Independence Day: Anti-US demo´s
July 4 - 05.07.2002 11:38
July 4 2002
Philippines: Anti-US demo
Mexico: Anti-US demo
Afghanistan: Anti-US demo
South Korea: Anti-US demo
Philippines: Anti-US demo
Xinhuanet. 4 July 2002. Philippine students stage July 4 rally at US Embassy.
MANILA -- Philippine college students and members of other groups staged a protest rally in front of the US Embassy in Manila on Thursday, the US Independence Day.
Police units guarding the embassy compound said they were ready to deal with any untoward incident as over 10000 protesters were gathering there to condemn US government´s alleged interference in Philippine internal affairs.
The protesters also denounced the Arroyo administration´s support for the extension of the Philippine-US joint military exercise ongoing in the southern Philippines, saying this would only serve to strengthen American forces in the Philippines and in the entire Asia-Pacific region.
The protesters, some of whom had the American national flag painted on their bodies, blocked part of Roxas Boulevard in front of the US Embassy, slowing down traffic flows in both directions.
July 4 has also been traditionally considered the Filipino-American Friendship Day. Some 1,000 US troops are still in the southern Philippines training their Filipino counterparts on anti-terrorism war skills. The training exercise is slated to end on July 31.
However, the program is likely to be extended while a new series of joint exercises are being planned by military of the two countries.
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Mexico: Anti-US demo
AP. 4 July 2002. Mexicans protest outside U.S. Embassy, calling for end to war on terrorism.
MEXICO CITY -- About 10000 people protested outside the U.S. Embassy on Thursday, calling for an end to the war on terrorism and for the United States to change its immigration policy.
Speaking to a crowd gathered before some 200 police guarding the embassy, lawmaker Eugenia Flores pledged to fight plans for an eventual free trade area throughout the Americas.
"Mexico for the Mexicans! Latin America for the Latin Americans! And nothing for those in the United States!" she shouted, waving her fists in the air.
The protesters announced plan to hold demonstrations in front of U.S. companies like McDonald´s in the coming days.
Each year, Mexicans protest outside the U.S. Embassy on July 4, the day the United States celebrates its independence.
Last year on July 4, about 100 people carried coffins representing thousands of Mexicans who have died trying to cross into the United States.
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Afghanistan: Anti-US demo
AP (with additional material by BBC). 4 July 2002. Unprecedented Afghan protest denounces U.S. killing of civilians.
KABUL -- In the first anti-American protest here since the collapse of the Taliban last year, about 2000 Afghans marched through the streets of Kabul on Thursday to express outrage over this week´s attack by U.S. forces which killed scores of civilians.
The demonstrators, about half of them women covered by traditional burqas, blocked midmorning traffic in the dusty capital as they carried banners denouncing Monday´s attacks on about a half dozen villages in Uruzgan province.
Afghan Foreign Minister Abdullah said 44 people were killed and 120 wounded in the raid, which villagers said included an attack on a pre-wedding party.
During the protest, marchers stopped outside the United Nations headquarters in Kabul, where organizers demanded urgent compensation for victims of the attack and guarantees that civilians would be protected in future.
Some protesters and two Afghan soldiers guarding the U.N. office pushed and shoved each other, but there were no major incidents.
"We support coalition measures against the Taliban regime and al-Qaida, but we cannot tolerate more innocent victims in our country and American bombardment of civilian targets," said Theyba, one of the protest organizers, reading to the crowd from a petition.
"Once again this poor nation is bleeding. We condemn those who cause the loss of innocent lives," she said.
"We warn against the repetition of such future action and we demand from the U.N guarantees that such actions will not be repeated. The U.N. should not sit and watch the bleeding of our people."
"We consider the Americans our liberators, but after this, they may soon become occupiers," a Kabul grocer told AP news agency.
The protest was organized by an independent group called United Front for Democracy in Afghanistan.
Leaders said they wanted to hold the protest outside the U.S. Embassy, but tightened security due to fears of a possible terrorist attack on Independence Day prevented the marchers from reaching the U.S. compound.
Thursday´s march was the first anti-American protest here since the Taliban fled Kabul in November after a massive U.S. bombing campaign and attacks by northern alliance ground troops.
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South Korea: Anti-US demo
AP. 4 July 2002. Koreans Protest Deaths of Teenagers Hit by U.S. Military Vehicle.
SEOUL -- About 4000 people marched outside a U.S. military base Thursday demanding American troops withdraw after two South Korean teenagers were killed by a U.S. armored vehicle last month.
"Let´s drive out the U.S. soldiers!" they chanted, pumping their clenched fists in the air.
During the rally at the headquarters of the 2nd Infantry Division in Eujongbu, north of Seoul, dozens of activists placed long stalks of white chrysanthemum, a funeral flower in South Korea, before portraits of the two 14-year-old girls.
Several walked over to place the flowers on the closed main gate of the American military base.
About 1,000 South Korean police stood guard but did not intervene.
"How´re mommy and daddy going to live now that you are gone?" said tearful Shin Hyun-soo, father of victim Shin Hyo-sun.
Later, protesters marched behind a mock armored vehicle made of plastic. A protester sat in the vehicle carrying an American flag and wearing a mask of President Bush.
The accident occurred June 13 when an armored bridge carrier on a training operation in Yangju, near the border with North Korea, hit the girls while rounding a curve.
Since then, protesters have demanded an apology from the U.S. military and a South Korean court trial for the two soldiers in the vehicle.
South Korea has no jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel involved in accidents while on duty because of the Status of Forces Agreement governing the conduct of U.S. soldiers stationed here.
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