Prague joins global protests against war in Iraq
On Saturday, demonstrations took place around the globe to mark the first anniversary of the start of the US-led war in Iraq. Thousands of people gathered in Sydney, Tokyo and New York. In Europe, perhaps the biggest protest was in Rome, where up to 300,000 protesters took to the streets. Anti-war protests took place in Prague, too, only the numbers were much more humble.
Arianna Meadowlark of the International Peace Movement. Ahmad Al-Gari is a member of the Iraqi community in the Czech Republic.
"We, the Iraqi Forum of the Czech Republic, support the plan of handing over power to the Iraqis. We condemn all terrorist and criminal activities going on in Iraq, the bombing and killing innocent people. We think these only lead to postponement of the handing over power to the Iraqis. The people of Sumerian and Babylon want to govern themselves. They don't need any foreign ruler. The Iraqis can do it!"
Although public opinion polls last year suggested over seventy percent of Czechs opposed the US-led military action in Iraq and many disapproved of the deployment of the Czech anti-chemical unit in the region, anti-war protests then just like this year were attended by hundreds, rather than thousands, of people.
