Thursdays timeline of events
imc | 22.03.2003 19:59
Thursday 20th - Breaking News UK/London
22:00 London. Report: 8 protesters verbally and physically assaulted at Charing X police station. They were waiting for an ambulance for a protester who had been beaten up by police officers. A summary report and photos from Parlament Square.
21:30 London. P Square still heavily guarded by police, vans etc. But inside has turned into friendly love'n peace camp. Juggling, soundsystem, discussions on fires, open mics.
21:00 London. Crowd is heading back towards parliament square. Heavy police presence, people broke through the lines. Several arrests observed [Video]. Bonfires and Drums in Parliament Square. Most accesses now closed, a part from St. James' Park. Protesters cleaning up demo debris in P Square. Nice one.
20:30 London. 1000 people heading towards Victoria, police vans around them, the crowd chilled. Then the crowd was stopped by a line of police at the top of Tothill St so turned into Dartmouth St. The crowd was there seperated by another line of police and 150 people were attacked violently.
20:00 London. 30 to 40 people from arrow blocked Westminster bridge. People are starting to leave, others arrive. Sporadic attempts to sit down are quickly being stopped by police. Massive projections of injured Iraquis are beamed on buildingsin Parliament Square, soundsystems are playing.
19:30 Corporate news reports that in Iraq, the ground assault of the US and UK armies has started from Kuwait into Iraq after artillery barrages. Baghdad is being attacked with cruise missiles; explosions near government buildings, several on fire.
19:00 London. Samba dance block has moved to Parliament, several hundred are dancing and chanting anti-war slogans.
18:30 London. Westminster Bridge blocked by dancing protesters.
18:00 Bristol. City blocked. Peaceful, diverse protest, including a sit-down protest led by a 12 year old! London: 1000 students arrived in Parliament Square, walking towards police lines. Samba block is marching down Westminster Bridge, blocking it's south side near Waterloo station.
17:30 Edinburgh: Demo blocking central Princes Street again, some looting reported. Die-Ins during the day.
17:00 London Parliament Square still packed. Helicopter & mounted riot police in Whitehall.
16:30 London. Up to 5000 people are taking over Parliament Square and resist police attempts to move them on. Clashes between asian youth and riot police ensued after police arrested a young asian protestor.
Earlier in the afternoon, several 100 schoolkids tried to run out of one of the exits. After a fight with police officers, several were arrested. Near City of London, kids blocked a road.
15:00 Cambridge city centre is now blocked by protestors, whilst central Bristol is now gridlocked. People is still arriving at central London with thousands of people currently blocking most roads around Westminster and Holborn.
15:00 Protest at Lancester townhall | video
14:00 Hundreds blocking downtown Birmingham - health workers due to walkout of 4 hospitals; demo of 600 in Edinburgh; 300 outside Manchester town hall; over 400 school kids in Walthamstow blocking traffic and causing mayhem; 150-200 students from London Metropolitan university heading for parliament square, where around 1,500 are already demonstrating; sit-down protest at Tottenham Court Road; arrests as mass protest brings Hereford to a standstill.
12:00 Demos of mainly schoolkids all over the place. In Edinburgh, they stopped the city center, several arrests. Protesters held in St. Leonards police station
Reading: Labour Party South-East Regional HQ Occupied
Violence at student demo in Lewisham
M621 closed cause of blockade also A8, A272 & A58 blocked.
A peace camp has been set up in Lancaster town centre.
22:00 London. Report: 8 protesters verbally and physically assaulted at Charing X police station. They were waiting for an ambulance for a protester who had been beaten up by police officers. A summary report and photos from Parlament Square.
21:30 London. P Square still heavily guarded by police, vans etc. But inside has turned into friendly love'n peace camp. Juggling, soundsystem, discussions on fires, open mics.
21:00 London. Crowd is heading back towards parliament square. Heavy police presence, people broke through the lines. Several arrests observed [Video]. Bonfires and Drums in Parliament Square. Most accesses now closed, a part from St. James' Park. Protesters cleaning up demo debris in P Square. Nice one.
20:30 London. 1000 people heading towards Victoria, police vans around them, the crowd chilled. Then the crowd was stopped by a line of police at the top of Tothill St so turned into Dartmouth St. The crowd was there seperated by another line of police and 150 people were attacked violently.
20:00 London. 30 to 40 people from arrow blocked Westminster bridge. People are starting to leave, others arrive. Sporadic attempts to sit down are quickly being stopped by police. Massive projections of injured Iraquis are beamed on buildingsin Parliament Square, soundsystems are playing.
19:30 Corporate news reports that in Iraq, the ground assault of the US and UK armies has started from Kuwait into Iraq after artillery barrages. Baghdad is being attacked with cruise missiles; explosions near government buildings, several on fire.
19:00 London. Samba dance block has moved to Parliament, several hundred are dancing and chanting anti-war slogans.
18:30 London. Westminster Bridge blocked by dancing protesters.
18:00 Bristol. City blocked. Peaceful, diverse protest, including a sit-down protest led by a 12 year old! London: 1000 students arrived in Parliament Square, walking towards police lines. Samba block is marching down Westminster Bridge, blocking it's south side near Waterloo station.
17:30 Edinburgh: Demo blocking central Princes Street again, some looting reported. Die-Ins during the day.
17:00 London Parliament Square still packed. Helicopter & mounted riot police in Whitehall.
16:30 London. Up to 5000 people are taking over Parliament Square and resist police attempts to move them on. Clashes between asian youth and riot police ensued after police arrested a young asian protestor.
Earlier in the afternoon, several 100 schoolkids tried to run out of one of the exits. After a fight with police officers, several were arrested. Near City of London, kids blocked a road.
15:00 Cambridge city centre is now blocked by protestors, whilst central Bristol is now gridlocked. People is still arriving at central London with thousands of people currently blocking most roads around Westminster and Holborn.
15:00 Protest at Lancester townhall | video
14:00 Hundreds blocking downtown Birmingham - health workers due to walkout of 4 hospitals; demo of 600 in Edinburgh; 300 outside Manchester town hall; over 400 school kids in Walthamstow blocking traffic and causing mayhem; 150-200 students from London Metropolitan university heading for parliament square, where around 1,500 are already demonstrating; sit-down protest at Tottenham Court Road; arrests as mass protest brings Hereford to a standstill.
12:00 Demos of mainly schoolkids all over the place. In Edinburgh, they stopped the city center, several arrests. Protesters held in St. Leonards police station
Reading: Labour Party South-East Regional HQ Occupied
Violence at student demo in Lewisham
M621 closed cause of blockade also A8, A272 & A58 blocked.
A peace camp has been set up in Lancaster town centre.
imc
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Leeds Day of Action
23.03.2003 15:30
At 12pm a small number of staff and student's walk out to join an anti-war march in Leeds. Hundreds march through Leeds causing considerable disruption as police have to work out a route as they go along. Rally outside the town hall, then up to the university and back down to the meeting point. People speak out against the war at an informal rally in the centre of Leeds.
5pm more people join and others rejoin the protest, swelling the numbers to well over 1000, possibly 2000. Noisy demonstration makes its way through Leeds for a rally at Millennium Square.
After seven and a half hours people disperse, ready to take the campaign to London, Menwith, Fairford and in Leeds again on Saturday.
Pete
e-mail:
zappa@gn.apc.org