NGOs in anti-Blair protest
2010/04/25
By Kalbana Perimbanayagam
PETALING JAYA: Members of about 50 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) staged a demonstration in front of the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre yesterday to protest against the visit of former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Blair is one of 12 speakers at the three-day National Achievers Congress, which began on Friday at the convention centre.
Carrying placards that read, among others, "War Criminal Tony Blair" and "Blair get out from our country", some 400 protesters assembled about 8.30am and dispersed an hour later after handing over a memorandum to the organiser.
Initially, representatives of the group were disallowed into the convention building but after some of the supporters showed their displeasure by throwing slippers and burning posters of Blair, five were allowed in.
However, they could not hand over the memorandum to Blair as he had refused to meet them.
Policemen and Sunway security personnel were at the scene to disperse the crowd and control the traffic.
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali, who headed the protest, said most of the NGOs represented were against Blair's visit as he had been found guilty for the death of innocents in Iraq during the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Tribunal last year.
"Blair is a war criminal who has contributed to the killings of millions of Iraqis. He should not set foot on our soil," he said yesterday.
Ibrahim said Blair was no different from former United States president George Bush.
"Both should be put on trial at the International Court of Justice."
Ibrahim also condemned the organisers for inviting Blair.
Among the NGOs that participated in the protest were Perdana Global, Malaysian Youth Council, National Union of Malaysian Muslim Students and Pekida.
It was reported yesterday that police had issued a stern warning against the illegal gathering.
Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had also called on Malaysians to condemn Blair's visit.
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