Sheffield Against Bush March

i was wondering what others thought about the publicity and distribution of the people who went on the protest, i didnt notice many from the north of the city and i was wondering if the publicity was aimed more at the well mannered south than the rough north?

Here's the article - seems like a typical attempt to spread fear to reduce numbers at the anti-Bush actions. Sheffield gets mentioned about halfway down.

Britain on alert as Bush 'bubble' comes to town
David Leppard and Maurice Chittenden
Police snipers take position to meet Al-Qaeda threat
 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-896430,00.html

SECURITY was tightened across Britain yesterday as police and intelligence services learnt that Al-Qaeda terrorists were “on the move” and could be preparing for a spectacular terrorist attack to coincide with the state visit by President George W Bush.

Chief constables were notified by MI5 last week that Al-Qaeda might be planning an attack against “UK assets” in Britain or abroad.

“We have received information that suggests that some terrorist suspects are on the move,” said one senior official. “Their level of activity has increased and they are communicating more to each other.”

After analysis by MI5 and Cabinet Office security chiefs, the threat level was increased from “significant” to “severe general”, the second highest.

The Civil Aviation Authority has established a “no-fly zone” over central London during the Bush visit. A rapid reaction squadron of RAF jets has been put on standby to intercept any planes hijacked by suicide terrorists. Military sources say some key army units are also ready to move into the capital at 24 hours’ notice.

The heightened alert came as Scotland Yard prepared for one of the largest counter-terrorist operations ever seen. All leave has been cancelled and 5,000 officers are to be deployed.

Critical to its success will be the role of S019, the Yard’s elite firearms unit. Perched on rooftops overlooking the route of Bush’s procession to the Banqueting House in Whitehall on Wednesday, dozens of police snipers will be focusing the telescopic sights of their highvelocity rifles on the crowd below. Some will also carry Heckler & Koch MP5 carbines with laser sights. These can act as a machinegun or fire single rounds with an accuracy of up to 200 metres. Instructions circulated to police last year gave them authority to “shoot to kill” anyone they suspect to be a suicide bomber.

As well as this small army of armed officers to deal with the terrorist threat, hundreds of officers will be on standby to tackle protesters in the event of violence. The Metropolitan police have hired about 250 mini-vans to ship them to the scene of any riot within minutes.

Equipped with body-length riot shields, CS gas and batons, they will form “snatch squads” to arrest groups of protesters at a moment’s notice.

Bush knows he will be flying into strong protest when Air Force One touches down at Heathrow airport on Tuesday. As many as 200,000 people are expected to take part in demonstrations, rallies and vigils against his visit and American foreign policy this week.

They will topple “wicker man” statues of Bush made of straw and papier-mâché and hold him to account in a mock war crimes trial. The biggest single demonstration ­ a rally in Trafalgar Square taking place at the same time as a lunch for Bush and Tony Blair a few hundred yards away in Downing Street ­ is expected to attract 100,000.

The march organisers, the Stop the War Coalition, are in a stand-off with Scotland Yard over the route. The marchers want to go past the Houses of Parliament and up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square.

Hundreds of French and European anti-war protesters who have been attending a giant anti-globalisation seminar in Paris are planning to travel to London to take part in the demonstrations. Police fear that radicals linked to previous, violent protests in Europe might attempt to hijack the London demonstration.

More than 1,000 people marched through Sheffield yesterday in the first of the week-long series of protests. They handed out leaflets saying “George W Bush not welcome here, not welcome in Iraq”.

Anarchist groups have threatened to attempt to breach security at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday when the Queen holds a state banquet for Bush and, his wife Laura.

Hundreds of pupils opposed to the war are expected to walk out of schools in London at lunchtime on Thursday to join the protests.

Verity Marriott, 16, one of the organisers, said yesterday: “Bush is rubbing it in our faces that he went to war illegally against the will of the people of Britain and America.”

Even the mayor, Ken Livingstone, has stuck in his oar. His Transport for London body made it clear that Bush would be expected to pay the congestion charge on Cadillac One, his presidential limousine.

Bush’s aides were hoping for some respite on a planned trip to Blair’s Sedgefield constituency on Friday. American secret servicemen posing as travel agents have scrutinised the town in recent weeks, seeing how it can be secured for a presidential visit. They have checked out the Dun Cow hotel as a potential spot for Bush and Blair to have a drink.

But they have reckoned without the local rector. Martin King, an avid campaigner against the Iraq war, will be at the forefront of one final demonstration against Bush from the green outside his church. King said last week: “I don’t want President Bush to get any idea that we are going to lynch him or anything like that but we would like him to change his policies radically.”

Additional reporting: Matthew Campbell, Dipesh Gadher, Geraldine Hackett, Graham Hind, Gareth Walsh, Robert Winnett