Monday, April 02, 2007

Free the Navy 15! Join the Protest at the Iranian Embassy

I just received this from Mark Wallace and thought it deserved wider publicity...

"A group of us were having a pint last week and talking about how outrageous the kidnapping and exploitation for propaganda of our Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel is, and we decided to do something about it. We held our first protest, organised through text messages and Facebook, outside the Iranian Embassy yesterday, and got a good-sized (and vocal) crowd with placards, and plenty of support from passing cars "honking for the hostages". It's our intention to protest regularly until the hostages are freed. The next protest is at 6.45pm on Wednesday 4th April outside the Iranian Embassy, 16, Prince's Gate, South Kensington SW7 1PT. The nearest tubes are Knightsbridge and South KensingtonMap HERE. There are more details on the Free the Navy 15 blog HERE. The campaign email address is freethenavy15@gmail.com"

I'm giving Mark a 18 Doughty Street Citizen Journalists camera to record the event.

18 comments:

David Lindsay said...

Well, then, get rid of the neocon junta that sent them there in order to force a war. That would do it.

jailhouselawyer said...

And let's free all those in Guantanamo Bay whilst we're at it...

Anonymous said...

Don't Iranians have the habit of shooting people outside their embassy? WPC Yvonne Fletcher?

Anonymous said...

No I was wrong, that was the Lybians. Iranians just take hostages

David Lindsay said...

The hostages were, of course, taken by those demanding an independent Arabistan in the Arab, oil-rich South-West. Verity, that's your cue...

Anonymous said...

I really wish I was in London, I'd go. Regardless of my opinions on Iraq, they're still British forces and the Iranians are humiliating them and us while our feeble government do little to nothing. We could invade a country illegally and without the UN backing us, but we can't bully Iran into giving us our troops back? Feeble. They should have never been put in the situation where they could be captured without a fight anyway.

Anonymous said...

Protests are all very well, but personally I think the Iranians would understand our cruise missiles rather better. They don't need translators ...

Anonymous said...

Expect jailhouselawyer will find Guantanamo Bay is an American venture. I've never seen one of its detainees be forced onto Fox News to spout Bush propaganda.

Our sailors & marines were acting under UN mandate in proven Iraqi waters. I'll be at that protest.

Anonymous said...

Mike H said....

...Guantanamo Bay is an American venture. I've never seen one of its detainees be forced onto Fox News to spout Bush propaganda...


Possibly because the G Bay detainees have tape over their mouths and sacking over their heads, you clot.

Anonymous said...

Mike H said....

Our sailors & marines were acting under UN mandate in proven Iraqi waters....


The maritime chart trundled out by RN top brass (undoubtedly at the behest of the spin doctors in the bunker at number 10) was a fabrication, a fraud.

It proves nothing in terms of "whose" waters the unlucky 15 were in.

www.craigmurray.co.uk

0/2 Mikey.

Colin D said...

PJ has a Valid point. But our excuse for a Government, cannot go unless GWB says so, and there's oil in it .
Honour & integrity are alien words for the bunch of excuses that occupy the corridors of power. What was it the Army called the last defense sectary. As Piers Said "Buffhoon"

jailhouselawyer said...

As the confessions were not obtained by torture, I think that we can safely assume they had, indeed, found themselves in Iranian waters when they were rescued. Isn't it funny how many times that an incident just happens prior to nations seeking an excuse to go to war?

Anonymous said...

I figure we should give a deadline. Release them to us unharmed within 24 hours or we bomb the Revolutionary Guard and that Pratt of an Ayatollah all the way back to the stone age.

MorrisOx said...

With great respect, I really wouldn't join the protest if I was you.

While the hardliners in Tehran are pretty good at rustling up a crowd, trying the same tactic here plays straight into Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's hands.

He loves to portray himself and his country as opressed by the big bad West and an oportunity to show people 'opressing' the Iranian Embassy is merely grist to his mill.

It distracts from Iran's outrageous behaviour on all fronts, and merely increase the possibility that an unfortunate episode will turn nasty.

Anonymous said...

Tony Blair came out in support of the Weatherfield One, will he do so for the Navy Fifteen?

Anonymous said...

Maybe our favourite corrupt Cop, known for his connections with the Iranian Embassy can ensure it all goes well....

Maybe he can get a promotion out of it.

Anonymous said...

Usually I find you a pompous tory get Iain, but for once you're right.

Chris Paul said...

Free the Gitmo 500!

What a fuss over nothing much.

These 15 'trespassers' are safe and well with some positively enjoying the situation.

Unlike the USA finds who have kidnapped people from all over the planet and put them away with no rights at all - no doubt including Iranians.

The Iranians have picked up a dozen oor so Brits who may or may not have been seriously crossing the line.

Maggie was a looney ... Bush was a looney .... but Nancy Pelosi sees the problem well.