Met and the Secret Service reportedly agree "rules of engagement" allowing Bush bodyguards to shoot anyone they believe is clearly threatening the life of the President.

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This surprises me from both sides. One the one hand the freedom to kill a UK citizen in Britain is obviously a big deal, on the other how do foreign bodyguards manage without it?

I would expect a fairly heavy police presence as hinted. Irrespective of individual police views or usual approaches to this situation, no-one is going to want to be the copper on the scene if the Secret Service actually kill someone.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Also the Met probably realise that all hell would break loose if the SS did kill anyone. The Cordon round bush is going to be very very thick making it quite difficult for him to move anywhere. I expect that the timetable will slip. There are a lot of angry people in this country.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:40 (twenty-two years ago)

American officials want a virtual three-day shutdown of central London in a bid to foil disruption of the visit by anti-war protestors. They are demanding that police ban all marches and seal off the city centre.

oh yeah, no economic or social consequences from that at ALL..

― Jay Dee Sah Mon (Kingfish), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The Met have already confirmed they won't stop people from protesting in Central London, haven't they?

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

And the mayor and the police authority have said no to any shutdown.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Who's going to be protesting, then?

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I only wish I believed Bush was clever and/or thin skinned enough to understand what it means that the people of his closest ally fucking hate everything about him.

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:47 (twenty-two years ago)

White House officials have already vetoed the traditional drive in an open carriage along the Mall. They fear it would make Mr Bush too vulnerable to attack or confrontations over British support for the US in Iraq.

actually, some of the security concerns seem valid, but it mostly appears to be a smokescreen to prevent protestors from getting near.

― Jay Dee Sah Mon (Kingfish), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I shall be going to peacefully show my distain.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I will show my piss stain.

― Madchen (Madchen), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:50 (twenty-two years ago)

What day of the week is the 19th? If I'm not working, I'll protest. Hey, I live in Central London, so I may end up protesting by choice or not if the fuxor tries to control my right to move about freely!

― Citizen Kate (kate), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

it would be cool if Bush were tarred and feathered

― chris (chris), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Events all next week but the big Demo is on the 20th.

Details from Stop the War Coalition

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

2pm on a Thursday?

Anti-War protesters don't have jobs, do they? Sigh. I'd throw a sickie but I won't get paid. Damn establishment, keeping down my rights to protest!

― Citizen Kate (kate), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:58 (twenty-two years ago)

It's kind of disgraceful that the SS will be armed, Handguns are illegal here unless carried by a Soldier, Policemen or Intelligence agent, and the Former two generally carry automatic rifles if the carry weapons at all. Nothing said about foreign agents carrying guns in the streets.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

The demo is going till 7pm, for the after work crowd.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Can we petition to have the bodyguards arrested?

BUSH, YOU'RE A CUNT, AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY TO SAY THAT TO YOUR FACE, CUNT.

(hmm, the doomie approach is quite satisfying)

― Markelby (Mark C), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

how about

IF YOU CAN'T TAKE IT, DON'T DISH IT OUT, COWBOY

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:17 (twenty-two years ago)

NO WAY YOU CARRY WEST VIRGINIA AGAIN

unlike the others on this list this actually might annoy him

― cinniblount (James Blount), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:21 (twenty-two years ago)

heh. that's a good one. use that one.

― Jay Dee Sah Mon (Kingfish), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

also Bush's handlers are worried that he'll get distracted attempting to read any protestor's poster, his lips moving in an unphotogenic way: 'No...blood ...fer...Laura, can you read me that word?'

― suzy (suzy), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I say everybody just drink booze and snort coke right in front of him

― dave q, Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Whilst sodomising Rev. Phelps with a baseball bat.

― Ed (dali), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha make a whole bunch of REVEREND PHELPS LOVES YOU! signs!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 13 November 2003 17:43 (twenty-two years ago)

On a related note: the English can stalk Bush across the country. F'real.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I only wish I believed Bush was clever and/or thin skinned enough to understand what it means that the people of his closest ally fucking hate everything about him.

