Central London to be shut down for three days

[Donut]

By order of the White House:

Yard fury over Bush visit
By Patrick Sawer, Evening Standard
10 November 2003

White House security demands covering President George Bush's controversial state visit to Britain have provoked a serious row with Scotland Yard.

American officials want a virtual three-day shutdown of central London in a bid to foil disruption of the visit by anti-war protestors. They are demanding that police ban all marches and seal off the city centre.

But senior Yard officers say the powers requested by US security chiefs would be unprecedented on British soil. While the Met wants to prevent violence, it is sensitive to accusations of trying to curtail legitimate protest.

Met officers came in for heavy criticism when banners were torn down and demonstrators prevented from coming within sight of Chinese President Jiang Zemin during his visit in 1999.

But with tens of thousands of protestors from around the UK set to join blockades and marches during the Bush trip, US officials are reportedly insisting on an "exclusion zone".

They say terrorists could use the crowds as cover to attack the President.

Secrecy surrounds his itinerary during the trip, which starts on 19 November. He will stay at Buckingham Palace and his staff want The Mall, Whitehall and part of the City closed. Besides provoking a civil liberties backlash, the Met fears such a move would cause traffic chaos and incur huge loss of business across the capital.

White House officials have already vetoed the traditional drive in an open carriage along the Mall. They fear it would make Mr Bush too vulnerable to attack or confrontations over British support for the US in Iraq.

Anti-war groups such as the Stop The War Coalition, and the Muslim Association of Britain, have made no secret of their wish to harass Mr Bush wherever he goes. But they insist they are only planning "non-violent direct action".

Met Commissioner Sir John Stevens said his force was facing "a very tough" time over the visit, which will see the biggest security operation ever mounted in Britain.

He told the Breakfast with Frost show a balance had to be struck between the President's safety and protestors' right to make their voices heard.

"We are on the highest alert that we have ever worked at," he said. "We are working two-and-a-half times harder than we did at the very height of the Irish terror campaign."

The Yard has cancelled all leave for the three-day visit and mobilised 3,800 officers for the £4million security operation.

Civil rights campaigners say they expect draconian anti-terror rules to be deployed, although Sir John has assured them marches will be allowed and they will be able to use Trafalgar Square.

But the Met and the US Secret Service have reportedly agreed "rules of engagement" allowing Bush bodyguards to shoot anyone they believe is clearly threatening the life of the President.
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[Barry the Sprout]

If I get shot that weekend could I have it on the record now that someone has made a mistake- I have no intention of harming George Bush but every intention of following him everywhere he goes...

If they do provide an exclusion zone then there will be absolute uproar. Keeping protesters out of sight of Bush probably won't go down as well over here as America (not that it went down well over there apparently). I really wonder if Blair knows what he is doing. The issue is pretty dead over here, sidelined into the Hutton inquiry for the most part, but this state visit is just the thing to bring it back to the surface.

[Donut]

Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: If I get shot that weekend could I have it on the record now that someone has made a mistake- I have no intention of harming George Bush but every intention of following him everywhere he goes... If they do provide an exclusion zone then there will be absolute uproar. Keeping protesters out of sight of Bush probably won't go down as well over here as America (not that it went down well over there apparently). I really wonder if Blair knows what he is doing. The issue is pretty dead over here, sidelined into the Hutton inquiry for the most part, but this state visit is just the thing to bring it back to the surface.

Now you be careful BtS - don't you be giving any of those secret service blokes dirty looks. No open carriage ride down the Mall for George and Liz.

[Barry the Sprout]

Tell you what, I'll see how many police and security people want to buy papers. Thats always a laugh... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Donut]

I looked on Fox news to get their viewpoint on the visit. I couldn't find the story so if anyone sees it can I have the link.

Or is it not important enough for Fox?

[Timber Loftis]

Funny that we have the constitutional freedom of speech over hear and you Brits don't, isn't it? Which one is more free, hmmmm? I hope your admin doesn't succumb to all these demands.

Sorry, dumb little oil monkee, no matter how much you shut your eyes, cover your ears, and say "na nana nana" at the top of your voice, you're just going to have to accept the fact that some people don't like you. [img]graemlins/noevil.gif[/img]

[ 11-11-2003, 12:19 PM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

With all the hoopla, maybe George should reconsider visiting London. I can understand the Brits for wanting to harass him. It's probably better for Tony to visit the US. And ....

"Civil rights campaigners say they expect draconian anti-terror rules to be deployed, although Sir John has assured them marches will be allowed and they will be able to use Trafalgar Square.

But the Met and the US Secret Service have reportedly agreed "rules of engagement" allowing Bush bodyguards to shoot anyone they believe is clearly threatening the life of the President."

Good Lord! Anyone?! Can't they just pepper spray or stun-gun them. BTW Trafalgar brings back memory of my visit. I once saw a nude streaker there. Maybe he'll pay a visit again. Just for George.

[Timber Loftis]

I wouldn't dare streak nude through Trafalgar, what with all the pigeons who are so used to being fed by people hanging around. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[antryg]

I wonder what it says about Bush when he thinks his allies might shoot him?

[Timber Loftis]

Originally posted by antryg: I wonder what it says about Bush when he thinks his allies might shoot him?

Antryg, I get sick of posting "LOL" posts to the stuff you say. I insist you cease and desist the humor for at least a while, please, for the good of us all.

But, LOL!