BERLIN,
May 23 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) – After being received with
demonstrations in Berlin, the first city in his week-long European
visit, U.S. President George W Bush will address the German parliament
in the historic Reichstag building Thursday, May 23.
Bush’
visit, which aims at rallying support for the U.S. so-called “war on
terrorism”, was marked by clashes between demonstrators and German
police forces, when tens of thousands of people took to the streets of
Berlin Wednesday, May 22, to demonstrate Bush’s visit, as well as
policies.
There
were clashes between police and masked hooligans who joined the
protests and set fires, burning an American flag and throwing stones
at police. Police made several arrests as they broke up the protests,
Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.
Demonstrators,
who carried banners reading "War is Terror", "Bush is a
war criminal", and "The Axis of Evil is the Pentagon",
accused the U.S. of committing international genocide crimes.
Demonstrations are planned to continue until Bush leaves Thursday.
"We
think that Bush is the biggest terrorist of the world... His father
was a killer too," said Lucy Schnell who was among the
protesters, BBC’s online news service reported.
Demonstrators
have also called for an "Axis of Peace," which has pledged
to use only non-violent means of protest, in a reference to Bush's
declaration of an "axis of evil" comprising Iraq, Iran and
North Korea as potential targets of the U.S.-led anti-terror war, AFP
reported.
A
vast police operation sealed off the airport and a part of central
Berlin where Bush was staying, keeping the crowd protesting against a
possible U.S. military strike on Iraq away from the president, AFP
said.
Activists
are protesting not only Bush's Iraqi policy but also his withdrawal
from the Kyoto international climate protection treaty, the
destructive influence of global capitalism on developing markets, and
U.S. rejection of the new International Criminal Court.
Bush,
who made no comment at the airport, said in an interview with German
station A.T.L. Tuesday, May 21, that he is not worried about
demonstrations which display a freedom of expression.
U.S.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Iraq, which he called "one
of the foremost advocates" of obtaining weapons of mass
destruction, would be on the agenda of talks with German leaders.
German
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, AFP said, declared "unlimited
solidarity" with the United States after the September 11 terror
attacks, but has since said that Germany would not support an attack
on Iraq without a UN mandate.
European
leaders are increasingly wary about being dragged into a war against
Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who Bush has vowed to topple.
Claudia
Roth, the co-leader of the Greens, junior partners in the ruling
center-left coalition, said in a newspaper interview that Bush should
expect to hear a categorical rejection by the German government of any
military action against Baghdad, AFP said.
Berlin
has deployed one of the biggest security forces in its history to
protect Bush during his 19-hour visit, with 10,000 officers on the
streets in addition to an estimated 600 U.S. security personnel
accompanying the president.
Bush
will also be visiting Russia, France and Italy. But a key point will
be Russia, as he will sign a nuclear arms reduction treaty in Moscow
and announce U.S.-Russian cooperation over missile defense.
Additional
Reporting by Nelly Mostafa, IOL writer
