Soon...real soon...WELLINGTON -- Anti-war protesters tried to storm the
U.S. Embassy in New Zealand's capital during a rally Sunday against a
possible American-led war in Iraq, police and demonstrators said.
Protesters carrying ladders and mock metal detectors tried to climb over a
2-meter (6-foot) iron gate in front of the embassy compound in Wellington,
saying they wanted to check the premises for "weapons of mass destruction
owned and operated by the United States."
But police who were guarding the embassy hauled them down and arrested 23
demonstrators.
"Those protesters who broke the law ... were charged with ... disorder,
assault and resisting police," said police Inspector Marty Grenfell.
Demonstrators and police briefly scuffled when the protesters tried to
scale the gate, but the 250-strong rally was largely peaceful.
Protest organizer John Sarvis said he was disappointed by the firm reaction
of police.
"There might be rogue nations in the world, but there is only one rogue
superpower," Sarvis said in a statement.
"The United States has the largest arsenal of weapons of mass destruction,"
he added.
www.utopia2000.org
