ITALY: ANTI WAR DEMONSTRATION IN FLORENCE AGAINST USA MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ OVER WEAPONS OF ,MASS DESTRUCTION.
Record ID:
208330
ITALY: ANTI WAR DEMONSTRATION IN FLORENCE AGAINST USA MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ OVER WEAPONS OF ,MASS DESTRUCTION.
- Title: ITALY: ANTI WAR DEMONSTRATION IN FLORENCE AGAINST USA MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ OVER WEAPONS OF ,MASS DESTRUCTION.
- Date: 9th November 2002
- Summary: (U6) FLORENCE, ITALY (NOVEMBER 9, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SLV/NIGHT SHOT: BANNER SAYING : 'DON'T ATTACK IRAQ' WITH PEOPLE DANCING AROUND IT 0.05 2. VARIOUS/NIGHT SHOTS: : DEMONSTRATORS DANCING. (2 SHOTS) 0.12 3. SV: OLDER COUPLE DANCING 0.16 4. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) SCOTTISH DEMONSTRATOR, CORINNE, SAYING: "I'm absolutely proud to be on a monstration this big. It's lively and vibrant, and that's before Bush and Blair and Berlusconi attack Iraq. We are powerful and we are growing. We have been growing from Genoa, Barcelona, Seville. Today has shown again one million people on the street against a war for oil. We can defeat our rulers if we stand up and be counted." 0.45 5. SLV/NIGHT SHOT: PEOPLE DANCING 0.51 6. SCU:(SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH DEMONSTRATOR, JEFF, SAYING: "I think it's going to make people listen, surely. They cannot ignore one million people demonstrating, young and old, from all over Europe saying: 'no war, stop the war.' I think it must have some effect." 1.04 7. VARIOUS/NIGHT SHOTS: DEMONSTRATORS GATHERING. (2 SHOTS) 1.12 8. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (English) ENGLISH DEMONSTRATOR, DEBBIE, SAYING: "I think Berlusconi looks stupid. Berlusconi said we were going to wreck Florence and mess up Florence and damage Florence and we've had a wonderful conference of anti-capitalists and people who are against the war across Europe. The day after the U.N. voted to support this bloody war of Bush and Blair, we've had this fantastic demonstration that shows that millions of ordinary people across the world don't want this war to happen." 1.41 9. SLV/NIGHT SHOT: PEOPLE MARCHING THROUGH STREET 1.44 10. CU: BANNER WITH CARTOON OF ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER SILVIO BERLUSCONI 1.48 11. SV/NIGHT SHOT: OLD MAN WATCHING DEMONSTRATION, HOLDING UMBRELLA WITH (Italian): "THANK YOU, KIDS" WRITTEN ON IT 1.53 12. SLV/NIGHT SHOT: PEOPLE MARCHING 1.58 13. LAS/NIGHT SHOT: DEMONSTRATORS DANCING 2.06 14. SLV/TRACK/NIGHT SHOT: MUSIC PLAYING FROM VAN 2.22 15. TRACK/NIGHT SHOT: PEOPLE MARCHING AND PLAYING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 2.37 16. SLV/NIGHT SHOT: CROWD APPLAUDING AS THEY MARCH. 2.40 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 24th November 2002 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: FLORENCE, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Reuters ID: LVA5KG7QSA5LX896YOPLVMZTUJZF
- Story Text: At the end of a huge march across the Renaissance city
of Florence, more than half a million anti-war protesters,
including children and grandmothers, gathered as they listened
to music and danced in a loud, colourful denunciation of the
U.S. stance against Iraq.
Brimming with anti-American feeling and riled by a
tough new United Nations (U.N.) resolution to disarm Saddam
Hussein, activists from as far afield as Russia and Portugal
joined forces for a massive carnival-like peace rally in
Florence, on Saturday (November 9).
Hundreds of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of
the art city all afternoon and eventually gathered to listen
to music and dance, all to demonstrate against United States
(U.S.) military action against Iraq.
The march was planned months ago, but organisers said it
had been given added relevance by Friday's (November 8)
unanimous vote in the U.N. Security Council, which handed Iraq
one last chance to disarm or face almost certain war.
While the new U.N. resolution gives the Security Council a
central role in assessing the new arms inspection programme
for Iraq, it does not require the United States to seek
council authorisation for war in the case of violations.
It marked the climax of the first European Social Forum, a
four-day meeting of anti-globalisation campaigners from across
the continent.
"I'm absolutely proud to be on a demonstration this big.
It's lively and vibrant, and that's before Bush and Blair and
Berlusconi attack Iraq. We are powerful and we are growing. We
have been growing from Genoa, Barcelona, Seville," said a
Scottish demonstrator, Corinne, referring to previous
anti-globalisation protests.
"Today has shown again one million people on the street
against a war for oil. We can defeat our rulers if we stand up
and be counted," she added.
"They cannot ignore one million people demonstrating,
young and old, from all over Europe saying no war, stop the
war," another demonstrator, Jeff, said. "I think it must have
some effect."
Florence has been virtually shut down for the November
6-10 period, with the U.S. state department advising its
citizens to steer clear of the city following concerns that
violent, anarchist groups might infiltrate the demonstration.
But, in the event, there was no trouble and observers
found it remarkable for its party-like atmosphere.
Florence's residents, initially worried there would be
violence, ended up participating to the rally and feeding
demonstrators.
One old man greeted the passing march with an umbrella
that had "Thanks, kids!" written on it.
"I think Berlusconi looks stupid. Berlusconi said we were
going to wreck Florence, mess up Florence and damage Florence.
We've had a wonderful conference of anti-capitalists and
people who are against the war across Europe," said an English
demonstrator, Debbie.
"The day after the U.N. voted to support this bloody war
of Bush and Blair, we've had this fantastic demonstration that
shows that millions of ordinary people across the world don't
want this war to happen," she added.
At mid-afternoon authorities estimated that some 500,000
protesters took part in the march.
But more people were still streaming into the city as
dusk fell on specially chartered trains and buses, and the
event organisers said the crowd could end up more than one
million strong, making it one of Italy's biggest ever anti-war
rallies.
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