Thousands in peaceful demo over Iraq war

THOUSANDS of people took to the streets yesterday evening to protest against the war in Iraq on the first anniversary of the conflict and in support of international protests. The number of demonstrators ranged from 2'000 according to the Local Police and 5'000 according to the organisers, the Committee for Democracy and Social Globalisation. In addition to representatives of the Committee, including its spokesman Pep Juárez, the demo was headed by Miquel Rosselló, the general co-ordinator of the United Left; Pere Muñoz, Majorcan Socialist Party spokesman on the Palma city council; the secretary general of the Workers Commissions union (CC.OO) Josep Benedicto, and of the General Workers Union (UGT), Lorenzo Bravo. Leading Socialist party figures included Francesc Antich, newly elected deputy, and Francesc Quetglas, the parliamentary spokesman, but they did not carry banners or wear party emblems, and they walked in the middle of the demonstrators. The marchers gathered in the Plaza España at 6pm, under a banner reading “No more wars. Invaders out of Iraq.” They then marched through the main streets to the Borne, where Jaume Rosselló, the representative of the Balearic Journalists Union, read a manifesto opposing the war and in memory of the victims of the Madrid bombings. “It is a year ago today since the Iraqi people, with no sin other than living over a sea of petrol, were the object of a cowardly, lethal aggression which had been programmed for a long time,” Rosselló said. “The excuse of a dictator,” he went on, “not so long ago an ally of the invaders, and lies about non-existent weapons, filled the newspapers. War and lies are hard to separate and once again, were put at the service of a criminal business.” A minute's silence was held for the 10'000 Iraqi civilians, soldiers of all countries, and the journalists Julio Anguita Parrado and José Couso, who died during the conflict. When he resumed his speech, he said that “one piece of the trio has fallen,” referring to Spanish Prime Minister José Maria Aznar, whose party has just lost the elections. He referred to US President George Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, predicting “and the other two will fall as well.” He continue by saying “we demand that the new government should not give way to pressure when it comes to keeping its promise to withdraw Spanish troops (from Iraq). We want the invaders to leave Iraqi territory, and we want the rapacious negotiators to leave too.” Rosselló ended his speech calling for the reconstruction of the country with no strings attached.