Protest Week continues: Stop Bush in London/Stop FTAA in Miami

posted by ewing2001 on Wednesday November 19, @05:31PM

Day 4: 200.000 at Protests in London
Updates Miami/London : Teargas in Miami/Arrestments, Arrestments in London
Breaking News: White House evacuated, Turkey blast kills British Consul (INN)

All Updates here

stopftaa.org

7AM, Thursday, Nov. 20
Converge at Government Center Park, NW 1st Street and 2nd Ave. Brief rally at the park and then mass march to the fence.

stopwar.org.uk

Assemble 2pm at Malet Street, Central London (nearest tubes: Goodge Street, Russell Square and Euston/Euston Sq). March to Trafalgar Square where a statue of George Bush will be pulled down. This event will continue until 7pm to allow for people coming from work.

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Pictures from the Protests -Wednesday

fairfordcoachaction.org.uk -The Bush UK Visit Page - full listings of all the events, more Updates and Pictures at Indymedia UK

Nottingham

Oxford

Pictures from Thursday

Webcam Updates Trafalgar Square

[21:55]: All Sheffield Sambistas are now out of cordon and all safe and well. They were all photographed on way out. During the previous crush in Marble Arch a sambista described being grabbed by her [long] hair by a copper then kneed in back of the legs. Another band member was shoved onto floor by police.

[21:46]: Reports of one samba band player breaking police cordon.

[21:40]: Police are now letting individuals out slowly and individually, photographing each person as they leave.

[21:32]: Police have moved back towards Marble Arch a bit; the situation there is described as "static", although the police cordon is still in place

[21:26]: A group of about twenty reporters have been told to move by police, who refuse to say the legal reason for it.

[21:19]: Report of police pushing people violently away who were on the roads surrounding Trafalgar Square. Seems calm now but police lines are forming.

[21:14]: The police are clearing people from the sides of Trafalgar Square and moving people into one controllable group. This involves pushing them into the road towards The Strand. Some people getting a little rowdy, pushing back, but nothing major.

[21:08]: Marble Arch: Sambistas still surrounded. One Sambista described the police pushing, shoving and generally being rough, she felt crushed. All are safe at the moment, the only casualties: one drum strap. She estimates 70-80 within cordon, they are being released slowly in ones and twos.

[21:05]: The Samba Band is in Marble Arch, they are still surrounded.

The police are clearing previously mentioned supporters. Massive crowd in Trafalgar Sq [21:05]: In Trafalgar Square, about 500 people are dancing and drumming around a bonfire and burning some American flags that they happened to have with them. There are now about 1000 people left there.

[20:53]: The cordon is still moving towards Hyde Park Corner.

[20:44]: The samba cordon is still moving down Oxford Street; the size of cordon is 1 lane of traffic wide and 3 police vans long. And the samba is still playing!! Supporters outside the cordon are clapping, cheering and dancing, even passers by and shoppers are joining in. A couple of times, police have grabbed people from outside cordon and put them *into* cordon.

[20:30]: There is a street party now on Hyde Park Corner but police have moved people onto the pavement and have cordoned them under "Section 52". Legal observers say there is no such law as "Section 52"

[20:26]: The samba band is still surrounded by police cordon at the junction of Oxford and Duke Streets; they are now moving slowly down Oxford Street towards Hyde Park Corner. Police, pushing from the back of the group, have linked their arms to cordon it. The band are continuing playing and playing.

[19:59]: The samba band that was previously split has reunited, and it is now completely kettled [ed - completely surrounded by police].

[19:55]: About one hundred people, including some samba, kettled in Oxford Circus.

[19:54]: Police have totally broken up the demonstrators in Piccadilly Circus and some people are heading off to Hyde Park Corner in small groups.

[19:49]: Trafalgar Square: things seem relatively relaxed there and there are still lots of people there.

[19:44]: A group have broken away at Regent Street, a samba band within it. The police are being very rough with people marching towards Piccadilly Circus.

[17.52]: In Trafalgar Square, fires are being lit to keep people warm. Plenty of drumming going on too.There's a police line across the Whitehall/Trafalgar Square junction, then another police line further down Whitehall. There are no protesters in between. Behind the second police line, there are omre protesters including a samba band. Trafalgar Square is still full, as are the surrounding streets. There's also a police line at The Mall/Trafalgar Square junction. Police are not letting people out (in any numbers) of Trafalgar Square via The Mall or Whitehall.

