Irish activists to attend Bush protest in London

Irish activists opposed to the war in Iraq are to send a delegation to London next week for a protest against US president Mr…

Irish activists opposed to the war in Iraq are to send a delegation to London next week for a protest against US president Mr George W Bush's visit.

The Stop the War Coalition in Britain said it expects "hundreds of thousands" of people to turn out for an event in Trafalgar Square at which a huge statue of Mr Bush will be symbolically toppled.

The toppling of the statue will mimic the events in Iraq when a statue of the deposed leader Saddam Hussein was hauled down from a plith.

Stop the War said it doesn't anticipate any security problems at the event, although it has raised objections to limitations that have been placed on the route of the planned protest march.

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The Metropolitan Police has denied the coalition a route which passes the Houses of Parliament and Whitehall.

Coaches of protesters will travel from all over Britain for the day.

The mayor of London, Mr Ken Livingstone, will hold a "peace reception" for prominent opponents of the war on Iraq next Wednesday, midway through President Bush's visit. He has urged protesters to abide by the law.

Mr Richard Boyd-Barrett of the Irish Anti War Movement, told ireland.comthat representatives would travel to the London protest, which takes place next Thursday.

Mr Boyd-Barrett was speaking from Paris, where he is attending the second European Social Forum along with other Irish activists. The war in Iraq is expected to be a major focus of the event. Between 30,000 and 60,000 delegates representing trade unions, campaign groups and environmental organisations from all over the world are expected to take part.

Key decisions are likely to be made in relation to the ongoing war in Iraq and on anti-globalisation issues, Mr Boyd-Barrett said.

A demonstration against "neo-liberalism and war" will take place in Paris on Saturday.