US wants ban on protests during Bush visit

[Judi Lynn]

US wants ban on protests during Bush visit

12 November 2003
Anti-war protesters claim that US authorities have demanded a rolling "exclusion zone" around President George Bush during his visit, as well as a ban on marches in parts of central London.

The Stop The War Coalition said yesterday that it had been told by the police that it would not be allowed to demonstrate in Parliament Square and Whitehall next Thursday - a ban it said it was determined to resist. The coalition says that it has also been told by British officials that American officials want a distance kept between Mr Bush and protesters, for security reasons and to prevent their appearance in the same television shots. (snip)

(snip) The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said yesterday that Mr Bush should not be shielded from public anger about the Iraq war, and Londoners should not have to pick up the £4m policing bill. He said: "To create a situation in which perhaps 60,000 people remain unseen would require a shutdown of central London which is just not acceptable."

It is reported that Mr Bush's entourage will number around 500 with up to 200 members of the security service. The Americans are also said to be bringing a US Marine Corps Sea King helicopter, a Black Hawk helicopter and 15 sniffer dogs.

Organisers say they expect between 50,000 and 70,000 people for the biggest protest against a visiting head of state. Andrew Burgin, of the Anti-War Coalition, said: "We have refused to sign off the agreement over Parliament Square and Whitehall, and we shall certainly also refuse to do so on this whole idea of an exclusion zone." He said: "If there is no agreement by next week, we have a potentially highly risky situation with so many protesters in the centre of London." (snip/...)

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=462949

[Noordam]

1. Bushie is not too bright.....

The more he tries to band the protests, the more protestERs will show up.............

[SoCalDem]

2. Instead of 50-70K , they need 500,000 to 700,000..

Come on UKers, we are begging you :):)

[La_Serpiente]

5. HOPEFULLY

a lot more people from the European continent will go to Britain.

Thank goodness they have a left-wing mayor.

[Myra]

45. Yeah! Please please please...

We promise if Blair shows his two hideous faces
in our neck of the woods we'll match your numbers!*


(*Anyway, we'll give it our best shot your mileage
may vary void where prohibited.)

[La_Serpiente]

3. From what the Guardian has reported

he was the one that invited himself to London.

Gee, I wonder why?

Read here and look at their analysis.
I don't know the validity of the author's argument, but I usually trust things that come out of the Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,3604,1083010,00.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

So who did invite him?

George Bush's visit is a nightmare for Tony Blair - but not for the White House, which badly wanted it


We all know the feeling. You glance at the diary and realise you have guests coming to stay next week, when nothing could be less convenient. They're coming from abroad, expecting to be entertained for several days and it's far too late to cancel. This is the last thing you need.
So spare a thought for Tony Blair, as he scans the calendar and sighs. There are the dates, circled and unyielding: November 18 to 21 - Bush in Britain. He knows what it will mean. His guest is the most unpopular US president in living memory. The anti-war movement will be back on the march, gearing up for its biggest outing since it brought up to 2 million Britons onto the streets in February. Blair will have to make yet more speeches like the one at Guildhall on Monday, once again defending the war on Iraq. And for a fortnight, starting now, all eyes will focus not on the domestic agenda by which his government will eventually be judged, but on the matter which has brought him greatest grief since taking office.

A Times poll yesterday found half the public regard Blair's closeness to George Bush as bad for Britain; next week will show the two of them standing shoulder-to-shoulder, in coverage that will be wall-to-wall. Blair must want to shout up the stairs to Cherie: "I never wanted him to come here in the first place. Whose bloody idea was this?"

more...

[snippy]

15. Bush and Blair "standing shoulder-to-shoulder."

From the 'Bare Your Bum at Bush' website.



http://www.bloggerheads.com/can_weblogs/bush_bum.asp

[janx]

28. FOUR DAYS?

He's going to be over there for four days? Those protesters are going to have a heyday!

