Lancashire hot spot

Friday, March 31, 2006

My third day in the north west of England protesting about Condoleezza Rice's visit. So far we have scored a couple of victories. The Blackburn mosque has cancelled the invitation it originally extended because of outcry from the Muslim community across Lancashire.

In the Orwellian tones we've come to expect from government spin doctors, this has been portrayed as a health and safety issue, the visit cancelled because protestors threatened to 'invade the mosque'. No we didn't, but Muslims were going to have their own peaceful sit down protests after prayers. Others of us would have been outside.

We were discussing last night why Straw and Rice think they can get away with these visits. After all, there are now going to be a series of protests,at a Blackburn school this morning where hundreds are gathering, at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts this afternoon, and then at the Philharmonic hall tonight. Tomorrow it's all eyes on Blackburn again.

All the questions to her from the press this morning were apparently about the protests. So why come? Two reasons I think: they keep thinking they can put Iraq behind them, and keep finding out the hard way. Secondly they are surrounded by people who tell them what they want to hear and who don't know the strength of feeling on this issue.

Jack Straw is using his re election last year as a mandate for the war and his foreign policy. But Labour lost a million votes in that election, mainly due to the war. Both main parties standing in that election were pro war, so the wonder is that anti war candidates did as well as they did.

Another victory was Roger McGough and Cathy Tyson pulling out of compering the concert. Plus we get loads of tip offs about where she's going and when. We protested at the Hope Street hotel she was staying in last night, then went off, then got a call that she was about to land at the airport, so hastily recalled a small picket.

My friend Carmel, also press officer who lives up here, and I made our way back, without placards and on our own. There were a few balloons with the name Gordon Gentle (a young soldier who died in Iraq and whose wonderful mum was in Liverpool and Blackpool with me speaking on Wednesday night)tied to a lamppost. We struggled to untie them, helped by a policeman with a Swiss Army knife who was amazed we were protestors.

Another policeman said rather grumpily he thought we weren't coming back. So did we but by now we had our picket right outside the hotel with our chant, No Bush, No Rice, No Straw, No war.

So we managed to protest at her arrival. Today in the Liverpool Daily Post, there's a picture of us plus balloons against the imposing background of the Catholic Cathedral where we're assembling tonight.

You certainly see the sights in the anti-war movement. Join us if you can or in Blackburn tomorrow.

3/31/2006 09:51:00 AM | Permalink