Hey that's been our country for 125 plus years and it hasn't phased a president yet.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 03:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Why does he need body guards when so many people are praying for him?

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 05:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Why aren't they making all the protesters go to a "free-speech zone" a mile or so away, like they do here?

― daria g (daria g), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 06:01 (twenty-two years ago)

One the one hand the freedom to kill a UK citizen in Britain is obviously a big deal, on the other how do foreign bodyguards manage without it?

Ah, now we see the violence inherant in the system!

COME AND SEE THE VIOLENCE INHERANT IN THE SYSTEM!

― Johnney B (Johnney B), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 08:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Why aren't they making all the protesters go to a "free-speech zone" a mile or so away, like they do here?

I have taken to shouting at the television lately. Every time they show Bush responding to the protesters by saying "Isn't it great that I'm going to a FREE COUNTRY where people can express themselves?" I shout out UNLIKE AMERICA, YOU CUNT!!! and get really angry.

― Citizen Kate (kate), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 09:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Why aren't they making all the protesters go to a "free-speech zone" a mile or so away, like they do here?

The point is, we want bush to hear us, we want bush to be inconvenienced as much as possible by the protests. We want every photo opportunity to be ruined by our anger, we don't want him here.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 09:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't all of the US a constitutionally guaranteed 'free-speech zone' or am I deluding myself.

― Ed (dali), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, the US is also constitutionally guaranteed a fairly elected president, too, and see how much Bush respects that...

(Free speech has been eroded over the years to not work on private property such as shopping malls, or even government property such as schools.)

― Citizen Kate (kate), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 09:32 (twenty-two years ago)

But do we love him after all?

This article from The Observer also answers one of my earlier questions: Blair's bodyguards (and I assume many others) are armed wherever they go.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Labour voters are more enthusiastic about the visit than Tory voters. But it is only Liberal Democrats who are marginally more unhappy about his arrival, with 43% against and 39% willing to welcome him. A majority of "twentysomethings" welcome Mr Bush. Hostility is strongest amongst the over-65s.

ERM --since when were labour voters representative? what kind of poll is that? this is interesting about "twentysomethings" i thought we were all nice ppl who didn't approve of war, environmental breakdown, corruption, etc. i have a lot to learn.

― enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:26 (twenty-two years ago)

the best thing abt armed guards is that one day they will take their master down (cf jfk, anwar sadat, indira gandhi etc)

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:35 (twenty-two years ago)

aha! with only a few days till, as bbc2 pwomises, the TRUTH will OUT, this is a timely reminder of what really happened that fateful november day.

lee harvey oswald wasn't a male model.
no. but those two lookers on the grassy knoll sure as hell were.

― enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:37 (twenty-two years ago)

i bekiev they will prove it wz an angry dallas bus passenger, furious at the traffic chaos caused by the presidential motorcade

― mark s (mark s), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

IT WAS ME, I DID IT, I CONFESS, SUPERSAVER TICKET MY ASS, SUPERSAVE THIS YOU FUXOR!!!!

― Citizen Kate (kate), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

since when were labour voters representative?

They're assumed to be the middle, with Tory voters on the right and Lib Dems on the left (as the poll suggests).

(also Labour voters are who Blair is presumed to be listening to)

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

drop Michael moore on him from a great height and kill two birds with one stone.

― chris (chris), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't all of the US a constitutionally guaranteed 'free-speech zone' or am I deluding myself.

No.

Free speech has been eroded over the years to not work on private property such as shopping malls, or even government property such as schools.

The federal imperialist government of the United States has enthusiastically nibbled away at every freedom that was set forth in the Constitution. Generally speaking, people only seem to care when it fits their specific political agenda rather than address the philosophy of protecting ALL freedoms.

The tone of this thread is rather depressing.

― don weiner, Tuesday, 18 November 2003 12:52 (twenty-two years ago)

drop Michael moore on him from a great height and kill two birds with one stone.

better yet, drop oliver stone on bush and moore, thereby etc

― enrique (Enrique), Tuesday, 18 November 2003 12:56 (twenty-two years ago)

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