ANTI-WAR protesters today chained themselves to vehicles blocking the
gates of Prime Minister John Howard's official residence in Canberra.
About 15 Greenpeace activists dressed as United Nations personnel
swooped early this morning, parking four-wheel drive vehicles across the
entrances to The Lodge, where Mr Howard was believed to be staying.
Around 20 police guarded The Lodge but early this morning they had
made no attempt to remove the protesters, who wore UN blue berets and
chained themselves underneath four-wheel drives mocked-up to look like
UN vehicles.
The protest action follows the Howard Government's decision yesterday
to commit Australian troops to any attack on Iraq.
Greenpeace spokesman Shane Rattenbury said the protesters were
symbolically placing Mr Howard under house arrest and intended to
maintain the action for some hours.
"The prime minister said yesterday not to have an argument with
the Australian troops and to bring the beef to him," Mr Rattenbury
said.
"That's what we have done here, we've brought it here to the
PM's house to deliver the message that Australians don't want this war
in Iraq.
"It's not our war. It's immoral, illegal, and Australians
shouldn't be there."
The protesters carried banners including the slogans "Howard's
war - a bloody outrage" and "John Howard - war criminal".
The Australian
