By IRNA,
London : The Stop the War Coalition (STWC) said Wednesday that it had been informed by London’s Metropolitan Police that a proposed march to protest against US President George W Bush’s visit to the UK will not be allowed.
“The Coalition has organised scores of marches on this route, including during Bush’s last visit in 2003,” Britain biggest peace campaign network said.
“It seems that when Bush visits this country traditional rights of assembly are to be removed from the people. This would be unacceptable for any foreign leader, but for Bush, a man many regard as a war criminal, it is particularly deplorable,” it said.
But despite the ban, STWC said that it was still calling on “those who care for our democratic rights” to assemble for the rally, planned with CND and the British Muslim Initiative, outside the British parliament during his visit on Sunday.
STWC convenor Lindsey German accused the US president, who is on his farewell trip to Europe, of “dictating British foreign policy for many years.”
“Now it appears his security services are determining our rights of protest. This is a disgrace and we will challenge the ban,” German said.
Those leading the anti-war protests, include Nobel literature laureate Harold Pinter, who described the ban as “a totalitarian act.” “In what is supposed to be a free country the Coalition has every right to express its views peacefully and openly. This ban is outrageous and makes the term ‘democracy’ laughable,” Pinter said.
CND, Europe’s biggest nuclear disarmament group, also said it was challenging the ban, accusing the police of being “presumably under instructions from US security.”
In his last visit to London in November 2003, police undertook a massive security operation costing Pnds 4 million (Dlrs) to deal with the estimated 100,000 anti-war protesters.