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High Security for President George Bush Visit to England, UK
Posted: 11/18
From: Mathaba

The US president, George W. Bush, today boarded United States Air Force One to fly to London for the most heavily-policed state visit in British history.

Mr Bush will arrive at the Royal Air Force base Northolt, in Middlesex, this evening. He will travel to Buckingham Palace by helicopter, where a private welcome from Prince Charles begins a four-day itinerary taking in meetings with the prime minister and the main party leaders, and a banquet with the Queen.

The first protest against Mr Bush is scheduled to coincide with his arrival. At 6pm, or around midday Eastern United States time, enviromental campaigners will march from Lincoln's Inn Fields, in central London, to the US embassy to demonstrate against his support for the oil industry and refusal to sign the Kyoto protocol on climate change.

Michael Meacher, the former environment minister, is expected to speak at the event. He recently raised a number of questions over the 9/11 attacks on the U.S.A. which have gone unanswered by the Bush administration.

By the far the largest protest will be a demonstration against the Iraq war on Thursday, which has been organised by the umbrella Stop the War Coalition.

Expelled Labour MP George Galloway, playwright Harold Pinter and Tony Benn will tonight address a public rally organised by the group.

The cost of policing Mr Bush's visit, which will see 14,000 police shifts worked before the president leaves on Friday, was today criticised by London politicians.

The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, said that a £5m bill to guarantee Mr Bush's safety would add £2 to council tax bills if the government did not fund it.