Americans protest against Bush’s war

AMERICANS living in Ireland staged an anti-war demonstration outside the US embassy in Dublin yesterday.

Although associated with many St Patrick's Day festivities, the presence of the Stars and Stripes flag was notably absent as many US citizens expressed shame at the behaviour of their government.

A group of over 150 people attended the protest organised by US Citizens in Ireland for Alternatives to War outside the embassy in Ballsbridge to voice their outright opposition to the US-led war against Iraq.

Several speakers led by veteran peace campaigners Carol Fox and Mary Van Lieshout highlighted how many millions of other Americans disagree with their government's decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein.

One banner read: "We don't hate the US nation just the Bush administration."

"Recent polls have shown that 50% of Americans oppose the Bush administration going to war without a second UN resolution," said Ms Fox.

She also criticised the US president for always intending to go to war against Saddam Hussein, despite being "tempered" by the views of Tony Blair.

Ms Fox said she did not fear there would be any backlash against US citizens living here as most Irish people were "not anti-American, just anti-Bush."

It was one of the few anti-US protests in recent years in which US officials did not appear to make a video recording of the protesters outside the embassy building.

US-born lecturer, Anthony Glavin noted that yesterday's demonstration wouldn't save one Iraqi life: "However, I take heart from the millions of people around the world who have marched against war. Hopefully, it is the start of a new political force."

Journalist Harry Browne said the inevitability of the war against Iraq did not make it right.

Housewife Kathleen Tracy, originally from New Jersey but living in Ireland for over 15 years, said her strength of feeling about the injustice of a war against Iraq had motivated her to protest against her own government for the first time.