Two weeks into the war in Iraq, thousands of people across the Arab
world again held anti-war protests today, with demonstrators in Yemen
demanding the expulsion of the US and British envoys.



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Anti-war protests stop region's cities

AFP April 3 2003, 4:23 AM

Two weeks into the war in Iraq, thousands of people across the Arab world
again held anti-war protests today, with demonstrators in Yemen demanding
the expulsion of the US and British envoys.

In Sanaa, hundreds of activists chanted anti-US slogans and marched toward
the Iraqi embassy before calling in a written statement for the "expulsion
of the American and British ambassadors and the severing of diplomatic
relations with Washington and London".

In the communique, addressed to Yemeni President Ali Abdallah Saleh, the
protesters also called for "a boycott of American and British products and
the maintenance of humanitarian aid to the people of Iraq" during the
US-British offensive.

The activists brought banners reading "America is the mother of terrorism,"
"Hezbollah (Lebanese Shi'ite guerrillas), destroy Israel," "From Sanaa to
Baghdad, open the door to jihad," and "Death to Israel, death to America".

In the province of Taez, thousands of protesters issued their own call to
eject the US and British envoys and shouted anti-American rallying cries.

"No to aggression, death to America and its agents," the crowd chanted,
marching toward a local cemetery.

"The dead may be able to appreciate our sacrifice, it is the living
(authorities) who are unable to," a demonstrator who asked not to be named
told AFP, explaining why the group had chosen the site for its rally.

No fewer than 100,000 turned out in Yemen last week, venting their anger
against the US-British war against Saddam Hussein and called for "jihad",
or holy war, across the Arab world.

In the southern Lebanese city of Sidon, some 10,000 Lebanese and
Palestinian demonstrators lashed out at Washington and London and scolded
Arab leaders for failing to act against the war in Iraq.

Some protesters burnt US and British flags while others waved banners which
read: "Iraq will be the grave of the American and British invaders", "Down
with the traitors! Down with Mubarak and the Jordanian king!"

They were referring to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the Jordanian
monarch, Abdullah II, whose country is home to hundreds of US troops
manning anti-missile Patriot batteries.

Protesters also waved portraits of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and
Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.

Meanwhile in Syria, government employees observed a ten-minute work
stoppage today to protest the coalition's military offensive against the
Iraqi regime, the official SANA agency reported.

"Workers and civil servants in airports, ports and all other (state)
companies stopped working for 10 minutes in solidarity with the resistance
of the Iraqi people," SANA said.

The state news agency quoted the head of the country's labour unions as
saying the stoppage was a "message to the countries carrying out the
illegal aggression" against Iraq and calling for an Arab boycott of US and
British products.

Sudanese workers in Khartoum also halted work for 10 minutes in solidarity
with Iraq, and many held collective prayers for God to defeat the US-led
coalition, an AFP correspondent reported.

The protest, held in the private and public sector, and the prayers heeded
a call issued Tuesday by the country's only labour union.

Since the US-British military bid to topple Saddam Hussein was launched on
March 20, demonstrations have been held every day in Arab countries.


This story was found at:
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/03/1048962835155.html


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