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Barca
For Peace
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Spain,
March 24 (Islamonline.net & News Agencies) - Players from Spanish
football powerhouse FC Barcelona donned anti-war T-shirts and displayed
a banner calling for peace Sunday, March 23, minutes before their weekly
league game.
Many
of the near 100,000 spectators packing the Camp Nou stadium stood and
applauded as the players walked around the center of the playing field
holding up the banner which read: 'Barca for peace’, news agencies
reported Monday, March 24.
The
gesture came a day after more than a million people demonstrated
throughout Spain calling for an end to the war being waged by the United
States and Britain against Iraq .
Saturday's
protesters also clamored for the resignation of the conservative Spanish
government of Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar for supporting the
attacks.
An
estimated half million people took to the streets in Barcelona for the
protest.
Anti-war
demonstrations have been held daily throughout Spain since the war
started Thursday.
Opposition
parties are opposed to the war en bloc and opinion polls indicate the
vast majority of Spaniards are too.
Iraq
Invasion Reverberated Across Sports
The
invasion of Iraq reverberated across sports this weekend with protests
at a soccer game in Spain, an auto race in Malaysia and at cricket's
World Cup in South Africa, news agencies reported.
England's
2004 European Championship qualifier in Liechtenstein, scheduled for
next weekend, could be called off or moved because of security concerns,
reported BBC online news service.
At
Formula One's Malaysian Grand Prix, the Minardi team's cars raced with a
"Malaysia for Peace" logo. About two hours before the race,
police removed banners at the track entrance reading "Stop War on
Iraq" and "Say No to Bush.”
Peace
activists demonstrating near the NASCAR race at Bristol Motor Speedway
were outnumbered by flag-waving counter-protesters.
Hundreds
demonstrated in Johannesburg, South Africa, at cricket's World Cup final
between Australia and India. Some signs were critical of Australia's
participation in the war.
At
a marathon in Washington Sunday March 23 , known as The Unofficial
Washington DC Marathon, no streets were closed along the route and
runners stopped for red lights. Organizers decided Wednesday to call off
the real race because of security worries.
Some
of the 500 people who ran through the capital's streets wore T-shirts
that read, "Can't blow up what you can't catch”.
More
than 6,800 runners from 50 states and 14 countries had registered for
the official race. Paul Rades and Kevin Kozlowski won the makeshift
race, crossing the finish line together.
"O
Canada" drew steady boos Saturday in Sunrise, Florida, before
Ottawa's victory over Florida. The Panthers said they were disappointed
"a number of fans behaved disrespectfully”.
Fans
cheered both anthems before the NBA game between the Raptors and 76ers
in Toronto Sunday.
The
college men's basketball tournament was shown on CBS on Saturday, with
updates on developments in Iraq. CBS has the option of switching games
to ESPN or other cable channels, and did so on Thursday, the first day
of the tournament.
