UK: PEACE VIGIL AGAINST IRAQI AIR STRIKES HELD OUTSIDE PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE.
Record ID:
342154
UK: PEACE VIGIL AGAINST IRAQI AIR STRIKES HELD OUTSIDE PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE.
- Title: UK: PEACE VIGIL AGAINST IRAQI AIR STRIKES HELD OUTSIDE PRIME MINISTER'S RESIDENCE.
- Date: 19th February 1998
- Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (18 FEBRUARY, 1998) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV/PAN: WIDE OF DEMONSTRATION/ POLICE 0.13 2. GV: PROTESTERS 0.17 3. GV/MCU: PEOPLE HOLDING PLACARDS/ CANDLES (3 SHOTS) 0.33 4. CU: WOMAN SAYING: "I DONT KNOW, ORGANISE A SWAT TEAM TO GO IN AND KILL HIM OR SOMETHING. I'M SURE MORE PEOPLE WOULD SUPPORT IT IF IT WAS DIRECTLY AT SADDAM AND NOT AT THE IRAQI PEOPLE." (ENGLISH) 0.44 5. CU: MAN SAYING: "FROM WHAT I HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE IN IRAQ ARE NOT HAPPY WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN ANY WAY AND THE PEOPLE YOU ARE GOING TO END UP KILLING ARE THE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET RID OF HIM LIKE THE KURDS." (ENGLISH) 1.00 6. GV: DEMONSTRATORS/ POLICE ON HORSEBACK 1.08 7. GV: POLICE ARRESTING TWO MEN (2 SHOTS) 1.19 8. GV: EXTERIOR OF 10 DOWNING STREET 1.23 9. SV: CUTAWAY OF CAMERAMAN 1.27 10. MV: DELEGATION OUTSIDE DOWNING STREET - LEFT TO RIGHT - HAROLD PINTER, PLAYWRIGHT, TONY BENN, LABOUR MP, GEORGE GALLOWAY, LABOUR MP. 1.35 11. CU: TONY BENN, SAYING: "WE MUST NOT GIVE UP HOPE THIS IS NOT SORT OF VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS, ITS THE OUTCRY OF MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WORLDWIDE." (ENGLISH) 1.44 12. GV: DELEGATION WALKING OFF 1.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th March 1998 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVACITNSGWXU44YEYY9QNX30FLQ7
- Story Text: Peace campaigners have held a candlelit vigil outside the British Prime Minister's residence in London against a possible air strike on Iraq.
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the entrance to Downing Street on Wednesday (February 18) calling for a change in the British government's stance on Iraq.
Britain and the United States are the strongest supporters of military action against Saddam Hussein if inspectors in Baghdad aren't given free and unrestricted access to sites where Iraq may be hiding biological and chemical weapons.
But peace campaigners maintain the only people to suffer from any attack on Iraq will be innocent civilians.
One woman voiced a common opinion that the west should be focussing its attention on getting rid of Saddam and if necessary sending a hit squad into Baghdad to assassinate the Iraqi leader rather than punishing the ordinary people of Iraq.
But the majority of protesters appealed for diplomatic efforts to continue until there was a solution.
A delegation handed in a petition to 10 Downing Street urging British Prime Minister Tony Blair not to resort to military action.
Veteran Labour MP Tony Benn said no-one should give up hope.Theirs wasn't a voice in the wilderness but the cry of millions of people worldwide, he said.
Police officers arrested two women and a man on breach of the peace charges.There had been attempts by some demonstrators to handcuff themselves to the gates of Downing Street.
But for the most part the protest passed off peacefully.
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