. And as a U75 poster rightly pointed out, look at how badly the UK treated David Blaine - and he hadn't ever been involved in mass slaughter!! The bad news is that i believe the march has now been banned from Whitehall.

Tryphena Absent

11:22 / 12.11.03

It has but STWC are contesting it apparently. I'm sure the outcome will remain the same but how nice to have an organisation that actually tries. I'm a little worried about the starting point- Malet Street's teensy and it's slightly moronic to start from there. It may be mid-week but this is the kind of thing that gets the internationals in and I know quite a few people who are getting the day off work. How many people are they expecting ffs, they've got coaches coming in from all over the country.

Our Lady of The Two Towers

13:34 / 13.11.03

Well, I'll be working, so doing anything will be limited to anything that happens after 6 p.m.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

16:12 / 13.11.03

I'll be working both the previous night and the night thereof, so will be turning up half asleep and only able to fuck shit up for a few hours of the afternoon. Has to be done, though.

pointless and uncalled for

17:46 / 13.11.03

Looks like I shall be unable to get time off on the grounds that the office is understaffed. And why is the office understaffed I hear you ask? It seems that some people are interested in some Texan guy showing up. Ah well, if you're still fucking shit up after 17:00 I may be able to get townwards.

19:08 / 13.11.03

I'm both working and in Wales that day, but I am contacting a few politicians to express my displeasure at the fact my tax money is going to be used to protect Dubya on what appears to be a nice bit of pre-election publicity for him (meeting her Majesty and all the pomp and ceremony which that will entail.) Spit on me if you wish...

I must say I do have a worrying feeling about this. For some vague, undefined reason I get a gut feeling a lot of groundwork is being laid for the possibility of someone getting shot by US security forces; and in a bizarre twist of events, they won't be an Iraqi, a journalist or one of the US's own forces but a UK protestor.

But I do get all Eeyorish now and again and look at things from the bleakest view possible, so it's probably just me under a big pessimistic cloud....

10:14 / 15.11.03

I considered taking my classes to this, but then I thought, if they get arrested, that's my responsibility and I don't want to have to explain to Luiz's mom in Colombia how his English teacher managed to get him deported from the country. So I'm not taking them - but I am going to head down myself for a few hours between noon and 3.

10:16 / 15.11.03

I am also a little suspicious at the shall we say interesting timing of this:

UK on second highest terror alert

09:50 / 16.11.03

Cherry, yes, quite!

Um, are you folks above talking about the thursday big demo, or the smaller one(s) on the wednesday? (I may now just go to the former, on the grounds that a. a biggie may make more impact than a bunch of little activists running about and b. I'm scared witless by the fact that they used the terrorism legislation on us last time. There's been so much fuss in the meeja about the visit I fail to see what non-violent-direct-action will achieve that the big demo won't, other than people being shot and/or beaten up and/or nicked.)

I must say I do have a worrying feeling about this. For some vague, undefined reason I get a gut feeling a lot of groundwork is being laid for the possibility of someone getting shot by US security forces; and in a bizarre twist of events, they won't be an Iraqi, a journalist or one of the US's own forces but a UK protestor. But I do get all Eeyorish now and again and look at things from the bleakest view possible, so it's probably just me under a big pessimistic cloud....

don't worry, if that happens, %then just like with Bloody Sunday, there'll be a full enquiry and the killers will be brought to justice, surely?%.

(i wish there was an emoticon for how bitter and scared i feel right now...)

10:39 / 16.11.03

Blunkett won't let those scary men shoot you, Bill. Well, he hasn't agreed to it in advance, anyway.

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.

So when the bullet enters your head, you can fall safe in the knowledge that the Police will investigate (and conclude that there is insufficient evidence to prosecute).

13:46 / 16.11.03

From that last article..

"Spokesman Andrew Burgin said he hoped for 'a good old-fashioned British compromise'."

Why does that have the ring of 'bend over...' to me and jesus, they want to deploy mini-guns in case of riots! Well I'm still going, just definately not packing eggs at all in case they are classed as dangerous weapons.

