Hattip Best of the Web
Mounted police charged in to break up an outdoor press conference and demonstration against the Iraq war in Washington on Thursday, arresting three people, organizers and an AFP reporter said. "The police suppressed the press conference. In the middle of the speeches, they grabbed the podium" erected in a park in front of the White House for the small gathering, Brian Becker, national organizer of the ANSWER anti-war coalition, told AFP. "Then, mounted police charged the media present to disperse them," Becker said. The charge caused a peaceful crowd of some 20 journalists and four or five protestors to scatter in terror, an AFP correspondent at the event in Lafayette Square said.
Herewith, the reason for the protest:
Last month, the movement was threatened with a fine of at least 10,000 dollars unless it removed posters in the city announcing the September 15 march. Washington city authorities have said the posters had to come down because they were stuck on with adhesive that did not meet city regulations. "At our demonstration today we were showing the media that the paste we use conforms to the rules," Becker said."One of our activists was making a speech when the police barged in and grabbed the podium. At that point, Tina Richards started to put up a poster, so they arrested her and two others." |