Member of the Iraqi Government Ejected from ESF

At 1:00pm on Friday a spontaneous demonstration broke out in Alexandra Palace Great Hall, protesting about the presence of a man believed to be Mr Waleed Abawy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for the present Iraqi Government. Three security guards were called as a tussle and shout down occured between the man and a group of 5 members of the World People's Resistance Movement, who rejected the presence in the ESF of, what they termed, a collaborator in the genocide against the Iraqi people. It is believed that the man has now left the building, but this has to be confirmed. The Movement first asked the man to confirm his identity. When he refused the Movement shouted that he was not welcome at the building. "As anti-imperialists," said Tolga, a member of the Movement, "we are outraged that such a man can be present in this forum. The present Iraqi Government is nothing more than a US puppet, and thus complicit in the current genocidal occupation against the Iraqi people". He added, "as part of this Government, Abawi is is directly involved in the ruthless US campaign in which innocent Iraqis are being killed, and tens of thousands of Iraqis are laying down their lives to secure freedom for their country". As he left the hall, the man shouted "baathists" at the demonstrators. Tolga would not give his full name.

Katherine Haywood