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

15:18 / 16.11.03

Fuck. Could all get very scary. I'm still (sleep permitting) planning on going, though. If I wuss out, it won't be through intimidation.

On another note (sorry, can't find the image hosted anywhere) I got a rather nice email yesterday from a friend advising that thousands of "BUS STOP" painted signs on the road have been adjusted with the judicious use of yellow paint to read "BUSH STOP", and it looks quite nice, too. Something tells me Hackney's gonna see a few more "H"s than it's used to over the next couple of nights...

16:13 / 16.11.03

Part of me is almost disappointed that the Bush team didn't get some of their more outlandish requests such as shutting down the tube underneath any parts of london that ol' Dubya is visiting - just think of how many more infuriated commuters that action alone would attract.

16:24 / 16.11.03

Just curious:

How do they handle protests in the UK? Are protestors "coralled" at all like they are in the US, or are they given more leeway in where they can demonstrate?

21:52 / 16.11.03

Bearing in mind that part of the reason he's over here is to help his election chances back home, I doubt the scary powers that be are planning to shoot anyone. I don't think it'd play well at home "Our President can't visit his biggest ally without having to shoot indignant natives" - not the stuff of electoral success is it? Having said that I wouldn't run towards the Presidental Limo holding a water pistol if you get the chance, even if it is just for a laugh.

Pachniko: It varies from protest to protest. There was a mass coralling at an anti-globalisation protest last Mayday, but this was in part due to the organisers plopping it bang in the middle of cental London. It depends on the afministration, how popular the cause is, if it's associated with filthy anarchists or whatever. The biggest anti-war demo had over a million people out and was more like a carniva than anyhing else. With this demo, there's a several political conflicts being played out between the Metropolitan Police, US Secret Service, the Home Office and the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone - who is, gawd bless 'im, attending some kind of reception for anti-war protesters during the visit, and has been very anti the more draconian measures that the Govt etc have being trying to impose.

Hope to be there. More nearer the time.

Tryphena Absent

22:23 / 16.11.03

don't worry, if that happens, %then just like with Bloody Sunday, there'll be a full enquiry and the killers will be brought to justice, surely?%.

(i wish there was an emoticon for how bitter and scared i feel right now...)

Different political climate. Calm down people. If they shoot anyone we have a big group called Stop the War behind us and quite a few people who can get a lot of press. There will be a full enquiry. This is London in 2003, the public can push it and hold people accountable if something that significant happens, moreover as has been stated they can't afford to shoot anyone.

22:28 / 16.11.03

I'll probably try to get some time away from work, possibly Thursday afternoon (my consultant was on the big anti-war march and is quite sympathetic) to pop along to the big rally. I reckon wearing the 'Iyy yamm not an annar-kist' pinstripe is probably as good a survival strategy as any. And I like wearing pinstripes.

22:39 / 16.11.03

My plane lands from Oz on the 20th at hideous o'clock in the the morning and the demo should be a good excuse to keep me awake for the rest of the day. I was leaving Canberra on the morning that Dubbya arrived to speak to the Oz Parliament and it was very insane.

I don't think I'll have a chance to make a placard, but I'll definately be there to make some noise and be another countable body.

If you can come out to play, please do. Every body counts!

15:35 / 17.11.03

Calm down people. If they shoot anyone we have a big group called Stop the War behind us and quite a few people who can get a lot of press.

oh well so long as our bullet-riddled corpses get a lot of press, that's fine then, I needn't have fretted.

(Sorry to be all sarcastic, but really, is that the best reassurance you can give?!)

Tryphena Absent

15:46 / 17.11.03

What do you want me to say precisely Mr. We'reAllGonnaDie? You want me to tell you that no one's going to get shot? These are probably a bunch of guys from Texas, they're used to shooting people. At least if someone dies we have an excuse to twist... that was a horrible image. I'm gonna stop now.

Anyway there's no point worrying about this... unless you're a lawyer. If you're scared run in the opposite direction if you see a car that could contain the President and don't get caught up in crowds that shove you towards him. It's not that difficult. Frankly we'll get sectioned if he's within a block of us anyway.

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