[imax2268]

4. What are they afraid of...?

(snip)
The Stop The War Coalition said yesterday that it had been told by the police that it would not be allowed to demonstrate in Parliament Square and Whitehall next Thursday - a ban it said it was determined to resist. The coalition says that it has also been told by British officials that American officials want a distance kept between Mr Bush and protesters, for security reasons and to prevent their appearance in the same television shots.
(snip)

to prevent their appearance in the same Television Shots...?

Is he afraid that the rest of the world might see how much even people in England hate his ass...oh wait...to late...the old out of sight out of mind ploy...what an idiot...and you can bet that none of the U.S. media will cover the protests...

[Wednesdays]

19. "...to prevent their appearance in the same Television Shots."

"...to prevent their appearance in the same Television Shots."

The BFEE is hardly a bastion of honesty, but I give them credit just this once.

(edited for clarity)

[moondust]

6. Entourage of 500 (two zeros) will cost how much?

Jayzzzzzzzzzzus! Worthy of the Golden Fleece Award.

Incidentally, you'll just have to forget about that free speech baloney.

[MrMonk]

32. How many followed Clinton to China?

Rabid rightists were howling for months about the cost of Clinton's trip to China. Where is their cost-conscience now?

[sharonstone]

7. WHY?????

Is it called (demo-crazy)Starts from Oval Office!!!!

[emad]

8. London's mayor Ken Livingstone said last night that he's hosting

a 'peace dinner' for the protestors, at City Hall when Bush arrives - to co-incide with whatever banquet Poodle throws up. Guess he's none too happy that the police authority is having to pick up the 4 million pounds security tab that it's going to take to keep things quiet in London.

Ken's views on the subject of Bush are well known:

"Last week Mr Livingstone branded George W Bush a "coward" and the illegally-elected leader of a "venal and corrupted administration"."

14 May 2003: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3027005.stm

[havocmom]

21. The London police authority are being forced to contribute to bushco

reelection fund by this means. They have to keep protestors far enough away from the shrub to assure that only positive TV shots will be possible. They are violating the rights of their own people AND they have to pick up the tab?!?! British taxpayers are being forced to contribute to shrubco campaign coffers so rude idiot can be assured good photo ops! The US exporting democracy a'la bushco yet again.

bushco/rove finally got the message of Bannergate and scraped the carrier landing film. In desperate search for something, anything to make their boy look presidential, they are staging an invasion of Great Briton for film location and making the Brits pay for it. They just put their foot in a big pile once more.

Let us all give this one enough legs to make the carrier landing look like a walk in the park.

Bush invades England. No film at 11 due to security reasons. SS asks for immunity for its staff in case they need to kill people in foreign land. Bush says "No free speech for common man. Only large corporate donations are protected free speech. Who cares what you think..."

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

29. I wrote him after he got in a bit of a jam for his position b4 the invasio

and got a personal reply back. He's a good man and London id lucky to have him!

[smirkymonkey]

31. Ken Livingstone is my Hero!

Al Franken will have to step down for now...

Is the B*F**k Administration that clueless or do they have some other motivation for being there??? An attack on U.S. soil maybe??

I don't like this one bit - It sucks all the way around.

[JohnyCanuck]

9. Quelle Surprise!

My Republican source detects the hand of Karl Rove, Bush's chief political counsellor: "Rove is driving the timing and image-making of all this."

[Malva Zebrina]

10. article

is interesting--now the bought press cannot say Bush was invited to visit the Queen--he simply walks all over everyone in his lust for image.

I hope the London protestors get to say their piece and that the statue comes down hard--I hope they do not let Bush and Rove get their way with them----may this visit, touting him as the first president blah blah blah, be such a complete failure as to make him the laughing stock of the world.

Do you think he will wear his beloved flight suit? Laura might wear her lined purple and reddish- brown brocade, long sleeved curtains, with a fuschia/lime green glo bow tied in the front, emphasizing her girlish figure.:evilgrin: I wonder if they will treat the Queen and assorted dignitaries, as well as all the formal protocol, like a pain in the ass annoyance. I would not put it past them. Whatever they do, we know they are manufactured stage props and stunt men and not genuine people.

