Around 100 people had engaged in the sit down protest. Police threw a cordon around them and kept more people from joining them. More supporters arrived as time went on, including two groups who had been marching and dancing around the American embassy and along Oxford street (cheers from passers by all over).

Police brought in larger numbers and increased cordons also using vans to block roads. Eventually the police moved in to start removing people, dragging or carrying them away. Legal observers were busy over the next 40 mins or so as stream after stream of people were removed.

The crowds shouted support and encouragement, clapping and cheering as each person was removed, many watching had not previously been on the demonstration.

There was a broad mix of people getting dragged off, from oap veteran campaigners, to first time Muslims, people in wheel chairs, and off all ages.

There was much discussion about the action which had been called by ARROW (see  http://www.j-n-v.org/15febsit-down.htm). Some people questioned the sense of sitting down and blocking the road after a day when central London had been fully shut down with up to 2 million people protesting. Some thought it should have been down near the American embassy or downing street. However many others, including many who engaged in the action, stressed the need to show that people are prepared to do more than simply march from A to B, and said that this was a clear way of showing the kind of resistance which campaigners have been using at military bases across the country.

There were a few cases of police being too aggressive towards what was billed as a specifically non violent civil disobedient action, but on the whole the majority of sit down protestors were not hurt. Many people were at first arrested, then searched and then de-arrested. Towards the end of the action many people began to spontaneously block traffic in Shaftsbury Avenue (outside of the main Piccadilly police cordon), here police were more physical, using handcuffs and force to remove some protesting, and erecting more barriers along the road to try and keep it open.

Back in Piccadilly Circus - where Eros fountain was running blood red after dye was added - as the last remaining group of around 20 of the original blockade remained in place, the police moved to split the crowd of supporters and push them back onto the pavement to clear the area for vehicles. There were some scuffles as police pushed people back and I heard the samba band got some rough treatment. The area was pretty clear by around 8.30pm. 5 people were arrested and taken to Charing Cross police station where 3 were soon de-arrested and released.

Most media coverage did not mention this protest, those that did simply referred to either a hardcore or die hard protestors. What was missed by most was that this was simply a taste of what will happen (in London and elsewhere) if this country does join America in attacking Iraq. The Observer today carried a story about the Stop the War coalition's plans for direct action should war be declared and bombing starts, however it should be noted that the stop the war coalition did not publicise ARROW's sit down protest, which is a shame, since they have repeatedly called for civil disobedience, yet failed to organise any or highlight that which others organise.

On a critical note there were fewer people at the sit down protest than many had expected. On balance this was down to several factors - lack of pre-publicity, a long long day in the cold which left many tired by the time the 5pm meet up time for the action came along, a lack of clarity on the meeting point (green park is quite big - and many who turned up there could not find people) and confusion over the location of the action.

That said this was an important symbolic action - not in the blocking of the roads for a further few hours, but in showing just how determined many people are in trying to stop this war and oppose military plans. Such direct actions are increasingly being seen as a quick look at either the uk or ireland indymedia sites will show.

"The task now is to keep increasing the pressure, to make these actions bigger and more widespread, to shut down military bases, to blockade the streets. The support of the public is fully with us, now is the time to act" said one protestor after being released by police, "We have to back up today's amazing show of numbers with action, now, and by God, all the more if this war does start".

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Forthcoming direct action and civil disobedience against the military include:

Feb 23 Mass weapons inspection at USAF Fairford Transport is being organised from London. Coaches will be leaving Euston at 9am and cost £5/£10. Crash accommodation and training will be available on 22nd. Contact  fairfordcoach@hotmail.com or phone 07817 061183. Assemble 12:00noon on the junction of High St/Park St

TIME IS SHORT! THE WAR MAY BE LAUNCHED IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS FROM USAF FAIRFORD GLOUCESTERSHIRE, HOME OF THE B2 STEALTH BOMBER. We still have a chance to Stop This War. Let's take it! Info on Fairford: www.cynatech.co.uk/gwi//index.htm

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FAIRFORD NATIONAL DEMO: 22nd MARCH 2003
R.A.F Fairford (in Gloucestershire) can now house the U.S B2 Stealth bombers. In tests the B2 has released B61 & B83 mini-nuclear weapons. The B61 is for use against deeply buried targets (like Iraqi bunkers). The B83 is a strategic free-fall nuclear bomb. These are the first of a new generation of `more usable' nuclear bombs. The U.S wishes to use British soil to house these weapons of mass destruction, placing the U.K in the frontline of the U.S war for oil. Local protest in Spain deterred the deployment of B2's there. We must do the same here. DEMONSTRATE!
Visit:  http://www.cynatech.co.uk/gwi//index.htm

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MENWITH HILL NATIONAL DEMO: 22nd MARCH 2003
FOIL THE BASE AT MENWITH HILL SPY BASE
Menwith Hill (North Yorkshire) is the largest electronic monitoring station in the world. Run by the US National Security Agency (NSA) & operating as US sovereign territory. It picks up communications from satellites covering the Middle East. It even won an award for its eavesdropping in the last Gulf War. Menwith is also a key base for the project of long-term military aggression -'Star Wars'. To 'foil the base' (disrupt the satellite signal receivers) there has to be as much foil in the air as possible. Bring foil kites, foil balloons, foil puppets, use your imagination."
Email:  mail@now-peace.org.uk WEBSITE:  http://www.now-peace.org.uk