25/11/2003

Burning Planet March Against Bush
About 1000 rowdy protestors took to the streets for the first protest against George Bush on the evening he touched down in the UK. And the focus was appropriate: climate change. Here's one protestor's views:

In Lincoln's Inn Fields, the Samba band struck up and the march was called to order the numbers had swollen and by the time we reached the Aldwych and Esso HQ (well guarded with truck loads of police) we were small but perfectly formed.

The black helicopter carrying both the Charlies swopped swooped overhead and on to the Palace. Cafe staff came out in numbers to gape as the Rinky Dink pedal powered sound system from Stroud set light to its windmill.

As as we passed through the posher bits of Berkeley and Grosvenor Squares upstairs windows opened, people left their dinner parties to appear on balconies some applauding and casino staff lined up in amazement as if to guard their entrances.

Banners were aplenty, including a BOYCOTT ESSO banner, and one which read "Under every Bush you'll find dirt." Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth local groups and head office staff were marching, with FoE's beautiful lanterns lighting the way.

A sizeable and good humoured demonstration were led right up to the doors of the symbol of US power in the UK: the US embassy.

Inspiring speeches from Michael Meacher, FoE's Tony Juniper, Greenpeace's Stephen Tindale and the Green Party's Darren Johnston were received by a wildly enthusiastic audience.

Stephen mentioned a salient point: the US Ambassador to London, William Farish, has more than $50 million of shares in ExxonMobil. Farish has been a good friend to Bush for years, helping him put all his millions into blind trusts. Bush made him Ambassador.

Congratulations to Phil Thornhill of the Campaign Against Climate Change for all his hard work in organising the first protest of the big Bush week.

Indymedia
and here
Campaign Against Climate Change

Carnival Picket of ExxonMobil HQ
4.30 pm Wednesday 100 + people and planet people from universities across the UK, 50 cops and three acrobatic tigers gathered outside ExxonMobil's London HQ. the colourful picket danced to the music of pots and pans on the pavement and the inimitable whistles...

"beep if you don't buy Esso" placards drew loads of support from traffic.

esso staff, worried about their links with Bush the climate killer, escaped out the back and the office closed early

The students continued with a StopEsso pub night tonight in the LSE Underground Bar, complete with pub quiz (texan themed), kyoto krusher cocktails and highly collectable beer mats ...

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