Media Release 17/03/05

TENS OF THOUSANDS TO PROTEST IN FIRST MASS DEMONSTRATION TO US EMBASSY SINCE 1968

TENS of thousands of anti-war protestors will snake past the American Embassy in London on Saturday as part of the global protest against the
continued US occupation of Iraq.
The Metropolitan Police have been forced to give permission for the demonstration to march around Grosvenor Square. This will be the first mass demonstration to pass the US Embassy since it became a flash point in the anti-Vietnam War protests in 1968. Demonstrators will be lodging their protest at the continued occupation of Iraq and the continued war mongering in the Middle East.
Organisers say the mood of demonstrators will have been hardened by the Bush Administration’s nomination of Paul Wolfowitz as chairmen of the World
Bank.

"One might have expected a little humility from the Bush Administration after it's destruction and occupation of Iraq. However, the nomination of Wolfowitz, the man who is recognised as chief architect of war with Iraq, will outrage most decent people," said Lindsey German, convenor of Stop The War Coalition.

" Wolfowitz is the author of the US policy of terrorising the world militarily and now the US want him to act as the enforcer of US economic terrorism around the world. Their hubris is as staggering as it is frightening and we must continue to resist their extension of their War on Terror and maintain the pressure on our Government to follow the Italian government's decision to withdraw troops from Bush's Wars," she added.

Millions of people around the globe will be taking part in the global day of action against Bush's Wars.

Note to desks: The London demonstration assembles at Hyde Park at 12 noon and will march  - via Grosvenor Square - to Trafalgar Square for a rally.

Due to the success in securing the right to march to Grosvenor Square the route has been changed. See attached map for details.

Many demonstrators have arrived in London early and are currently enjoying the sun shining on - (the righteous!) - and the Military Families Peace
Camp in Trafalgar Square.

Tonight, Tony Benn, Shami Chakrabarti and others will be speaking to hundreds of activists camped out in the heart of London, in a debate on ‘Bush Wars and Terror Laws’

George Galloway MP will be among those sleeping over tonight.

Lindsey German and coalition co-founder John Rees are available for interview.

Contact: Carmel Brown on 07718 155105 or Andrew Burgin on 07939 242229: