Thursday March 20, 2003
War has begun! Several hours have passed since American and British troops crossed the border into Iraq from Kuwait; the invasion of a sovereign country, one of the founding nations of the United Nations, is in full swing.
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Anger has swept through the antiwar ranks, several hundred protesters gathered at the Cenotaph during the late afternoon after a long day of protests initiated by sixth-formers from Wyke College, and continued by students from the University of Hull. Cottingham Road was blocked, and then they marched into the city centre to be joined later by town people at the Cenotaph.
A Cornish flag lazily flapping with the late afternoon breeze, a funky beat in the background, then cries of despair and pain were uttered by four figures clad in black, their white bowing faces occupying four corners in the middle of the crowd. A cordon of police officers surrounded the demonstration.
Speeches followed, and then the crowd moved across Carr Lane and run towards Castle Street, catching the police unaware. Officers in horseback galloped, trying unsuccessfully to prevent the crowd from mass occupying Castle Street, the main arterial road leading to Hull docks. One of the protesters, an Iraqi boy, was injured after being kicked by one of the horses.
Both lanes of the road were eventually occupied for over an hour by a mass sit down, angry arguments between some pro-war drivers and us developed.
Just before 7pm we decided to pay a visit to Alan Johnson, MP, who was due to speak at a Labour Party selection committee at the Unison building. Johnson, one of the MPs who voted with the government, decided not to attend the meeting upon hearing about the reception party we had prepared for him. Another cowardly minister who ran away from debate like a brainless parrot.
Certainly the anti-war campaign is not going to be folded up as long as this war continues. The fact that it has started does not make it right.
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Page updated: 30 November 2007
