posted 03-15-2003 04:03 AM            

Anti-War Protesters to Surround White House
Sat Mar 15, 1:58 AM ET

By Niala Boodhoo
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=578&e=3&cid=578&u=/ nm/20030315/ts_nm/iraq_usa_protests_dc

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of anti-war protesters are expected to surround the White House on Saturday, in what may be one of their last chances to dissuade the Bush administration from invading Iraq.

Organizers at International ANSWER, a coalition of groups that have banded together to oppose a possible war, said they are expecting tens of thousands of people from more than 100 U.S. cities.

College students from as far as Wisconsin and Florida will rally at the Washington Monument before marching to both the White House and the Justice Department to surround the buildings in a peaceful "sea of humanity," organizers said.

"Instead of a last-gasp effort before the bombs start to fall, we think there's still a possibility of affecting policy and stopping them altogether," International ANSWER spokesman Chuck Kaufman said.

President Bush was to spend Saturday away from Washington at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. Sunday morning, he heads to Portugal's Azores islands for an emergency summit with the leaders of Britain and Spain in a final pursuit of a U.N. resolution on Iraq that would overcome opposition in the Security Council.

The three countries are the sponsors of a U.N. resolution that would set the stage for war on Iraq over its alleged weapons of mass destruction programs, and which is the subject of a bitter fight among council members.

The Washington protest is one of several planned for Saturday in the United States. Organizers said demonstrations are also expected throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.

Washington police said the organizers had received a permit to march and that they expected the demonstration would be just as peaceful as previous protests.

The coalition's past protests have drawn thousands to Washington. Kaufman said they are hoping Saturday's march rivals a previous demonstration on Oct. 26, which they estimated brought 200,000 people into the streets.

Religious leaders have also planned a Sunday evening prayer vigil at Washington's Lincoln Memorial that will coincide with thousands of other candlelight vigils across the world.

"My hope is that on Monday morning the (Bush) administration will realize there are two superpowers in the world: the United States and world opinion," said the Rev. Bob Edgar, general secretary of the National Council of Churches.

"They haven't convinced the world there is a smoking gun," he said.

posted 03-15-2003 04:42 AM            

IS THAT "LINEAR" ENOUGH FOR YA'LL?

posted 03-15-2003 12:27 PM            

Ongoing global protest coverage at.....

posted 03-15-2003 08:32 PM               

thanks Mech you seem to be working overtime here lately, providing some great stuff 'tho, I appreciate the efforts.