Blair to use anti-terror laws on G8 protestors

Blair refused to rule out using controversial new anti-terror laws against G8 protesters when Britain hosts the summit of world leaders in July.

Blair tonight refused to rule out using controversial new anti-terror laws against G8 protesters when Britain hosts the summit of world leaders in July.

But the Prime Minister insisted he could not see why anyone wanted to protest against the gathering of industrialised nations at Gleneagles which he has already said will focus on the plight of Africa and on the environment.

Speaking during his visit to the Scottish Labour conference, Mr Blair also insisted that Gordon Brown – who addresses the party gathering in Dundee tomorrow – would be “central” to Labour’s forthcoming General Election campaign.

With Britain currently holding the G8 presidency, Mr Blair is to host US and Russian presidents George Bush and Vladimir Putin and the heads of the French, German, Japanese, Italian and Canadian governments at the luxury Gleneagles golf resort hotel in Perthshire.

He told the Sunday Mail that the Government’s proposed new anti-terror powers, including control orders to place suspects under house arrest without trial, could be in place by the time the summit takes place on July 6-8.

Asked whether Home Secretary Charles Clarke would use the new anti-terror laws against G8 protesters, Mr Blair said: “I couldn’t rule it out.”

He added: “It would be very odd if people came to protest against this G8, as we’re focusing on poverty in Africa and climate change.

“I don’t quite know what they’ll be protesting against.”

Mr Blair said he welcomed peaceful protesters who will gather to urge world leaders to help Third World countries crippled by debt, famine and disease.

He specifically praised the Make Poverty History campaign, which hopes to attract as many as 200,000 people to the streets of Edinburgh on July 2 to demand trade justice, debt cancellation and more aid for the world’s poorest countries.

While that group and others like the G8 Alternatives coalition of campaign groups and unions have urged troublemakers to stay away, some anti-capitalists have said they are planning to disrupt the G8 event.

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4216894

ALso-G8 PROTESTERS could be placed under 'house arrest' under the Government's new anti-terror laws.

Russell Fallis

Comments

Hide the following 10 comments

Bliar hypocrite.

06.03.2005 12:33

Bliar pretends to care about climate change while failing to cut carbon dioxide emissions, while giving handouts to the biggest polluters and while allowing a massive roadbuilding program. Bliar also pretends to care about Africa while turning a blind eye to the pillaging of its natural resources by capitalists in West and to the economic devestation wrought by Western moneylenders.

The guy is a complete hypocrite and he now is endorsing the misuse of Terrorism Laws to suppress legitimate and peaceful protest against the awful G8 cabal.

Doug.

Blair is totally justified in using anti-terror laws

06.03.2005 12:45

Tony Blair is totally justified in using anti-terrorism laws against so called protesters who use petrol bombs, long wooden sticks studden with nail, iron bars etc. The so called anti-capitalist protesters are nothing more than thugs, hooligans and terrorists out to attack anyone who they disagree with! The Nazis in Germany came to power through such thug tactics, whats the difference between you and the Nazis you both use extreme violence against people and institutions you disagree with. What more you are both anti-semitic with the anti-capitalist movements' hatred of Israel and its desire to destroy it!

Micheal

ffs

06.03.2005 14:07

Michael: find a new tune ffs. There is NO suggestion of violent direct action against people. there IS suggestion of violent direct action against property and institutions. There IS, as always, an ackowledgement of the need for active self-defence against anyone who attacks US.

The attempt to link anti-cap to nazism is laughable. Hitler himself said:'Only one thing could have stopped our movement--if our adversaries had understood its principle and, from the first day, smashed with the utmost brutality the nucleus of our new movement'. Violence us not --in itself-- fascistic. It all depends on the ends to which that violence is deployed.

The claim that anti-Zionism is equivalent to anti-semitism is so laughable and has been dealt with so extensively elsewhere that there's really no need to rise to it.

annoyed

Not right

06.03.2005 14:28

"there IS suggestion of violent direct action against property and institutions"

.............and you think this is acceptable ?

This is the reason those like Blair get away with using powers like this, it is the reason the animal liberation movement is being strangled at the moment, it is the reason the mainstream media can distort the message. Violence is NEVER the answer. It is ALWAYS counter-productive to the aim.

Much more annoyed

yawn

06.03.2005 16:34

I've heard more reasoned argument from my cat. go back to school michael.

Krop

Oi, Rockwell.

06.03.2005 21:32

Posting as "Micheal" now, I see. Well that definitely helps your arguments make sense. Thanks for explaining that anyone who opposes Blair is anti-semitic.

Heh heh heh!

Rockwell's Mum

no

07.03.2005 17:21

> This [violence against property] is the reason those like Blair get away
> with using powers like this...

No. The reason those like Blair get away with it is because you (and all of us) let them!

Yes, of course property damage is sometimes counter-productive. But it is also sometimes a legitimate and useful tactic. Finally, the best way to counter mainstream mis-information is to speak out against it, not pander to it.

ARABS.ARE.SEMITES.TOO.

07.03.2005 20:17

!WAKE UP MIKEY!

anti-semite.NOT!

...

08.03.2005 20:22

For example, 2 ladies broke into an air base where planes were going to be sold to Indonesia for the purpose of bombing innocent civilians in East Timor. They caused billions of pounds worth of damage. They were tried and found NOT GUILTY, after Indonesias crimes were exposed in the trial.

Tell me, isn't the damage to the property THEREFORE JUSTIFIED!!! I say, smash the toolsthat cause so much damage to our world ( and that means the G8 as well ).

Hermes

Wot no freedom?

09.03.2005 14:54

“I don’t quite know what they’ll be protesting against.”

Well, if you don't bother to find out then you'll never know.

If you restrict people's freedom to protest and try and visibly make people aware of the problems with the G8.

I thought they were supposed to listen to people, rather then shut them up under anti-terrorism laws.

At the moment I feel more terrorised by the government and the powers it is trying to give itself.

How does the government get away with the fear and scaremongering it is spreading. Saying one thing and doing another. It seems like no terrorism ever happened before 9/11 the way the US/UK and others are speaking.

The whole system in the UK is becoming more and more system/database driven - I really am much more scared of the Orwellian society that is emerging than any so called terrorists around at the moment. I think that everyone should ask themselves which is the most likely to affect their lives.

The more the government try and stop legitimate protests like this, the more it's actually really wanting me to go and protest all the way up there in Bonny Scotland, it's a long way away and I really hadn't been considering it. But unless we stand up for our freedom and our demcratic right to protest then these rights will be trampled upon even more.

"Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight
Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right
Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight."
Bob Marley

Gary