NO NATO, NO ARMS TRADE (and no De vere Hotels) !
tzigari | 08.09.2003 05:07 | DSEi 2003 | Anti-militarism | Cambridge | London
In MOVEMENT towards the abolition of NATO and the complete dismantling of NATO bases in Europe!! NO NATO NO Arm-Fairs!!
Sunday, 09/7/03
About 100 protesters marched from Market Square to the De Vere's University Arms Hotel on Parker's Piece to protest against the NATO meeting taking place inside this premise. Speakers at the demonstration linked the Cambridge NATO meeting with the DSEI arms-fair taking place in London and denounced "immoral" arms trades, the war in Iraq and the "failure" of the road map in Palestine.
The protesters also voiced their discontent about De Vere's involvement with arms dealers and armies. According to a demonstrator: "since early April 2003 the De Vere's Hotel in Cambridge has become an extension of the military bases in the area, putting up soldiers from the USA, the UK and other countries... in two instances civilian customers were harrassed by groups of soldiers after they dared to make some negative comments about President Bush while having a drink in the bar". The incident had no serious consequences, but, according to the protester, it is indicative of the climate inside the hotel since it is being used as an extension of military bases in the Cambridge area.
Some people among the demonstrators talked about the possibility of a nation-wide boycott against De Vere, if the company does not reverse it's policy of war profiteering.
More mobilisations are planned for Monday September 8.
About 100 protesters marched from Market Square to the De Vere's University Arms Hotel on Parker's Piece to protest against the NATO meeting taking place inside this premise. Speakers at the demonstration linked the Cambridge NATO meeting with the DSEI arms-fair taking place in London and denounced "immoral" arms trades, the war in Iraq and the "failure" of the road map in Palestine.
The protesters also voiced their discontent about De Vere's involvement with arms dealers and armies. According to a demonstrator: "since early April 2003 the De Vere's Hotel in Cambridge has become an extension of the military bases in the area, putting up soldiers from the USA, the UK and other countries... in two instances civilian customers were harrassed by groups of soldiers after they dared to make some negative comments about President Bush while having a drink in the bar". The incident had no serious consequences, but, according to the protester, it is indicative of the climate inside the hotel since it is being used as an extension of military bases in the Cambridge area.
Some people among the demonstrators talked about the possibility of a nation-wide boycott against De Vere, if the company does not reverse it's policy of war profiteering.
More mobilisations are planned for Monday September 8.
tzigari