[leetrisck]

11. bush is not wanted there, he should

just stay home and save us and them a lot of money. What is this trip going to help - absolutely nothing

[NNN0LHI]

12. This is really most embarrassing to be honest n/t

[snippy]

13. Any chance Turd Blossom Rove will cancel the trip?

I am beginning to think that is a possibility.

[Timefortruth]

49. It really wouldn't surprise me.

They can't control the Brits like they can everyone they come across here. Maybe the trip could be canceled "due to a specific threat". The nature of the "specific threat" won't be described, but will be that the UK can't effectively limit free speech. Truth is a real threat to Chimp.

[matcom]

14. TEAR DOWN THOSE BARRICADES!

c'mon Londoners, be a beacon for the rest of us! tear those f*cking things down and maybe we will have the stones to do the same here in the US.

i am so sick of this shit. WTF is a "free speech zone"? its our g*ddamn RIGHT to speak anywhere we damn well chose.

WHOSE STREETS???? OUR STREETS!!!!

its time we took "our" contries BACK!

[snippy]

16. It may come to this.

[PaDUer]

44. Matcom, you're right...

but people are afraid to end up behind bars in some faraway place and not allowed to make a phonecall.

[Mixxster]

17. Interesting. While Bush claims he wants to bring freedom to the Iraqis...

...he obviously wants to take it away from the Brits.

[bhunt70]

36. and the americans <nt>

...

[IndianaGreen]

18. "prevent their appearance in the same television shots."

The coalition says that it has also been told by British officials that American officials want a distance kept between Mr Bush and protesters, for security reasons and to prevent their appearance in the same television shots.

Barf! Bush will find out that the Brits are not sheep like many Americans. I predict a riot will ensue if they try to enforce such a ban.

[0007]

20. This is a set-up for the Republican Convention in New York City

Both cities will be a bloody show case for the whole world to witness the utter hostility and disgust of the worse president the United States of America has ever had.

The protesters in London and New York City will reveal this fact.

[Tommy_Douglas]

22. It's no surprise really...

After all the King of the World is coming to meet the queen of the commonwealth.

Too bad England is a democracy and true democracy cannot be silenced.

[northzax]

23. I did not realize

that this was an official state visit. I thought these were our friends? since when do friends have to throw lavish bashes for each other? It's simply amazing that, in 200 years, no President has ever felt the need for an official state visit to the UK, but Chimpy wants one. and gets one.

[young_at_heart]

24. Just curious.........any of our other presidents have so much trouble?

Did Clinton ever go to London, and if so how many protested him?

[Spentastic]

25. Maybe a few

But I'll guarantee it wasn't 100000 people

[Jacobin]

26. Nixon during Vietnam

Now Smirky in IraqNam

[Gemini Cat]

38. Yes, President Clinton went to London

I don't remember anyone protesting him. If I remember correctly, people were rather excited about the visit. People liked him in London. While walking in Hyde Park, there was a large group of people who came to shake his hand!

I can not imagine pResident Wankerbush, getting that sort of response, much less walking in Hyde Park!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/1069843.stm

[nolabels]

27. Imagine if stuff like this got put out in US media

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3262801.stm
Debate rages over Bush trip


Wednesday's front pages



In pictures

Controversy about security for President Bush's State visit to Britain next week attracts widespread coverage.

The Times quotes senior Scotland Yard officers as saying the trip has become a nightmare, with police having to agree to White House demands for greater restrictions on protesters than they wanted.

The Independent complains that the measures being considered to curtail demonstrations are reaching absurd proportions.

"The authorities seem to be saying to the people of this country that they can certainly hold up a placard telling Mr Bush to go home, provided there is no danger of him seeing it."

