Half a million expected in London alone, the biggest demonstrations in Australia since the Vietnam war, and protests in places that are far flung and remote. Hopefully this will be a historic global protest that will make the few governments that support war realise the sentiments of the vast majority of the world's people.
World gears up for anti-war protests
Millions of people around the globe are expected to take part in a series of protests against the prospect of a US-led military invasion of Iraq. More than 500,000 people are expected to march in London
Two of the largest demonstrations are to be held in New York and London, where more than half a million people are expected to attend a rally which culminates in Hyde Park.
Protests are also planned in Berlin, Paris, Rome, Cape Town, Athens, Tokyo, Dublin, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Toronto against increasing moves towards a war to rid Baghdad of its alleged weapons of mass destruction and unseat Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. New Zealand saw one of Saturday's first protests, with environmental pressure group Greenpeace flying a plane over Auckland harbour, where the Americas Cup began on Saturday, trailing a banner stating "No War, Peace Now".
Novel protests
In London, organisers are confidently predicting what could be the country's largest anti-war protest. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has suffered a fall in popularity following his staunch support of US plans to launch military action against Saddam Hussein. Several high profile speakers are expected in London. "We believe that the London demonstration will be one of the biggest and the most pivotal because the British Government is actively involved in the build up to war and the British people definitely do not want war," said Stop The War UK leader Andrew Murray. Speakers at the rally in Hyde Park will include Charles Kennedy, leader of Britain's second-biggest opposition party and US activist Jesse Jackson.
In New York a protest is scheduled to commence at 1200 local time (1700GMT) near the United Nations headquarters - the currently scene of intense diplomatic discussions following Friday's report by UN Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. Celebrities and activists such as Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and black activist Angela Davis will be attending the demonstration. And they be joined by some families of the victims of the attack on the World Trade Centre, marching as "9/11 Families for Peace." In Rome more than one million people are expected to attend an anti-war protest. In Asia, weekend protests are planned for Tokyo, Bangkok and Hong Kong, as well as around India and Pakistan, where the country's Anti-War Committee, a coalition of labour and political groups, said it had protests planned for 20 cities across the country. Anti-war activists in Turkey are calling on fellow citizens to simultaneously turn off all lights at 2000 local time (2200 GMT) as a novel sign of support for anti-war sentiment.
Melbourne protest
Anti-war feeling has even reached the tiny South Pacific island nation of Fiji, where an anti-war group has sent floral messages to foreign embassies urging them to put pressure on the US and its allies to avoid war. Some countries held rallies on Friday in anticipation of the weekend's protest. In Melbourne, around 150,000 people took to the streets to protest against a possible war, in the biggest peace protest in Australia since anti-Vietnam War demonstrations 30 years ago. The rally started with the sound of mock air raid sirens, symbolising air attacks on Baghdad, with participants carrying placards reading "No blood for oil", and "Don't bomb Iraq". And further rallies are planned across the country in Perth, Hobart and Canberra on Saturday, followed on Sunday by others in Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide and Sydney.
World gears up for anti-war protests
Millions of people around the globe are expected to take part in a series of protests against the prospect of a US-led military invasion of Iraq. More than 500,000 people are expected to march in London
Two of the largest demonstrations are to be held in New York and London, where more than half a million people are expected to attend a rally which culminates in Hyde Park.
Protests are also planned in Berlin, Paris, Rome, Cape Town, Athens, Tokyo, Dublin, San Francisco, Amsterdam and Toronto against increasing moves towards a war to rid Baghdad of its alleged weapons of mass destruction and unseat Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. New Zealand saw one of Saturday's first protests, with environmental pressure group Greenpeace flying a plane over Auckland harbour, where the Americas Cup began on Saturday, trailing a banner stating "No War, Peace Now".
Novel protests
In London, organisers are confidently predicting what could be the country's largest anti-war protest. UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has suffered a fall in popularity following his staunch support of US plans to launch military action against Saddam Hussein. Several high profile speakers are expected in London. "We believe that the London demonstration will be one of the biggest and the most pivotal because the British Government is actively involved in the build up to war and the British people definitely do not want war," said Stop The War UK leader Andrew Murray. Speakers at the rally in Hyde Park will include Charles Kennedy, leader of Britain's second-biggest opposition party and US activist Jesse Jackson.
In New York a protest is scheduled to commence at 1200 local time (1700GMT) near the United Nations headquarters - the currently scene of intense diplomatic discussions following Friday's report by UN Chief weapons inspector Hans Blix. Celebrities and activists such as Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and black activist Angela Davis will be attending the demonstration. And they be joined by some families of the victims of the attack on the World Trade Centre, marching as "9/11 Families for Peace." In Rome more than one million people are expected to attend an anti-war protest. In Asia, weekend protests are planned for Tokyo, Bangkok and Hong Kong, as well as around India and Pakistan, where the country's Anti-War Committee, a coalition of labour and political groups, said it had protests planned for 20 cities across the country. Anti-war activists in Turkey are calling on fellow citizens to simultaneously turn off all lights at 2000 local time (2200 GMT) as a novel sign of support for anti-war sentiment.
Melbourne protest
Anti-war feeling has even reached the tiny South Pacific island nation of Fiji, where an anti-war group has sent floral messages to foreign embassies urging them to put pressure on the US and its allies to avoid war. Some countries held rallies on Friday in anticipation of the weekend's protest. In Melbourne, around 150,000 people took to the streets to protest against a possible war, in the biggest peace protest in Australia since anti-Vietnam War demonstrations 30 years ago. The rally started with the sound of mock air raid sirens, symbolising air attacks on Baghdad, with participants carrying placards reading "No blood for oil", and "Don't bomb Iraq". And further rallies are planned across the country in Perth, Hobart and Canberra on Saturday, followed on Sunday by others in Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide and Sydney.
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