Thousands protest Bush visit

[cal04]

AT LEAST 4000 demonstrators vented their anger at the visit of US President George W. Bush to Germany today but were kept well away from a castle where the president dined. The centre of the picturesque western city was almost totally deserted after being shut to traffic and pedestrians during Mr Bush's visit.

The protesters brandished placards reading "Master of War Go Home" and "Don't Violate Human Rights". The organisers of the protest, an alliance of pacifist groups under the motto "Not Welcome, Mr Bush", said they were expecting 10,000 people to attend, but police put the numbers at about 4000.
"Everything is very peaceful," said organisers' spokesman Reiner Braun.

The stretch of the Rhine river that flows through Mainz was shut to shipping, but police confirmed that a boat with an anti-Bush protester on board had managed to sail towards a bridge shortly before Mr Bush's motorcade crossed it.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,12355254%255E1702,00.html

[in_cog_ni_to]

1. I wish these governments wouldn't protect that asshole.

He really needs to see how much the world hates him.

Thank You Germany! :hi:

[bpilgrim]

17. archive images here -> images.GlobalFreePress.com

http://images.globalfreepress.com

first you must regester here...
http://images.globalfreepress.com/gallery/register.php

then login with your username and password and start uploading =)

tia

peace

[Magleetis]

2. Thank you

to the protesters. Kinda gets me motivated for a good protest here at home.

[Stockholm]

3. Some pictures from Mainz

http://www.faz.net/imagecache/{93FFF424-58E4-49B0-9245-E85DBEB9A133}picture.jpeg http://www.faz.net/imagecache/{73E87D02-A3A8-4A07-99E9-8302A95D61C8}picture.jpeg
http://www.faz.net/imagecache/{C6984C84-F4DF-40A9-9F47-723FD4C8326F}picture.jpeg http://www.faz.net/imagecache/{E49DB8A7-E7D3-4C57-AB35-44791820BC6E}picture.jpeg
http://www.faz.net/imagecache/{E28773C9-7112-4C4B-B68B-0188F0AA4871}picture.jpeg

Caption this picture!
http://www.faz.net/imagecache/{DC32ED8B-9B10-4344-84A2-83828F4480F3}picture.jpeg

Sites protesting the visit
http://www.bushwanted.org/
http://www.bushinmainz.de/
http://www.notwelcomebush.de/
http://www.friedenskooperative.de/bush05.htm

[cal04]

4. Protesters carry placards

[Catamount]

9. Terrific photos, thanks

Shroeder,"What the fuck did he mean by that?"

[Catamount]

10. Schroeder, "What the fuck did he mean by that?"

[Catamount]

11. Sorry about the repeat!:)

[hippiechick]

13. Schroeder caption: "Du bist ein grosser Scheisskopf, George!"

:evilgrin:

[louis-t]

14. Ahhh, "you are a ...

big shithead George". How I remember that from 5th grade (1967)German class, I'll never know.

[Catamount]

15. Ja das stimmt!

LOL

[yorkiemommie1]

21. great job, Mainz!

n/t

[Straight Shooter]

5. bush may wish this means "hook 'em horns" but it doesn't

Someone is calling him out.

[Turley]

6. Snowing like hell here.

Hope AF1 doesn't get snowed in. I lve between Mainz and Frankfurt and had to take the S-bahn in today. They've closed down a major chunk of the Autobahn. Can't imagine this for another day.

[Solly Mack]

12. I tried for 6 hours to get to Mainz during the wee hours this morning

and couldn't do it. I was at the Mannheim hbf waiting for a train and there were delays for any traveling TO but not through/via/by way of. At least my limited understanding of German *thinks* that what was said ot me. I kept asking cause the board kept changing. I'm still learning...just got here in September. :)

[Karenina]

16. I was wondering...

HI SOLLY!!! :hi:

[Solly Mack]

19. Hey!

It was COLD!!!! and frustrating. Now I don't feel good. :(

It was a loooong morning.

[Englander]

7. From Reuters,India..

German protesters call Bush "No. 1 Terrorist"

MAINZ, Germany (Reuters) - Some 7,000 protesters, some carrying banners saying "Bush go home", "War Monger" and "No. 1 Terrorist", marched through the German town of Mainz on Wednesday but were kept away from the visiting U.S. president.

The largely peaceful rally never got within a kilometre (half mile) of U.S. President George W. Bush, who is on his first German visit since the 2003 Iraq war, which was deeply unpopular in Germany.

"I'm disgusted by the war in Iraq Bush started that has cost thousands of civilian lives," said Thomas Odenweller, 49, a computer technician. "Now he's trying to normalise relations with Europe. It must be stopped."

Ignoring snow and freezing temperatures, the demonstrators held banners chastising Bush in English with slogans such as: "You can bomb the world to pieces but not into peace." Many had pre-printed posters reading: "Bush, No. 1 Terrorist".

<snip
"When John F. Kennedy came to Germany he drove through cheering crowds," said Mark Reichelt, 20, a student. "Now Bush is here and will drive through empty streets."

http://www.reuters.co.in/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=worldNews&localeKey=en_IN&storyID=7714756



A protestor with her face painted white marches
during an anti U.S. President George W. Bush demonstration
in the south-western German city of Mainz February 23, 2005.
Police turned the small Rhine River town of Mainz into a fortress
in preparation for President Bush 's visit Wednesday.
REUTERS/Pawel Kopczynski

[Catamount]

8. Thanks, n/t

[jdj]

18. "were kept away from a castle where Bush dined"

that is a chilling sentence.

[Sequoia]

20. Well then, this guy at the Los Angles Times is in another world

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-022305germany_lat,0,5168518.story?coll=la-home-headlines

Where's that story about the protester whose sign was taken away that read, "We had our Hilter, You Have Yours"? This guy at LAT needs to get a clue!

[struggle4progress]

22. Protesters' boat evades security for Bush

23 February 2005

MAINZ - An inflatable boat launched into the Rhine river by anti-nuclear protesters on Wednesday briefly evaded tight German security imposed during the visit of US President George W. Bush.

Police said they detained two persons who drove the boat into an absolute exclusion zone and tried to unfurl banners.

The environmentalist group Greenpeace said the banners had been held up and said, "No nuclear weapons in the USA and elsewhere - No more wars, Mr. Bush!". The river flows past the windows of a talks venue, a former palace that is now a museum. <snip>

http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=52&story_id=17265&name=Protesters'+boat+evades+security+for+Bush