For the Mirror, a visit from an American President should be a triumphal event, but this one - with the prospect of massive demonstrations - is promising to be a disaster.
(snip)

[PaDUer]

41. It's a shame that many people

still don't have computers and are unaware of the truth about what's going on worldwide, and right in DC! With so many unemployed, they can't afford computers, but where are these people with the time on their hands? Wouldn't it be wonderful to have these people attend the many marches/protests! But even the local papers won't print the truth. Maybe these unemployed citizens and their families should show up at the WH for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner!

[tom_paine]

30. What's so ironic is that now the British are showing us how to be free

Though I think it will fall on mostly deaf ears.

And I think the Emperor Bunnypants* will get his Imperial Exclusion Zone.

[salinen]

33. euros

please show your anger at the would be emperor, stop buying american. yes i am an american asking you to pay attention to your purchases and make sure that the products you buy do not enhance this corrupt regime. nobody can challenge this military, but his us in the breadbasket.

[RandomKoolzip]

35. People stop buying American, Americans lose jobs.

So you want the working poor to be unemployed to prove a point? I get what you're saying; I've boycotted products before. But just how many manufacturing and service/retail sector jobs would be lost were large groups of people to boycott US products? As a member of the working poor who can barely keep the rent paid each month, I think that's a poor suggestion.


As as far as the whole free speech thing in London goes, I hope those protestors show up in numbers so large that the laws of physics couldn't keep TV cameras from getting in the same shots.

Clinton can't go anywhere in the world without getting mobbed by admirers, and during his presidency it was even more of a friendly, smiling, rockstar-ish mob scene whenever he made a public appearance. Bush can't travel a mile without protestors showing up in droves. What does that tell you?

[PaDUer]

42. Can you imagine what Bunnypants

and company would do IF people didn't buy for the holidays..When do the christmas club checks come out? People always mob to the malls to spend, spend , and spend on Black Friday. You can bet they're counting on a high retail again this year, but the stores will claim they're low. I just love how the stores start discouting things when they raise the retail costs to make people think they're getting a bargain!

Has anyone thought about sending bunnypants a stocking for christmas--with coal!, or ashes?

[PaDUer]

43. You're right about that..

and you can bet he'll have those rats eat the food before he eats it to see if it's laced! Oh, how that guy is loved!!

[eablair3]

34. Go Get 'em Brits !!!

I'd love to see images of the HUGE protests on TV with Bush in them.

But remember, Bush "doesn't listen to focus groups."

[Dr Fate]

37. Why does Bush hate Britain's freedom so much???

???

[arikara]

39. They need to take the message to the rooftops too

Huge messages across the roofs so that if the chimp decides to sneak in by chopper he still sees them.

[dArKeR]

40. I want Bush to be arrested and jailed at the ICC. Will I get what I want?

[screembloodymurder]

46. Man I wish I could be there

What's a ticket to London cost?

[jokerman93]

47. "prevent their appearance in the same television shots."

My fantasy about this is that bushco/rove needs to do some wag-the-dog style location shooting with our glorious leader in Briton. You know, for the archives.

Once God has given George his victory over the Islamist evil-doers, delivered a monopoly on the world's energy resources to the Carlyle Group, established a perpetual war cycle of destruction and nation building for the benefit of Haliburton, Bechtel, Northrop Grumman et al...

(btw check this list)
100 Companies Receiving The Largest Dollar Volume Of Prime Contract Awards - Fiscal Year 2002:

http://www.dior.whs.mil/peidhome/procstat/p01/fy2002/top100.htm

...and once God rewards Georgie with a christ-annointed presidency (i.e. voter mandated or crisis induced state of martial law) of indefinite duration, then they will be able to publish the revised history of the world in which there was no dissent, and the righteous prevailed.

(This is sarcasm -- These are dangerous power-mad parasites we're dealing with. I'm almost continually outraged these days. Bad for my heart...)

[Fleshdancer]

48. My wish...

I can just imagine seeing millions of protesters screaming "The emperor has no clothes!" That would be priceless.

edit: spelling

[9215]

50. Why don't the Brits just ban Bush

He causes political and social unrest wherever he goes...and even in alot of places he doesn't go. :eyes:


Maybe he should just stick to conference calls.