The Hindu : Grandma sets the tone for anti-Bush protests

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 19, 2003

International

International

Grandma sets the tone for anti-Bush protests

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON NOV. 18. A plucky 61-year-old grandmother perched atop the gates of the heavily-guarded Buckingham Palace and raising an anti-Bush banner was set to become the enduring image of the nationwide fury over the U.S. President, George W.Bush's four-day visit to Britain, starting on Tuesday evening.

Defying the unprecedented security around the Palace where Mr. Bush and his wife would be staying, Lindis Percy, a veteran peace campaigner, scaled the Palace gates and spent more than two hours hanging on to the railings in a symbolic protest against the visit.

She unfurled an American flag carrying the message, "Elizabeth Windsor and Co. He's not welcome,'' and pinned it to the gates as the police watched in embarrassment.

When Ms. Percy finally came down, she was arrested for breach of security amid fears that such incidents could recur during Mr. Bush's visit.

Some 14,000 police officers would be on the streets of London to protect Mr. Bush in what has been described as the biggest-ever security operation for a state visit at an estimated cost of nearly £10 millions.

Mr. Bush arrives here later this evening, but he will be formally received by the Queen at a ceremonial welcome on Wednesday morning kicking off what is billed as arguably the most controversial visit by a U.S. President.

Some 100,000 anti-war campaigners and civil rights activists plan to take to the streets on Thursday and, sensing the mood, the police have agreed to allow them to march past Downing Street.

A spokesperson of the Stop the War Coalition, one of the many organisers of the protests, hailed it as a "major victory for civil liberties''.

"We have always maintained it is important to be able to demonstrate where we will be most effective. We think it will be a massive demonstration,'' she said. The outspoken Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, lashed out at the visit describing Mr. Bush as the "greatest threat to life on this planet''. "I don't formally recognise George Bush because he was not officially elected. We are organising an alternative reception for anyone who is not George Bush,'' he said.

But even as protesters claimed growing support, a poll in The Guardian claimed that a majority of people backed Mr. Bush's visit and believed that America was "generally speaking a force for good, not evil, in the world.''

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