Photo essay: Belfast anti-war protests
antrim |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Tuesday May 08, 2007 15:39
by Ciarán Ó Brolcháin
ciaranobrolchain at hotmail dot com
Photos from the anti-war protest outside Stormont's parliament building, the protest at Strandtown PSNI barracks and the protest at the Newsletter offices behind Belfast City Hall.
There were other groups at Stormont today, including anti-water charges groups and FAIR, and I may post those photos later.
Comments (15 of 15)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15The cops moved straight in when a peaceful act of civil disobedience was organised to protest Blair's arrival. Three people were arrested at this point.
Despite misinformation from the police that the three anti-war protestors arrested had been taken to Musgrave Street station, the others found out that they had actually been taken to Strandtown barracks and organised an impromptu demonstration outside of it.
There had already been a heavy police presence behind the City Hall
The anti-war protestors returned to Belfast city centre where they discovered that a heavy police presence was awaiting the arrival of Blair behind the City Hall in the offices of the Belfast Newsletter. The cops quickly formed a line around the protestors to hem them in and prevent them getting too close to the war criminal. Another protestor was arrested a few minutes after these photos were taken.
Three police officers were injured as violence broke out ahead of the restoration of power-sharing in the North.
Protesters blocked the road outside Stormont in Belfast where British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern were attending the opening of the new devolved administration.
One officer was taken to hospital with a suspected broken nose while another was treated for concussion following the clashes, police said.
Three arrests were made during the trouble, which was brought under control within minutes.
Peace activists had pledged to use Mr Blair’s presence at the Stormont Assembly to protest against the conflict in Iraq.
The Belfast Anti-War Movement had planned to mobilise in the city centre and travel to the gates of Parliament Buildings with banners and placards expressing opposition to events in the Middle East.
I saw one cop stumble and fall to the ground as he tried to grab a protestor. Aside from this I can't see how the three peelers attained their supposed injuries. They certainly weren't caused by the anti-war protestors.
Great report. Well done all who resisted!
The police attacked the sit down protest before people even got a chance to sit down. There is no way three of them were injured, i saw no evidence of that until the lads were in the back of the van and suddenly a woman cop started to hold her nose and sit down on the ground in front of the cameras. Some of our people were injured by them though as they were pulled off the road..
Back in the city centre they then hemmed us into a corner not allowing us to make a dignified protest and made another arrest behind the city hall, again being vicious in their efforts.
Looks like the left are well in the sights of the new RUC, Sinn Fein have to be pushed to explain how they feel about the actions of their police force today.
Protest tomorrow at laganside courts at 10am.
Good action and excellent report.
Solidarity with our comrades /friends of the Belfast Anti-War Movement.
well done to the anarchists for organising this
solidarity with those arrested
More images
more images from the same event
Related link
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/82442
Just for peoples info, the solidarity protest tomorrow has not been organised by anarchists, it has not been organised by any one group. It is being organised by all for all and hopefully everyone will attend and show the arrested lads that we are all behind them.
10am at the courts.
Well done to the protesters.
Blairs presence on this island is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of Iraqis killed because of his war mongering.
Blair continues to hold ultimate responsibility for the continued occupation of 6 of Irelands counties by the same army that now also occupies Iraq (wonder where they got/are still getting their training.....?).
Re the cops - cops are cops are cops.
Whether its Rossport, Belfast or Dublin, the RUC/PSNI or the Gardai, they will act in favour of their political masters.
Maith sibh to all those who stood up to them today.
True, the protest is a result of a collective decision and for the record Anarchists did not claim to have organised it.
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