30 in anti-war protest outside US Embassy

A DISAPPOINTING crowd of about 30 persons, the majority of whom were from the Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU), held a noisy anti-war protest on the Queen’s Park Savannah opposite the United States Embassy.

Leading the protest was Education Officer of the OWTU David Abdullah and former President of the Public Service Association (PSA) now attorney, Clyde Weatherhead. Although the protestors’ numbers were small, their collective chants of “Bush is not God”, “Stop the war”, “Go home US terrorists” and “Save the children” were clearly heard above the din of heavy mid-afternoon traffic. In fact, some motorists who sped by the protestors tooted their vehicles’ horns in support. No police officers were present at the protest which started at 4.30 pm.

Clyde Weatherhead, who was accompanied by his six-year-old daughter Ameera, said that the TT government needed to take a more active role in the worldwide condemnation of the US/UK-led war against the Iraqi government led by Saddam Hussein. “Although they have publicly said the war is unjust, the government of this country, which is a member of the United Nations, must join in the worldwide struggle via the UN to force the United States to make reparations to the Iraqi people,” Weatherhead said. He said that the war was in direct contravention and violation of the United Nations Charter to which Trinidad and Tobago adheres.

Abdullah opined that the United States was not interested in the preservation of democracy but wanted to overthrow the present political regime in Iraq and install a government that would do its (the US) bidding. “This is no longer about weapons of mass destruction...this is no longer about disarming Iraq. This is about control of the Iraqi oil supply,” Abdullah told Newsday. He said that nations across the world must take a stand against the United States, since if the war continued without protests, there is nothing to stop the US from waging wars against other countries under the guise of preserving democracy.