Tens of thousands of flag-waving, whistle-blowing protesters have flooded Florence, marching through the Renaissance city to denounce a possible US-led war against Iraq. Fired with anti-Americanism and angered by a tough new UN resolution on Iraq, well over 150,000 people from across Europe joined the demonstration. (AFP photo)...

The new left begins to form in Europe to stop little George's Iraq attack

There are worldwide protests against little George's war which are increasing in number and size every week. The youth adults of the world are not deceived by the fact that little George is after Iraqi oil and not weapons of mass destruction.

The protest in Florence, Italy brought together several hundred thousand anti-war protesters.  This is the kind of anti-war protests that marked the exit of the United States from Vietnam.  But now the protests are worldwide thanks to the power of the Internet.

Indirectly the war in Vietnam and the paranoia of Richard Nixon ended his Presidency.  But little George isn't paying attention.

In the end, WorldPeace !

John WorldPeace
November 10,  2002

Florence flooded by anti-war protesters By Luke Baker

FLORENCE, Italy (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of flag-waving, whistle-blowing protesters have flooded Florence, marching through the Renaissance city to denounce a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq.

Fired with anti-Americanism and angered by a tough new United Nations resolution on Iraq, well over 150,000 people from across Europe joined the demonstration, holding aloft a sea of rainbow-coloured, multi-lingual banners.

Music blared from speakers, balloons drifted through the air and jugglers entertained the crowds, bringing a carnival-like atmosphere to what looked set to be the largest anti-war rally Italy has seen for years.

"Take your war and go to hell," one banner read. "Another Europe is possible. No to War," said another.

The march marked the climax of the first European Social Forum, which brought together anti-globalisation campaigners from across the continent for four days of talks and concerts.

Organisers estimated that some 300,000 people had joined the protest, and said they had to kick off the march an hour ahead of schedule because of the huge press of people building up in streets. The police gave no immediate estimates of numbers.

"The atmosphere here is wonderful. Absolutely perfect. It shows that a new young left is emerging," said Stavos Valsamis, a 27-year-old Greek activist from Athens.

SECURITY HEADACHE

The march was one of the largest public safety challenges Italian authorities have faced since the G8 summit in Genoa last year, when 300,000 demonstrators took to the streets and an orgy of violence left one protester dead and hundreds injured.

Although some 7,000 police were on call on Saturday, the security forces maintained an extremely low profile at the start of the protest, with most of their number held in reserve some distance from the seven-km (4.5 mile) rally route.

The rest of Florence was a ghost town with most shops in the art-rich historical centre pulling down the shutters for fear of violence. However, the city's famed museums remained open and offered free entry to the few tourists around.

The march was planned months ago, but organisers said it had been given added relevance by Friday's unanimous vote in the U.N. Security Council, which handed Iraq one last chance to disarm or face almost certain war.

"We no longer have any illusions about institutions like the United Nations and their ability to help humanity," said Alain Krivine, a far-left French politician. He added that he was convinced the U.S. had already made up its mind to attack Iraq.

"Marches alone won't stop wars, but this is quite literally a first step," he said.

While Friday's U.N. resolution gives the Security Council a central role in assessing the new arms' inspection programme for Iraq, it does not force the United States to seek council authorisation for war in the case of violations.

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