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Peace protests spread around globe
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Baghdad Saturday, joining hundreds of thousands more worldwide protesting a possible U.S.-led war against Iraq. A day after the U.N.'s chief weapons inspectors delivered their report to the U.N. Security Council and an impassioned Secretary of State Colin Powell pressed the U.S. case against Saddam Hussein, the demonstrations were sometimes as much anti-U.S. -- or more often anti-George Bush -- as they were anti-war. The keystone protest was to occur in London's Hyde Park, where organizers expected up to a million participants. "People are frustrated with the unilateralism of the Bush administration," said Seth Green, an American student in London. "There is a distinct minority with signs like 'Death to America,' but the overwhelming majority are only against the Bush administration's policies. (The majority of protesters) share the values of the American people." Later in the day, demonstrations were planned for cities across the United States. In Baghdad, Iraqi protesters were bolstered by international peace activists, including members of the "Human Shields" group who hope their presence in Iraq will make Bush and his allies think twice before dropping bombs. In Berlin, an anti-war protester from Augsburg said he was "against the war which the U.S. will go for because of their interest in oil and power." "It is important to demonstrate against that," Emil Bauer said. "The more people, the better." Demonstrators in Rome, too, focused on a possible business motive for war. "You have to think about human rights and stop thinking about only business and making money," one protester said. "You can't stop war by making war." Tens of thousands more gathered in Paris, where -- as in Germany -- the anti-war movement has the backing of the national government. Protesters in Australia, where the government has committed about 2,000 troops for war preparations, rallied in Sydney, Tasmania, Adelaide, Mackay and Canberra. Melbourne hosted a massive demonstration on Friday. Australian Prime Minister John Howard has said he has not decided yet if Australian troops will take part in battle, while opposition spokesman Simon Crean urged Australia to encourage Bush to stick with the U.N. process. Hong Kong demonstrators carried signs reading "No blood for oil" and "Drop Bush. Not Bombs" as they marched from City Hall to the U.S. Consulate. In Jakarta, Indonesian demonstrators chose the Australian embassy to bring their message that "war is savage." "Stop the war and solve the problem by the peaceful way, not by aggression," one protester said. Other protests took place in Denmark, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, South Africa, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Croatia and many other locations. Japanese housewife Mariko Ayama voiced perhaps the deepest fear of the protesters when she said plainly: "We are on the brink of World War III." Copyright 2003 CNN. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.
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