- LONDON (AFP) - Tens of thousands
of demonstrators took to the streets of central London to protest against
the Iraq war as Prime Minister Tony Blair struggled to shake-off fierce
criticism of the invasion back home.
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- Organisers said that between 65,000 and 75,000 protesters
had taken to the streets for the peaceful march, which began at Russell
Square, close to the British museum. Police put the figure at between 15,000
and 20,000.
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- Protesters from around the world clutched banners and
blew whistles as they marched towards Trafalgar Square, where a mass rally
was taking place.
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- "Troops out," screamed one of many placards
being waved by protesters.
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- "Blair must go," said another.
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- Sunday's march was the latest in a series of demonstrations
organised by the Stop The War Coalition before and after the US-led invasion
of Iraq in March 2003 that was backed by Britain.
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- The march was arranged Sunday to coincide with the end
to the three-day European Social Forum held in London. It comes also after
a stormy week for Blair, who was accused in parliament last Wednesday of
misrepresenting intelligence on Iraq to make the case for war.
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- "I am against the war and capitalism," one
demonstrator, going by the name of Charkoo, told AFP. "I want to show
we are willing to fight against the war," added the 31-year-student
from South Korea.
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- The brother of Kenneth Bigley, the British hostage recently
executed by his captors in Iraq, had urged people to turn out in force
for Sunday's march.
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- "For Ken's sake and for the sake of everyone in
Iraq I ask you to make your feelings known to our government, to protest
and to join the demonstration," Paul Bigley was quoted as saying by
the Press Association, Britain's domestic news agency.
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- Activists and campaigners were to be entertained later
with a free concert in Trafalgar Square.
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- Sunday's demonstration came after 25,000 protesters marched
through London in March on the first anniversary of the Iraq invasion.
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- On that occasion, two demonstrators scaled Big Ben, the
landmark clocktower of the Houses of Parliament, at dawn and unfurled a
banner that read: "Time for the truth."
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- Last November, up to 200,000 people protested in Trafalgar
Square when US President George W. Bush was in London for a state visit.
Ahead of the Iraq war in February 2003, police estimated that one million
people descended on the capital to protest the looming invasion, while
organisers said the figure was nearer two million.
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- Sunday's protest came just days after Blair apologized
to parliament for flawed intelligence on Iraq. But Blair, gearing up for
a general election expected next year, angrily denied charges he "misrepresented"
it to make the case for joining the US-led invasion last year.
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- The march took place also amid speculation that Britain
was to agree to a US request to redeploy its troops in Iraq. A defence
ministry spokesman said Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon would brief parliament
Monday following reports.
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- "He plans to make a statement to the House (of Commons)
tomorrow. What he is going to be saying is 'we have been approached by
the Americans to deploy British troops in their area of operations'.
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- "He will also be stressing that no decision has
been made and that we continue to consider their request and will do so
on its individual merits. He won't be naming units, he won't be giving
you a start date or anything like that," the spokesman said.
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- Reports in Britain have said British troops based in
the relatively calm south of Iraq could be redeployed under US command
near strife-torn Baghdad.
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- But the ministry of defence spokesman ruled this out.
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- "If the troops do go they won't be going to Baghdad
or Fallujah," the spokesman told AFP.
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- Sunday's anti-war rally was meanwhile organised to coincide
with the final day of the third annual European Social Forum here, which
has seen thousands of activists from around the world defend the rights
of workers and minorities, promote efforts to protect the environment and
protest against the war in Iraq.
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