BISHKEK, 15 March 2003 — Protesters in remote but volatile Central Asia joined yesterday global demonstrations around the world against a US-led strike on Iraq, as 300 banner-waving people demonstrated in the capital of Kyrgyzstan.
Protesters brandished placards with slogans such as, “Fire in Iraq will bring fire to the whole world” while another urged Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev to ban the use of US warplanes currently based in Kyrgyzstan in any attack on Iraq.
“The US must follow the United Nations route. War could spread beyond Iraq’s borders,” human rights activist Tursunbek Akunov told AFP. Ex-Soviet Kyrgyzstan’s authoritarian leadership has shown little sympathy for anti-war sentiment among its predominantly Muslim population.
Protesters were forbidden to use a square in central Bishkek yesterday and instead gathered in a public park.
Several dozen unemployed and homeless people were bussed to the demonstration from a nearby unemployment office in what protesters interpreted as an orchestrated effort by the authorities to discredit the rally.
Meanwhile, Cyprus came to a brief halt yesterday when thousands of workers staged a symbolic 15-minute work stoppage to protest against a war on Iraq.
Shops, factories, banks, schools and public offices were all affected as civil servants and trade unions took part in the stoppage from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (0915-0930 GMT). It was the largest show of opposition to war on the island so far.
The event involved the island’s two largest and most influential trade union federations, right-wing Sek and left-wing Peo, in addition to unions representing public workers, teachers, bank employees and journalists. Even the Cyprus state broadcasting corporation interrupted television and radio programs to observe the stoppage.
