Bush visit to Czech Rep marred by protests

Hundreds of protesters carried an effigy of Uncle Sam and staged a mock trial of US President George Bush in demonstrations against his visit to the Czech Republic and American plans to build a missile defence system.

Chanting “Shame on Bush!” and waving cardboard rockets, they rallied peacefully on a square near the medieval Prague Castle before Bush’s evening arrival and scheduled speech today to an international conference on democracy and security.