President Bush may be subjected to the humiliating sight of an effigy of himself being dragged to the ground by anti-war protesters in London's Trafalgar Square next week.

But if police and White House officials have their way, the president, who had the staunch support of Britain's Prime Minister during the Iraq war, will be spared the embarrassment of seeing a re-run of the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue during the Iraq war.


British police refuse comment on media reports of demands by White House security staff for vast central London exclusion zones for Bush's trip, which starts next Wednesday and will be the first official visit to Britain by an American president since that of Ronald Reagan in 1982.

But they are well aware that at the height of the global war on terror, the prospect of having Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth in the same place at the same time presents a tempting target for would-be attackers.

With all police leave canceled, up to 100,000 protesters vowing to take to the streets and Blair himself trying to quash anti-Bush rhetoric, London's Metropolitan police commissioner admits the visit presents an "unprecedented" challenge.

"It's going to be a big test for the Met in terms of what we have to do to prevent an attack on the president, any member of the royal family and any member of the cabinet," said a spokeswoman for Scotland Yard police headquarters.

"We have to balance preventative measures with allowing people to demonstrate in a peaceful manner."

Blair used a keynote foreign policy speech on Monday to urge protesters to see both sides of the argument over Iraq.

"Protest if you will. That is your democratic right," he said. "Attack the decision to go to war, but have the integrity to realize that without it, those Iraqis now tasting freedom would still be under the lash of Saddam Hussein."

"MOST UNWELCOME GUEST"

But anti-Bush and anti-war campaigners are furious at what they fear are police plans to stop their protest -- slated for November 20 -- from marching through Whitehall and Parliament Square, the seat of Britain's government.

"It is an outrage that the most unwelcome guest this country has ever received will be given the freedom of the streets while a movement that represents majority opinion is denied the right to protest in...the heart of government," said Lindsey German, a spokeswoman for the Stop the War Coalition.

"It's completely unacceptable. I don't see why the White House should be able to determine how, where and when people protest in this country."

A poll in Tuesday's Times newspaper showed 60 percent of British voters strongly disapprove of Bush's handling of Iraq -- and that anti-Bush feeling is particularly high among women.


The spectacle of Bush arriving with an entourage of up to 250 secret service agents, 15 sniffer dogs and handlers, 50 White House political aides, two motorcades of up to 20 armored vehicles each, as well as at least three aircraft and even his own personal cook, is unlikely to increase warmth toward him.

Police are torn between allowing large and potentially embarrassing protests to go ahead, and clamping down on protestors and risking a backlash.

They had to apologize for their tactics during Chinese President Jiang Zemin's visit in 1999 when police forced back pro-Tibet protestors and confiscated banners and flags.

Media reports say officers policing the Bush visit have been warned not to be heavy handed and allow protesters to voice their opinion of Bush with slogans and chants if they want to.

Protesters say they are in constant dialogue with police, but also say Blair's government must reap what it has sown.

"There wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't invited George Bush -- who must be one of the most unpopular people in this country -- on a state visit," said German. "Now they are going to have to face the consequences."