Opposition To Bush Visit Grows In North

national | anti-war / imperialism | news report Monday May 26, 2008 14:43 by Belfast Anti War Movement - Belfast Anti War Movement belfastantiwar at yahoo dot co dot uk

Over 200 people have signed a letter opposing the upcoming visit of George Bush to Belfast

GEORGE BUSH – NOT WANTED HERE

We are appalled at the news that George Bush will visit Belfast next month. It is disgraceful that his visit is as a result of an invitation issued by the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

This part of the world more than most places has an understanding of the deep damage and pain that war and conflict produces. George Bush is internationally regarded as a warmonger. The so called “war on terror”, now rebranded as the “war for democracy” that he has championed has inflicted that damage and pain on countless millions.

The world has seen the particular type of Bush “democracy” that was brought to Iraq in the form of the torture photos of prisoners held at Abu Ghraib Prison and the pictures of twisted bodies lying in the streets of Baghdad’s marketplaces. There are now over 2 million internally displaced Iraqis who have been forced to flee their homes. There are also over 3 million refugees who have been forced to flee the country completely. According to CNN almost a third of all Iraqi children are suffering from chronic malnutrition and almost three quarters of Iraqi civilians no longer have access to clean water.

Bush’s phony war has done nothing except create global misery and despair. His justification of the war has been to condemn Muslims as backward fundamentalists prone to violence. This has led to a massive increase in Islamophobia and racist attacks committed against those perceived to be Muslim has risen massively in recent years.

Apart from the war, Bush’s international crimes include a refusal to sign up to Kyoto and a refusal to do anything meaningful about global warming. This has placed the lives of millions of people in immediate danger due to the freak weather conditions that are already taking place. Longer term, the very planet itself is at risk.

Bush has also been responsible for misery much closer to home. Americans rightly accused Bush of leaving the residents of New Orleans to perish following Hurricane Katrina simply because they were black and poor and therefore considered expendable. Whilst he has spent countless billions on the war he has left millions of Americans without a proper healthcare system and a proper social security infrastructure. Bush has presided over a country where ordinary working people have seen their conditions deteriorate massively. While the poor have gotten poorer, the rich have gotten richer.

George Bush is the most unpopular President in US history. According to the Washington Post his current approval rating is less that thirty percent.

George Bush is not liked in the US and he is not liked here. It is not surprising that media blogs following the announcement were filled with messages condemning the visit.

When George Bush visits here in June we will make sure that he is followed by protests wherever he goes. We call on all of those who oppose this visit to ensure that they are on those protests and that they make their voices heard.

OUR MESSAGE IS CLEAR GEORGE BUSH IS NOT WANTED HERE.

