Rift Seen Among Britons over Looming War in Iraq

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, March 09, 2003

Rift Seen Among Britons over Looming War in Iraq

Thousands of anti-war protesters held demonstrations across Britain on Saturday as the British and US governments stepped up pressure on Iraq to disarm or face war.

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Thousands of anti-war protesters held demonstrations across Britain on Saturday as the British and US governments stepped up pressure on Iraq to disarm or face war.

However, a poll released on the same day showed more Britons now believe force must be used against Iraq if with UN backing.

Peace marches were seen in Nottingham, Sheffield, Barnsley in south Yorkshire, Berkhamsted in Hertfordshire, Chichester in West Sussex and Bridgend in south Wales.

The marches were targeted to coincide with the International Women's Day, Stop the War Coalition spokesman Andrew Burgin noted.

"It's women and children who are predominately the victims of war," Burgin said.

At least 10,000 people protested against the looming war on Iraq in Manchester, northwestern England, forming Saturday's largest street demonstration in the country.

In leaflets handed to publicize the march, the organizer, the Greater Manchester Coalition to Stop the War, suggests Prime Minister Tony Blair's determination over the conflict indicates heis showing the country's democracy "is just a sham."

"There is no moral justification for any unilateral action by the US or the UK," said the Right Rev. Nigel McCulloch, Anglican bishop of Manchester, at the peace rally in Manchester. "The only action must be done through the United Nations," he stressed.

In Colchester, northeast of London, 24 protesters were arrested when staging a sit-in outside an army barracks. However, police said the 250-strong demonstration in Colchester was peaceful.

However, 68 percent of 758 adults asked by the ICM polling firm for the News of the World newspaper said they supported a military action in Iraq, compared to 22 percent who opposed it.

According to the poll, 77 percent of those who said they support war told ICM that it must have UN backing. Only 15 percent said they would support a war even without UN's authorization.

The previous ICM poll released two weeks ago showed 52 percent of the polled opposed a war on Iraq.

ICM carried out the poll on Friday and Saturday. The poll had a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.

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