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Timeline of Events - US Embassy Demo, London, Sat 5th April

imc uk | 05.04.2003 15:44

Timeline of London No-war-demo at the US embassy. Saturday April 5th.

This Saturday, people are assembling at 2pm at the BBC Broadcasting House in London for a march on the US Embassy. The last time this happened was in the late sixties, during the protests against the Vietnam war.
More protests are expected in Scotland and all over the UK. Updates will follow throughout the weekend.

London

• 13.00 - Reports of an anti-war banner having been dropped near Oxford Circus.
• 14.31 - Demonstration has left the BBC headquarters aprox.1500 people very noisy, lots of banners and placards many of them home-made. The demonstration is being escorted by police 1 every 4 meters and reports of 50 to 60 police vans blocking all side streets off Regent Street.
• 14.40 - Demo has reached intersection with Oxford Street which is sealed off to protesters by a police line.
• 14.45 - Demo (now estimated at around 2000 people) has reached Brook Street leading to U.S. embassy and is being funelled to make it narrower. Massive police presence, all side roads closed to protesters and people are not being allowed to leave the route.
• 14.51 - Demo has reached Grovesnor Sq where the US embassy building is, and hundreds of police and crash barriers are channelling the march through one side of the square.
• 14.58 - Demo has stopped in Grovesnor Sq in a very confined space to listen to speeches from a small stage and PA. The sun is shining and there is large cross section of people present, some are dancing at the back to the rythms of some drummers.
• 16.00 - Speeches are finishing and people are leaving Grovesnor Sq some of the protesters have decided on the spot to head towards Parliment Sq.
• 16.07 - Around 100 people that are moving towards Parliment Sq are now stagging an impromptu sit-down in the middle of Oxford St.
• 16.15 - The sit-down has been compleatly surronded by police and they are videoing and taking photos of all the protesters.
• 16.45 - The police have moved in on the sit-down and are violently removing protesters kicking and shoving people out of the way. At least 3 people have been arrested.
• 17.50 - Most peacefull sit-down protesters have now stood up to try to move on, but large numbers of police are violently pushing them off Oxford St and herded back towards Grovesnor Sq where they are being coraled inside the crash barriers there. • 18.00 - Protesters coralled in Grossvenor Sq are being told by police they can continue a peaceful and lawful protest inside the barriers and that they will be dispersed later. This statement has been met with much laughter and derision considering the police treatment the protesters have just received in Oxford Street. • 18.10 - Protesters are now being let out of the cordon in Gorssvenor Sq in groups of 5 and those that are not being arrested are directed down different side streets presumably to break up the demo into small groups.
• 18.30 - There are now 6 arrests confirmed who have been taken to Charing Cross police station. Reports of those arrested being charged with highway obstruction. It is now becoming clear that some of those arrested were not part of the sit-down, but were in the way of police as they were pushing the sit-down protesters back towards Grovesnor Sq.
• 18.40 - Indymedia reporters confirm that an Indymedia volunteer is amongst those arrested.

Links to short audio reports from the London no war demo to the U.S. embassy:
#&149; Report 1.43 secs
#&149; Report 2.56 secs
#&149; Report 3.34 secs
#&149; Report 4.38 secs
#&149; Report 5.1.12 mins
#&149; Report 6.32 secs
#&149; Report 7. 32 secs

Text Reports:
#&149; Article 1
#&149; Article 2

imc uk

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Photos available

05.04.2003 19:44

A few photos available here:  http://www.antiwar.co.uk/gallery/2003_04_05
(please note the time on the photos should be 1 hour forward)

k1m
- Homepage: http://www.antiwar.co.uk


Protesters had to stay OPPOSITE side of Grosv

05.04.2003 20:28

Protesters were allowed no nearer the US Embassy than almost the direct OPPOSITE side of the square. The garden in the centre was padlocked shut.

This is what democracy looks like.

Do the Americans pay for the extra policing they require to keep people hundreds of metres away from their embassy?

Square


comments

05.04.2003 20:41

please dont post comments to this page BUT do post links to pics video articles or audio here.

Thanks IMC-UK

imc-uk


error in timeline

05.04.2003 20:51

Some of those arrested had been with the sit down people.
The arrests occured during and just after police moved violently to push people back towards the US embassy after what had been a peaceful and very fluffy positive vibe sit down - there were several people with cuts and bruises. Many people were shocked at the police bahaviour, some of us not surprised.

In short, a great sit down protest - people really together - shame about the violent nutters in uniforms.

Power to the people...

additional info


From one of the arrested...

06.04.2003 02:23

After leaving the sit-in when prompted (and indeed encouraging others to move on to Parliament Square, since I felt we had "made our point"), I walked down Duke street with some of my friends (fellow classmates & one of my lecturers). We walked along, following the small group of marchers that had been isolated, from the pavement. One of my friends was still in this group. I could see that he was trying to phone us, but couldn't hear me shouting his name from outside. I kept shouting his name, so that he would know we were all nearby. After shouting his name one time too many, the police at the back of the contingent came and grabbed me violently, saying: "go and join your friend in there then; you know you want to". Obviously, to me this felt like "come here, so that you fit our criteria for arrest". I tried to break free, but failed. Five policemen made sure I was one of those 'going in'; clearly feeling satisfied at their 'catch'. I was handcuffed and escorted to the van...

I was charged with the following:
ON 05.04.2003 AT DUKE STREET JUNCTION WITH OXFORD STREET W1 TOOK PART IN A PUBLIC ASSEMBLY AND KNOWINGLY FAILED TO COMPLY WITH THE CONDITION IMPOSED BY A SENIOR POLICE OFFICER UNDER SECTION 14 OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1986,NAMELY WAS GIVEN DIRECTION BY SUPERINTENDENT PLOWRIGHT THAT PERSONS WERE ONLY TO PROTEST OUTSIDE AMERICAN EMBASSY,THIS DIRECTION WAS PASSED ONTO MR AZARIAH-MORENO WHO HE CONTINUED TO PROTEST AND ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO SIT DOWN IN THE ROADWAY AT DUKE STREET W1.

CONTRARY TO SECTION 14(5) AND (9) OF THE PUBLIC ORDER ACT 1986

I certainly don't recall anyone telling me that I was only allowed to protest outside the American embassy. I didn't 'knowingly' fail to comply with any condition. And, at any rate, I was among the many who had already chosen to move on from the roadway and had been allowed to do so. The sit in was a spontaneous event. We all chanted "sit down, stop the war", along with other slogans. It seemed my voice was louder than others. I did not 'encite' any more than all those others chanting the same slogan.

George Azariah-Moreno
mail e-mail: g.azariah-moreno@ucl.ac.uk
- Homepage: http://www.peace-tree.org