Belfast City Hall protest.

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 09, 2003 02:59 by protestor - the globally disgusted

ictu representatives describe peaceful protestors as ' not ours'

As a few hundred people gathered to take part in a peaceful protest - the police where gathering to instigate a riot.

As someone who was present at the City Hall protest earlier today - I am disappointed by a few things that occurred, overall in conclusion it was a sucessful protest.
So bear with me while i make the few points in intended.

Firstly - the entire population of Belfast need to be on our streets to protest this horrific turn of global events - understanding that will never happen i hope for more numbers joining to maximise the anti war movement.

Secondly - I read and listened with disgust as Alicia Keanes of ICTU stated that those that took part in the sit down protest where totally separate from the protest they organised - this is of course something we are used to, as it was those same people who placed a barrier on the road on our way to Hillsborough.

All who where on the road for a sit down protest this afternoon in Belfast had also been there from 1pm as was called for. It was all the same protest it did not end because some people took the megaphones home and didn't want to 'play any more'

If the idea of these bureaucrats is to come out of their offices for a few hours and think they can own or disown any protest need to reexamine their aims.

Any movement has to be broadly based I accept that much reiterated point which means incorporating EVERYONE including all styles and choice of actions not just those selectively choosen as accepted by those who seem to think they have the power (i personally think it's delusions of grandeur) - such as having the right to be laying down on the footpath or road whichever the individual choses.

Thirdly - The behaviour of the RUC was typical, brutal , heavy handed , indiscriminate, unreasonable and unnecessary.

Why do peaceful protestors need to be met by baton wielding happy riot police?

Why do peaceful protestors need to be violently attacked by police during and after forcible removable from their sitting position on road?

Why did 14 peaceful protestors need to be selectively arrested (not all removed from crowd where arrested - just a selected few)?

Ironic though that it is - why did the police need to be there at all in the choosen presence when they decided after they had their daily fix of beating up the innocent they decided to return to the station for tea and donuts?

Or was it as I observed the RUC realising what a silly wee mistake they had made allowing its newly named hired mercenaries to beat up young people in front of a mix of national and international media - as well as the growing crowd of shoppers and passers by that watched as they beat and moved in on a crowd of people protesting the fact that there is an unjust war in progress and those that constructed this war just happened to be in our country discussing peace - the RUC should have been at Hillsborough Castle arresting George Bush and Tony Blair - on the basis of committing war crimes illegally in another sovereign nation.

Finally - SATURDAY APRIL 12TH - ARTS COLLEGE BELFAST 2PM - RALLY POINT - CITY HALL.

LETS SHOW THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE STREETS - WE DID IT TODAY LETS DO IT ON SATURDAY AND SHOW NOT ONLY THE RUC BUT THE REST OF THE WORLD AS THEY MARCH ON INTERNATIONAL DAY OF ACTION.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, COLLEGUES,( EVEN PEOPLE YOU MAY NOT LIKE) CATS, DOGS, DRUMS, WHISTLES, POTS, PANS, LETS MAKE SOME NOISE !!!