Thousands Protest Radar Base in Prague
Dan Clore
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
*****
http://tinyurl.com/yvj9gm
Two thousand protest against radar base in Prague
Prague -- Some 2000 people protested against the possible stationing of
a U.S. radar system in the Czech Republic near the building of the Czech
Foreign Ministry today.
The protest was held on the occasion of today's arrival of U.S.
President George W. Bush in Prague.
Bush is to arrive at Prague airport later today. On Tuesday, he will
discuss with Czech representatives first of all the planned construction
of the U.S. radar base in the Brdy military grounds southwest of Prague.
The demonstration started with a performance showing a trial of
President Bush after an anarchist revolution.
The gathering was organised by the No To Bases group. People who
protested against the radar base outside the U.S. embassy earlier this
afternoon joined the demonstration, too.
The gathering of the opponents of the radar base and of President Bush
was calm.
The protest outside the U.S. embassy was organised by the Communist
Youth (KSM) and the Communist Party (KSCM). The participants chanted
slogans such as "Say No to War, Say No to Radar" and delivered speeches.
KSM head Milan Krajco said his group gathered 111,000 signatures under a
petition against the radar base.
Marta Semelova, chairwoman of the Communist Party Prague branch,
strongly criticised U.S. President Bush.
"Bush should by tried by the International Court of Justice as a was
criminal," she told the gathering.
However, anticommunist activist Jan Sinagl told the protesters he wanted
to thank the USA for its defence of democracy.
About 100 anarchists demanded in vain this evening that they be let near
the Prague Castle in the area they was closed to the public because of
Bush's visit. The anarchists tried to break through police barriers, but
a riot police unit did not let them pass through the barriers.
*****
http://tinyurl.com/2hycke
Hundreds protest against Bush visit in Czech Republic
04/06/2007 - 19:46:34
Hundreds of protesters carried an effigy of Uncle Sam and staged a mock
trial of US President George Bush today in demonstrations against his
visit in the Czech Republic and US plans to build a missile defence system.
Chanting "Shame on Bush!" and waving cardboard rockets, they rallied
peacefully on a square near the medieval Prague Castle before Mr Bush's
evening arrival and scheduled speech tomorrow to an international
conference on democracy and security.
Growing displeasure over the US drive to put a radar system in the Czech
Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in neighbouring Poland has
overshadowed Mr Bush's stop en route to the G8 summit in Germany.
Opponents contend the shield -- which the US says would help protect
both it and Europe from a rocket attack by Iran -- could make Czechs a
target for terrorists and re-ignite Cold War-era tensions between
Washington and Moscow.
"We had Russian troops here for more than 20 years, and I was against
that, too," said Karel Janko, 63, a businessman protesting what he
called "America's misguided motives" behind the missile shield.
Communist youth staged a separate demonstration that began outside the
US embassy, where activists held signs that read "Bush: World Hate Tour
2007". Later, they marched to the hilltop castle, where masked
anarchists held banners that said "Terrorist Alert: Bush is Armed and
Dangerous".
Polls say that more than 60% of Czechs oppose the idea of hosting the
radar system, which would be built inside the sprawling Brdy military
zone south-west of Prague, and surveys in Poland suggest just one in
four Poles wants the missiles.
Opposition is growing despite repeated US assurances that the rockets
would not carry warheads and would be purely defensive, posing no threat
to Russia.
Russian president Vladimir Putin warned today that Moscow could take
"retaliatory steps" if Washington proceeds with plans to build the
system, including possibly aiming nuclear weapons at targets on the
continent.
"Dear Mr President, we would like to welcome you in Prague. But don't
expect everyone will be happy to meet you," the mass-circulation daily
Blesk wrote in an open letter to Mr Bush on today.
"You are coming here to defend your radar, which most of the Czech
people don't wish to have."
Mr Bush is scheduled to meet Czech prime minister Mirek Topolanek
tomorrow, who has shrugged off domestic opposition and contends the
missile shield would enhance security in the face of a possible threat
from Iran or elsewhere in the Middle East.
He will also meet Czech president Vaclav Klaus, who has said he is open
to discussing the concept but wants any decision based on detailed talks
and expert information.
"We are unable to face the new threats and risks that endanger the free
world alone. We are unable to face them without adequate means of
defence," Mr Klaus wrote in a commentary for today's editions of the
Lidove Noviny newspaper.
The US has accused Tehran of covertly trying to gain nuclear weapons
capability. Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely peaceful and
geared solely toward producing electricity.
Today, Iran's top security official called US plans for a missile
defence shield a "joke", saying Tehran’s missiles do not have the
capability to reach Europe.
"I think Bush is immoral, and I have to say I feel no threat from Iran,"
said Margaret Johnova, 24, a university student who joined today's protests.
Mr Bush's visit to the Czech Republic -- a US ally that has deployed
troops to Iraq and Afghanistan -- is his first since a Nato summit in
Prague in 2004.
Underscoring Czech displeasure with Mr Bush, the local office of the
human rights group Amnesty International was collecting signatures today
on a letter calling on him to close the US terror detention facility at
Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
"It is high time to put an end to discriminatory anti-terrorist measures
and respect human rights," the group said.
*****
http://tinyurl.com/yq4lpl
Matangi Tonga (http://www.matangitonga.to )
Press Releases
Humanists say no to new base
05 Jun 2007, 05:42
Prague, Czech Republic:
HUMANIST movement, founding member of the "No to the Bases" initaitive
opposes the plan of the current US administration to build a radar base
in the Czech Republic as part of the National Missile Defense System.
Humanists will protest during the first day of President Bush's visit in
Prague on June 4 at 6pm at Hradcanske namesti. "We oppose the plan
because it will lead to new arms race and because we don't believe that
Iran or North Korea represent real threat to the world security right
now," said Jan Tamas, member of the Humanist movement and spokesperson
of the initiative against the bases. "It reminds us the situation in
2003 when the whole world was told that there are weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq only to later find out that it was a lie." He also
stressed the fact that this US plan is dividing Europe and will increase
a chance of a terrorist attack in the Czech Republic. Humanists have
recently initiated Europe for Peace declaration, which calls for Europe
free from nuclear weapons, declaring of nuclear weapons illegal and
other things. Dana Feminova, spokesperson of the Humanist movement in
the Czech Republic commented that "the real threat to the security and
peace in Europe and in the rest of the world are the nuclear weapons.
Therefore the world superpowers must begin disarming, not creating new
weapons and establishing new military bases." The declaration was signed
among others by MIT professor Noam Chomsky, nuclear physisist Angelo
Baracca or Reiner Brown of International Association of Lawyers against
Nuclear Armament.
The Humanist Movement is an international volunteer organisation that
promotes non-violence and non-discrimination. It takes its inspiration
from the current of thought referred to as New or Universal Humanism
that has been developed since 1969 and which focuses on the overcoming
of pain and suffering at a personal, interpersonal and social level.
Humanist Movement, 04/06/07.
*****
--
Dan Clore
My collected fiction: _The Unspeakable and Others_
http://amazon.com/o/ASIN/1587154838/ref=nosim/thedanclorenecro
Lord Weÿrdgliffe & Necronomicon Page:
http://www.geocities.com/clorebeast/
News & Views for Anarchists & Activists:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smygo
"Don't just question authority,
Don't forget to question me."
-- Jello Biafra