British
Honorary consul Ivor Neil Coward received a delegation who asked him to
make their views known to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, President
George W. Bush's “most enthusiastic” European supporter of a hard
line on Iraq.
Demonstrations
opposing to war also occurred in Switzerland with some 2,000 marching
through Geneva chanting: "No bloodshed for oil! Bush and (Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel) Sharon, murderers of Iraqi and Palestinian
children!"
Protesters
were carrying panels reading "No blood for oil". The
demonstrators called on the Swiss government to send a clear message
against war on Iraq.
Saturday's
demonstrations in Italy followed a mass turnout of an estimated 100,000
a week ago in the capital Rome in protest against the prospect of war
against Iraq.
The
U.S. authorities on Friday, October 4, advised their nationals to stay
away from anti-war protests in Italy, saying there could be violence.
A
group of Italian non-governmental organizations representing 14,000
volunteers in 80 countries said some 80 percent of Italians were against
war against Iraq.
In
Australia, meanwhile, the top secret Australian-U.S. Pine Gap military
intelligence facility was sealed off Saturday as hundreds of
demonstrators gathered to protest against Australian involvement in a
U.S. orchestrated war in Iraq.
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Students burn effigies of Italian Prime Minister and U.S. President during the rally in Milan
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Pine
Gap, a key part of the U.S. communications satellite network, was
reported to have played an important role in the 1991 Gulf War and could
be expected do so again in the event of another U.S. attack on Iraq.
On
Friday, October 4, hundreds of demonstrators converged on the remote
military base in Australia's outback.
More
than 500 protestors were expected at the Pine Gap facility and could try
to breech the base's perimeter fence during three days of demonstrations
set to begin Saturday, said Grech.
"Opposition
to a war against Iraq is growing and we aim to expose where Australia's
main contribution to the war is now and will be - and that is Pine
Gap," said Hannah Middleton, spokeswoman for the Australian
anti-bases campaign coalition which is organizing the protest.
The
conservative government of Australian Prime Minister John Howard has
been one of the staunchest supporters of the hard-line U.S. stance on
dealing with Iraq's suspected weapons of mass destruction.
Howard
is expected to contribute troops to any U.S.-led attack on Baghdad.
