EM Highlights Protests of Bush in SA

When your watch the news tonight and the media decries the massive protest and violence accompanying Bush's visit to SA, keep this in mind.....

The youth, students and trade unions of Colombia greeted the US president, Bill Clinton, with massive protest actions when he landed at capital Bogota on Wednesday, August 30, agencies report. At the same time, rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN), the two main guerrilla organizations which together have a strength of about 22,000 combatants, intensified their attacks on the government security forces and destroyed several installations in nine provinces of the country. All of them were protesting against the 1.3 billion dollars military aid announced by Clinton administration for the Colombian president, Andres Pastrana’s government.

At Bogota, thousands of workers and students threw stones at police and chanted slogans like "Clinton, Go Back!" and "US Intervention in Colombia Is Not Welcome!" They then burnt Clinton’s and Pastrana’s effigies in front of the US embassy.

In a protest action at the National University, Bogota, masked students clashed with the police. One policeman was killed in the melee and three persons were injured. Masked students fought the riot police in Medellin.