‘Old Glory’ burns in air raids protest

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 6

‘Old Glory’ burns in air raids protest

NZPA-AP New York

Tens of thousands of demonstrators marched and burned American flags yesterday in Britain, West Germany, Italy, and Sweden to protest against the American air raid on Libya. The London police said they arrested 67 protesters; after clashes in which three officers were hurt and the city’s busiest shopping street was paralysed. Turkish authorities said a bomb was defused outside an Istanbul bank partly owned by American Express and that four Libyans were being questioned about an attempted attack on a United States military officers’ club in Ankara. The police said two of the Libyans had been seized on Friday while carrying a bag of grenades and explosives near the club.

In Dublin, Danny Morrison, national director of Sinn Fein, the legal political wing of the outlawed Irish Republican Army, extended sympathy to the Libyan leader, Colonel

Muammar Gadaffi, and pledged Irish nationalism’s solidarity with Libya. Colonel Gadaffi has contributed funds to the I.R.A. in its fight to oust Britain from Northern Ireland.

The more than 10,000 people who marched in Rome denounced the United States President, Mr Ronald Reagan, and Colonel Gadaffi. Italian feminists who organised the march called for an end to military action, the logic of terror and of death. The demonstration in Milan, Italy, was more anti-American in tone. More than 15,000 students denounced what they called American imperialism. Some students set fire to a United States flag and an effigy of a donkey they said symbolised the United States. The police quickly doused the flames.

Scotland Yard estimated that 10,000 people took part in a sit-down demonstration outside the United States Embassy in London.

The protesters burned an American flag and

chanted, “Thatcher, Reagan, C.1.A., how many kids have you killed today”.

They collected hundreds of letters condemning last Tuesday’s air strikes against Libya and demanding that American bases in Britain be closed. The Prime Minister, Mrs Margaret Thatcher, gave permission for American planes from two bases in Britain to take part in the raids. Colonel Gadaffi has vowed revenge against both the United States and Britain for the raids, which Mr Reagan said he had ordered because of proof of Libyan complicity in terrorist attacks on Americans.

Demonstrations also were held outside the United States Air Force bases at Lakenheath, in eastern England, and Upper Heyford, northwest of London. The American planes flew from the two bases to attack Libya. In Scotland, the police said 11 protesters were arrested outside the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine base at Faslane. They

were charged with vandalism for allegedly cutting the perimeter fence and were released. More than 20,000 people joined in demonstrations in five West German cities to protest against the attack on Libya. In Hanau, near Frankfurt, about 1500 youths, many wearing masks, marched to a United States Army barracks and some burned an American flag.

More than 5000 people rallied in front of the United States Embassy in Bonn, and about 6500 marched in West Berlin as about 3000 police looked on.

The police said about 1000 people protested in Stuttgart, and 2000 in Hamburg. In Stockholm, Sweden, about 100 people attending a rally of a small Communist organisation began marching towards the United States Embassy. Other protesters joined them and the police estimated that about 500 finally reached the embassy.