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BBC re-writes demo history

dasmian | 15.02.2005 22:33 | Anti-militarism | London

On looking for info on todays "die in" at parliment square, i was suprised to find that there were only 100,000 people on the biggest demo in london, ie the Anti War demo on the 15th Feb 2003. And i thought it was between 700,000 and 2 million?!

See the article below, from deep within the bbc news web site:

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 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4268883.stm

Demonstrators stage mass 'die-in'

Dozens of anti-war protesters calling for British troops to be withdrawn from Iraq have staged a mass "die-in" outside Parliament.

Activists waving banners spilled into the road and brief scuffles broke out as police tried to move them back to the central area of Parliament Square.

The event organised by the Stop the War Coalition marks the second anniversary of a 100,000-strong anti-war march.

Similar protests were held in Birmingham, Plymouth and Canterbury.

Lindsey German, the convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, said: "Our die-in was held to symbolise the tens of thousands who have died in Iraq since the war began.

"We think it is significant that America and Britain don't count the number of Iraqi dead, but they do count the number of their troops who have died."

Police said the protest ended peacefully but one man was arrested for threatening behaviour and assaulting an officer.

The coalition is planning another national demonstration in London on 19 March. "

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It could of course be a typo!

But, more than likely, the level of journalism we've come to expect from the bbc!

dasmian

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Let the BBC know

16.02.2005 10:59

The BBC have a feedback option on the top right of the page. Use it to let them know they have made a factual error.

A Person


they have changed it to one million now...

16.02.2005 13:24

... which just shows they are an open and democratic news source ;)

a different person


They've changed it to...

16.02.2005 14:13

... 1,000,000

Skyver Bill


well, would you believe it?

16.02.2005 22:57

Hey, I did complain and yes they've changed it!

Although, I had no reply from them letting me know...
maybe someone else at the bbc spotted it...

dasmian


101

17.02.2005 10:56

You can almost see winston smith in his booth, recieving the order by tube and sending off the correction: "correction: anti-war demonstration was 100,000, not 2,000,000"

anarchoteapot