The Hindu : Anti-war protests `loud and clear'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

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International

Anti-war protests `loud and clear'

By Amit Baruah

ATHENS April 16. The protesters were outside, but the sentiment was the same. As a spirited anti-war protest took place just outside the venue of the Informal European Council meeting, where 41 heads of state and Government are gathered, the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was facing some problems inside.

During the course of a photo opportunity, a Greek journalist is said to have asked Mr. Blair what was his message for the children of Iraq? An obviously irritated Mr. Blair, according to eyewitness accounts, is said to have walked away.

In this country, where 98 per cent of the people are said to oppose the war against Iraq, the protesters, it would appear, were waiting for the arrival of Mr. Blair and his Spanish counterpart, Jose Maria Aznar, the other "champion" of the war. Correspondents waiting for a press conference addressed by the Greek Prime Minister, Constantinos Smitis, could hear the voluble protests outside. The point, it would appear, had been made by the Greeks.

Outside, police fired teargas shells and used force to restrain the protesters who threw Molotov cocktails. A huge police presence was visible on the streets from early morning.

At the press conference after the informal meeting of European Union heads of state/Government, a question was posed to the Greek Prime Minister: "Does the European Union see American and British forces in Iraq as troops of occupation?"

The Greek officials conducting the press conference ensured that there was no reply to the question by saying that this "issue" was not discussed by the E.U. leaders at their conference this morning.

But, the point must have been understood by Mr. Blair — that the people of Greece, indeed the people of Europe do not like the war unleashed by the Americans in alliance with the British.

A unique "e-vote" organised by the Greek Presidency of the E.U. on different issues, also had a question: Was the war against Iraq justified? The lowest "not justified" came from the United Kingdom — just 84 per cent of Britons who e-voted said there was no justification for the conflict.

To get a sample across Europe, 95 per cent of French and Greek e-voters and just a notch lower, 94 per cent of Spanish electronic voters, also felt that the war against Iraq was not justified.

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