Anti-war activists angry over Rice trip to Britain

[cal04]

Opponents of the Iraq war plan to demonstrate in the northern English cities of Blackburn and Liverpool this week against the visit of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The Stop the War coalition says it plans a protest in Liverpool on Friday, when Rice is expected to attend a concert, and in Blackburn on Saturday, when she will visit the constituency of Foreign Minister Jack Straw.

Borrowing from the classic Beatles song "A Day in the Life," it said on its Web site it aimed to get "4,000 no's in Blackburn Lancashire." The coalition is particularly angered that Rice will visit Liverpool because it has been named European City of Culture for 2008.

"This visit comes after the National Museum in Baghdad was looted under the eyes of U.S. soldiers and part of Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilisation, is being destroyed," a coalition spokeswoman said. "Everywhere she goes during her trip, we will be there to protest."

The visit returns Straw's trip last October to Rice's home state of Alabama which had been part of a State Department strategy to give foreign ministers a taste of life outside Washington. Straw said at the time: "I have invited Condi to the center of the world, to Blackburn." A Foreign Office spokesman said on Monday Straw was looking forward to showing Rice "two great places which reflect the thriving economy and cultural life of modern Britain".

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID=2006-03-27T122143Z_01_L27274815_RTRUKOC_0_US-BRITAIN-USA-RICE.xml

[shenmue]

1. She's a pinhead...

and should not stink up those great cities with her presence.

[lostexpectation]

2. Condi loves Lennon well imsure Lennon would have loathed Condi

its such rubbish

look at what one confused repub made



can you imagine anyone who would have hated what stood for condi more then lennon?

[stephinrome]

3. details on protests

Stop The War has the details on the planned protests, including transportation from several cities.

http://www.stopwar.org.uk/