[17.26]: Speakers at Trafalgar Square have just announced that the end of the march is at Aldwych.

[17.25]: Trafalgar Square is completely full. One marcher can see around 250,000 people, so we estimate around 300,000 total marching in London so far. The crowd is "very lively", he says. [17.22]: A statue of bush has just been toppled in Trafalgar Square. The crowd is going wild.

[17.00]: The end of the march is now on Waterloo Bridge, going south. The head of the march got here at about 15.30, which gives a rough idea of the numbers of marchers.

[16.37]: Speakers at Trafalgar Square announce that more than two hours after the start of the march, people are still leaving the Malet St assembly point.

[16.20]: Riot police have turned up in full riot gear at Kingsway, so people calmed down and started walking. But the barriers that divided the streets to keep people occupying only one direction of traffic have gone, and people are marching down the whole street.

[16.16]: The crowd are reported to have knocked over the barriers at Kingsway. Thousands of people and a samba band have taken over the street and the police have lost control.

[16.15]: Stop the War Coalition estimate that 150,000 people are marching.

[16.12]: one marcher outside Downing St reports: " the noise here is deafening, and it's packed. There's a sound system doing anti-bush music and impromptu anti-bush propaganda over the PA. There's also street theatre, and a good-vibes feel. A few 'I love george' placard holders are being heckled."

[16.03]: As blocks of protestors arrive at Downing St they are stopping to chant loudly "Bush go home!". People on the street report a festive atmosphere.

[15.52]: Huge crowds gathering in Trafalgar Square awaiting the arrival of the march. See webcam

[15.36]: Front of the march currently at Westminster Bridge. BBC say police estimate 50,000 people. Sky TV says 60,000 and still people arriving en mass at Malet St.

[14.48]: Police have started to close off side-roads around Malet Street as large numbers of protestors join the demonstration.

[13.42]: No medal of honour for Powell thanks to demonstrators...

[08:30]: 3 arrested for attempting to hang 'City of London Closed to George Bush' banner from Admiralty Arch.

Updates from Miami (Stop FTAA)

11-20-2003 09:49: Biscayne and Flagler
150-200 ft between protestors and fence. Fence is still intact. Lines of riot cops between fence and protestors. Protestors attempted to pull down fence, before the tear gas. Tense situation, nobody is running, people are staying in solidarity "its all good right now."

11-20-2003 09:48: Flagler
On Flagler, two arrestes, many injuries. Police are pushing back around the corner, two shots of tear gas. Police say protest illegal but protests are holding thier line.

11-20-2003 09:48: 2nd ave and 3rd st update
cops at 2nd ave and 3rd st have allowed an exit for crowd onto 2nd ave.

11-20-2003 09:46: 395 Shut Down
I-395, the last corridor into downtown has been shut down. Busses full of marches stranded outside of the city.

11-20-2003 09:46: fence is down
the fence has been breached at biscayne and flagler, people are inside the perimeter, tear gas is being used, people are being clubbed with batons and protestors are bleeding in the streets... correction.....we are not sure if the fence has been breached or not...more info to follow

11-20-2003 09:45: Cops attacking
Cops advanced with batons after tear gas fired, but situation seems to be de-escalating. People are bleeding from their heads, cops beating them over the heads with batons. Screaming in the background, crowd not being violent, police clubbing people on the ground.

11-20-2003 09:43: Tear Gas
Biscayne and Flagler. The fence is trying to be torn down, people are moving cops are advancing. tear gas has been fired. Riot cops pressing forward.

11-20-2003 09:41: Black BLoc march / Marcha del Bloque Negro Black Bloc group at 2nd and 3rd (70-100 ppl) being ordered to disperse in groups of eight. Not allowed to go towards march or face arrest.

Early clashes in Miami as police brace for trade protest march

USA Today MIAMI (AP) — Officers and a group of demonstrators clashed Thursday as Miami braced for a 10,000-member march staged by opponents of ongoing talks aimed at creating a hemispheric-wide free trade zone.

Riot-clad officers used long batons to restrain several dozen protesters, some of whom wore bandannas across the bottom half of their faces or surgical masks. Other demonstrators carried gas masks. Police estimated the number of protesters they clashed with at between 300 and 400. -Photos Miami

warning-disturbing clip---Tazer use by cops on non-violent protestors: ftaaimc.org
tazer clip - video/quicktime 1.2M

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