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Spontaneous Protests Against War

20.03.2003 02:10 | Anti-militarism

As the US/UK attack against Iraq starts, reports are coming in that hundreds of thousands of people all over the world are taking to the streets in a spontaneous show of civil disobedience and rejection of this international crime.
Listen to UK No War radio stream

Thursday 20th - UK roundup
The morning was widely dominated by school students. They occupied Lancaster town hall, shut down the centre of Leamington Spa and took to the streets of Northern Ireland |pics. Meanwhile a Manchester head teacher has taken up police tactics to intimidate pupils who protest against the war.
A rally took place in Manchester's Picadilly Gardens, drawing over 5,000 people. A similar rally occurred in Birmingham.
In Oxford, thousands of people converged on Carfax tower, holding a rally at 6pm before civil disobedience blocked three bridges. There were reports of police over-reaction to the sit downs. See pictures.
Demonstrations against war raged through Sheffield for 9 hours today, there were multiple sit-down protests, the main roundabout into Sheffield from the M1 was occupied 3 times, petrol stations, the local BBC office and the police HQ were targeted by protestors. [Photos | Video1 | Videos2].
In Bristol, the centre of the city was gridlocked as thousands joined protesting students in blocking roads. Crowds pushed through police lines and the M32 was blockaded (1, 2)
In Glasgow, 2-3000 people halted all traffic around George Square at the heart of the city and the crowd took control over traffic at the whole Charing X interchange up till midnight, with a peace camp parked in a yellow junction box. In Edinburgh, demos and student strikes have been going on since Monday. Protesters stormed the castle and Princes Street several times, listen to audio report on thursday demos and summary of events.
In Brighton (pics), over 1,000 protested with some occupying the Town Hall while disobedients shut down Worthing. Up to a thousand school kids were holding a demomnstration inside school grounds in Glastonbury - supported by the school authorities who even called the local media to come and film the event.
Read about the peace camp in York.
In Swansea 200 protesters staged sit-down actions at major road junctions around. A march and Esso blockade was held in Halifax(1) (2) and fifty anti-war protesters blockaded the entrance the main Esso garage in Yeovil. An anti-war rally and vigil was held in Stoke-on-Trent, and students rallied on campus in Keele, and in Leeds council workers joined students for a day of protest, and further actions took place in Aberdeen, Barnsely, while in Cardiff evening protests brought the city to a standstill, which were later attacked by police

Thursday 20th - Breaking News timeline
Click here to see the timeline of events unfold thoughout the day.

Around the world:
150,000 demonstrators were reported in Athens and 15,000 in Thessaloniki as well as other Greek cities [report], as well as demos in Moscow and Holland; riot police attacked protesting lawyers in Jordan whilst thousands took to the streets in India. Tens of thousands of students left school to protest in Germany [video]; 15,000 blocked motorway north of Barcelona as 10,000 protested outside US consulate [pics 1 and 2], students and teachers went on strike; thousands more protested in Rome, Italy, Madrid where riot police charged the demonstrators [pics] and France. In Stockholm a demo took place at the US embassy. People burned US flags. Riot police, police dogs and teargas were brought in.
Photo gallery of protests in several Spanish cities

tyneside road blockade pic
tyneside road blockade pic


Global netstrike against US Government site

- Homepage: http://images.indymedia.org/imc/uk/Anti-War_Demonstrators_.jpg