Girl to skip school to join protest

[onehandle]

A 16-year-old girl will be one of the youngest protesters lining the streets for the state visit of President George Bush to London.

Verity Marriott, who has already organised two school walkouts in protest against the war in Iraq, will take part in her third next Thursday.

Miss Marriott, studying for A-levels in politics, sociology and psychology at Fortismere School in Muswell Hill, said: "Bush has taken us into two wars and he was not even properly elected. Now he's coming over here it seems like he is rubbing our faces in it."

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/articles/7691682

[dofus]

1. The most interesting part of the article

I think is where Bush claims to "admire a country where political dissent could be vigorously expressed." What hypocrisy! He's sure not willing to view political dissent in his own country.

[Mountainman]

2. After he finds that the British won't shut down London for him

Bush got a lesson in just how little power he has outside this country. He can keep protesters out of site in this country but he is just another foreign leader anywhere else. He is no king George.

I wish Americans would learn a lesson about free speach from the English.

They have it, we don't.

[Norcom]

3. Free Speech?

England and Europe do not have free speech. Any country that prosecutes people for speech does not have free speech. Nor does one have free speech if they can be prosecuted for things (that are not libel or slander) they say on the internet, or for simply hyperlinking to a site that contains "objectionable" speech.

[Voltaire99]

4. Exactly: UK no haven of free speech

While I certainly admire the UK press (and prefer the Guardian to any US rag), UK speech rights are circumscribed, too. Press rights are hamstrung by censorship powers and overly broad libel laws, and individual rights are subject to arbitrary government power.

For a current example of the latter see this piece from today's Guardian, describing a whistleblower's legal problems for exposing US dirty tricks at the UN:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1084904,00.html

[Kolesar]

7. The Government censored the BBC in the 1980s

This gave NPR a dilemna because they had relied on the BBC for reporting. They had to draft a statement on the issue.

I don't recall what was censored.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi Norcom!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[truthspeaker]

6. you're right

Which makes it even more disturbing that Brits still have more free speech and a freer press than we do.