Moazzam Begg - Former Guantanamo Bay Detainee
Richard Belmar – Former Bagram Airbase and Guantanamo Bay Detainee
Patricia McKeown - Regional Secretary UNISON
Jimmy Kelly - Regional Secretary UNITE/A&TGWU
Jim Barbour - Executive Council FIRE BRIGADES UNION
Brian Campfield - Belfast & District Trades Council
Kevin Doherty - Belfast & District Trades Council
Richie Brown - Education Officer, UNITE/A&TGWU
Dominic Murray – International Officer UNISON RVH
Brenda Callaghan - SIPTU
Bernadette Mc Aliskey
Rayed Al Wazzan - Muslim Family Association NI
Colm Bryce - Derry Anti-War Coalition & Raytheon 9
Marie McLoon -Women’s Officer, NUS USI
Diarmuid Fraser - Vice President of UU Jordanstown.
Harry Jones - President St Mary's College SU
Gerry Carroll - VP Jordanstown elect, UUSU
Matthew Collins - Welfare Officer elect, NUS USI
Wendy Finn - Global Dimensions Officer elect, St Mary’s College
Pól Mac Adaim - Folk Singer/Writer
Jamal Ilweida - Ex President Belfast Islamic Centre
Brian Kelly - Author and US History Lecturer
Dr Fintan Lane - Historian
Dr Robbie McVeigh - Researcher & Activist
Diane Kirby – Lecturer
Professor John Pinkerton
Sean Mitchell – People Before Profit
Ryan McKinney - NIPSA
Peter McGuire - Chairperson, International Voluntary Service, N.I.
Mark Langhammer- Irish Labour Party
Daisy Mules - SF, INTO and DTUC member
Paul Maguire - Unison International Solidarity Group
Rónán Ó Scolláin - Glór na Móna and Gort na Móna CLG
Caitlin Ni Chonaill – Belfast Branch Secretary, IPSC
John McCusker – Chairperson Belfast Branch, IPSC
Freya Maeve Mackenzie - Film Producer
Padraigin Drinan - Solicitor
Barbara Muldoon - Immigration Practitioner & ARN
Mark Hewitt - Branch 516 NIPSA Shop Steward
Mark Chapman - Justice Not Terror Coalition
Raymond Watson - Artist
Sean Moraghan -Tralee Anti-war Group
Steven Corr - Community Worker
Kellie O’Dowd - Trademark
Joe Law - Trademark
Ciarán Ó Brolcháin - IPSC
Niall Enright
Liam Enright
Terry Enright
Mary Enright
Fred Brown
Mary Nelis
Mirjam Bader
Sara Boyce
Danny O Rawe
Cécile Faroux.
Eoin Clarke
Lynda Walker
Fergal Quinn
Cathy Braithwaite
Brian Semple
Gerry Ruddy
Jennifer Kelly
Carey Ann Clarke
Manus McCrory
Roisin Davis
Petesy Burns
Brenda Morgan
Caoimhe Morgan-Burns
Oran Morgan- Burns
John Pinkerton
Maria McConville
Ann Zell
Ruth Carr
Casey Daniel
Wyn Sproule
Catherine Cavendish
Fiona Boyd
Seán MacBradaigh
Hilary Midgley
Conor Midgley
Fanad Midgley
Niall Houston
Liam McMullan
Ruth Graham
Mark McGregor
Liam Ó Boírr
Nuala O'Neill
Brian Pelan
Rita Wild
Shane O’Curry
Christopher May - West Kerry
Rab Jackson – Eirígí
Helen McGowan
Seán Ó hAdhmaill
Chris McCabe
Michael Rooney
Martha McClelland
Dale Moore
Doctor Juliet Homan
Peter Homan
Stella Kemp
Siobhan Mullen
Shaun Wolfe-Murphy
Daniel Holder
Sean Rooney
Eamon McMahon
Damian White
Donal Daly
Ruaidhri Quinn
Charlie McMenamin
Annie Holland
Rita Simmonds
Waiata Tamihana
Matua McCrory
Alex McCrory
Chris Simmonds
Cherie Marsh
Ciárán Marron
Rónán Marron
Heather Lynas
Paddy Mackel
Michelle Clarke
Feargal Mac Ionnrachtaigh
Monica Daly
Tiarnán Belshaw
Jonathon O’Callaghan
Tyrone Curliss
Michael mc Laughlin
Mo Shafaar
Jordan Mc Dowell (Student)
Hassler Edoucnal
Peter Green (TGWU)
Eóin Mac Daibhí
Thomas Nicholl
Jean Sloan
Margaret Field
Leo Devlin (artist)
Ciaran Mc Kay
Aisling Dornan
Sinead Haywood
Leo Arbuckle
Peggy Quinn
Ashleigh Allen
Emma Young
M Macgregor
Emma Bunce
Heather Gillespie
David Gillespie
Jean Magill
Jim Magill
Ian Matthews
Alan Matthews
Clare Mcguire
Geordie Bordick
Reene Moore
Aaron Moore
Silvana Lau-Lo
Kathy Matthews
Tom O’Neill
Bobby O’Neil
Hubert O’Neil
Lorna Creighton
Adrian Creighton
Colin Creighton
Róisín Russell
Michelle Mitchell
Terri Sloan
Alex Gilmore
Aimee Hawthorne
Chris mc Burnley
Daniel Jack
Paul Hunter
Uná Magee
Ana O’Reily
Stan Forsythe
Katie Sweeney
Richie MacRitchie
Leah Brennan
Shauna mc Grillen
Lara Woods
Colette Campbell
Oisin Jayat
John Cahoon
Amanda Curliss
Anna Devlin
Sarah Louise Long
Arrate Etxebarria
Peter Abbott
Sonia Dawson
Simon Heatley
S.Alexander
Caroline McGuire
Irene Matthews
Mary Crumley
Oisín Jayat