/ 20 December 1998

Protests against the “murderer and his dog”

OWN CORRESPONDENTS, Cairo | Sunday 1.30pm.

PROTESTS gatherings against the United States and British air attacks on Iraq were held in Libya and Morocco on Sunday.

More than 10000 Libyans gathered in Tripoli’s central Green Square on Sunday to show solidarity with Iraq, brandishing green flags and portraits of Libyan leader Moammar Gadaffi, who was expected to address the crowd.

In the Moroccan capital, Rabat, about 10000 people gathered in the city centre. Many of the protestors were members of the Justice and Welfare Association, an outlawed radical Islamist group, and the moderate Islamist Party of Justice and Development.

The demonstrators chanted “Allah Akbar” (God is great) and “Clinton is a murderer and Tony is his dog.”

This follows Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak call on Saturday for an end to the attacks. His appeal came as hundreds of protestors took to the streets in several Egyptian cities on Saturday to denounce the failure of Egypt and other Arab governments to denounce the attacks on Iraq.

“Oh Mubarak, wake up, the next strike will be on the [Cairo residential district of] of Bulaq,” demonstrators chanted as they marched through the the Egyptian capital, Cairo, to the headquarters of the Arab League.

Students and school children have also staged protests. Several thousand students protested at a business School, 100km north of the capital on Saturday and burned US and Israeli flags.

Many Egyptians are sending Iraqis gifts of traditional dried fruit for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the union of pharmacists announced on Saturday a boycott of US and British medicines produced in Egypt to protest the air strikes on Iraq. — AFP