Monday 25 January 2010

A war criminal comes to town on Friday

I will be there on Friday along with all of those who object to what this most dissembling and dishonest of British politicians has done. There should be no hiding place for such as him.



DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST ON BLAIR INQUIRY DAY




The police are aiming to keep protesters out of sight this Friday when Tony Blair appears at the Iraq Inquiry.

Today's newspapers say the police are considering a ring of steel and an exclusion zone round the QEII Conference Centre in Westminster, where the Inquiry is held. (See http://bit.ly/85Ba2Z )

This contradicts a statement by Scotland Yard yesterday that they aim to "facilitate the protest as best we can".

Stop the War has demanded the right to protest on the grass immediately outside the conference centre. The police are refusing to say whether they will allow this.

To which Lindsey German, National Convenor of Stop the War, has responded: "It would be outrageous if the police were used to keep the public away from Tony Blair. Our right to peaceful protest must not be curtailed for political purposes. We are asking for the biggest possible turn out on Friday to defend the right to protest and make it clear to the world that the majority here think Tony Blair is guilty of war crimes."

Among those attending the all-day protest are writers, musicians, Iraqi exiles, the families of soldiers killed in
Iraq, well known actors, human rights lawyers and ordinary citizens from across the country. (Events timetable here: http://bit.ly/8mKM0T)

Military families who lost loved ones in Iraq will be joining the protests and 23 of them have written a letter to Blair requesting a personal meeting after he has completed his evidence:

"Our loved ones died in the Iraq war. This Friday we will be attending the Inquiry led by Sir John Chilcot. Please would you extend us the courtesy of a short private meeting after you have given your evidence to the Inquiry. If you could permit us 15 minutes out of your busy schedule we would be very grateful. This would assist the families in bringing some form of closure to the whole sorry episode of the Iraq war."

They await Blair's reply. He has refused repeatedly over the past six years all requests to meet with the bereaved families.

Please try to join Stop the War, the military families, CND and other organisations on Friday and publicise the protest as widely as you can.



TONY BLAIR'S "JUDGEMENT DAY"


DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST


Friday 29 January from 8.00am onwards


Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre


Broad Sanctuary, London, SW1P 3EE


Nearest tube: Westminster



For a timetable of the day's events, please go to:

http://bit.ly/8mKM0T

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