[THS] Tony Blair pelted with eggs and shoes

[The Harder Stuff in news and commentary]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308938/Tony-Blairs-security-tight-begins-publicity-trail-memoirs.html#ixzz0yZHmdmEa

[photos and video at url above]

Tony Blair pelted with eggs and shoes as anti-war protester attempts citizen's arrest
during publicity trail for controversial memoir

By Neil Michael
Last updated at 1:30 PM on 5th September 2010


Shoes and eggs were pelted at Tony Blair in Dublin yesterday as he attended his first
public signing of his controversial memoir.

The missiles, which were thrown by anti-war protesters, did not hit the former prime
minister as he arrived at a bookshop in Dublin.

Activists clashed with Gardai as they tried to push down a security barrier outside the
Eason store on O'Connell Street.

Scroll down for video of the incident
Police escort: Dozens of Gardai secure Eason book store in Dublin, Ireland, today
prior to Tony Blair's book signing

Police escort: Gardai secure Eason book store in Dublin, Ireland, today prior to Tony
Blair's book signing

Riots: A protester is pulled by police and activists as Gardai clash with demonstrators
outside the signing

Riots: A protester is pulled by police and activists as Gardai clash with demonstrators
outside the signing

A protester is held by officers after demonstrations against Blair's visit

A protester is held by officers after demonstrations against Blair's visit

In recent days, the former Prime Minister has been busy touring and publicising the
account of his time in Downing Street.

The previous night, as he continued his publicty blitz, he had even somewhat
bizarrely shared the billing with X-Factor stars Jedward and judge Louis Walsh on the
Late Late Show on Irish TV.

Campaigners, who turned out in the pouring rain, were chanting: 'Hey hey Tony hey,
how many kids have you killed today?' They also shouted: 'Tony Blair war criminal'
and 'blood on your hands.'
Jeered: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is flanked by heavy security after being
pelted with eggs and shoes during his first book signing in Dublin

Jeered: Former Prime Minister Tony Blair is flanked by heavy security after being
pelted with eggs and shoes during his first book signing in Dublin

One anti-war protester managed to fight her way through the crowd and tight
security to attempt a citizen's arrest on Mr Blair.

Kate O'Sullivan, 24, from Cork, said she queued for 90 minutes to confront the former
prime minister – and was grabbed and dragged away by five bodyguards when she
approached him.

'I went up to him and I said, “Mr Blair, I'm here to make a citizen's arrest for the war
crimes that you've committed”,' she said.

'I cried out there was half a million people dead in Iraq, how can you live with
yourself, you've committed war crimes.'

Ms O'Sullivan, a member of the Irish Palestine Solidarity Movement, said Mr Blair was
‘blasé’ about the confrontation.

'He is a war criminal and he has pretty much gotten away with it,' she added.

Undercover detectives mingled with the crowds taking names before Mr Blair arrived
at the shop at about 10.30am.

The city tram service was suspended as Gardai blocked off streets surrounding the
city centre store.

As Mr Blair remained in the shop and signed books for the hundreds who had
queued since early this morning the protest continued outside.

Richard Boyd-Barrett, of the Anti-War Movement, accused Mr Blair of making blood
money from the memoirs.

He said: 'It really is shameful that somebody can be responsible for the death and
destruction that he was responsible for in Iraq and Afghanistan and walk away
without any accounting for that and become a very wealthy man off the back of it.'

Protesters shouted abuse at customers and supporters of Mr Blair as they left the
store with their newly-signed books.

And hundreds of protesters booed as Mr Blair left the book store after just over two
hours inside.

A line of Gardai had to stand across the glass front of the bookshop to stop angry
demonstrators getting access to the building.

A Gardai spokesman said a small number of people had been arrested during the
demonstration.

Mr Blair is believed to have flown into the country in a private jet, courtesy of Harper
Collins – publishers of the autobiography he is plugging.
Protests: Gardai clash with protesters as Blair attends his first book signing

Protests: Gardai clash with protesters as Blair attends his first book signing

TB

Shoes and eggs were thrown by anti-war protesters as Mr Blair arrived at the store

Clash: Anti-war protesters waving placards are stopped by officers as Mr Blair signs
copies of his new book

Clash: Anti-war protesters waving placards are stopped by officers as Mr Blair signs
copies of his new book

Travelling with him were around 12 members of his 16-strong €19,250-a-day security
team, who will stay close to him throughout his stay in Ireland.

About two hours before he arrived at the Shelbourne Hotel last night – where he is
believed to be staying in the Princess Grace suite –  Gardaí closed off a nearby taxi
rank and placed a string of cones around the entrance of the hotel.

Security staff who had arrived ahead of Blair days beforehand were seen making
last-minute security checks around his suite, surrounding floors and the five-star
hotel’s lobby.
VIP: Mr Blair meets Conor Whelen, managing director of Eason, as he arrives at the
shop

VIP: Mr Blair meets Conor Whelen, managing director of Eason, as he arrives at the
shop

TB

On sale: Mr Blair holds a copy of his book before the signing session started this
morning
TB

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair meets staff at the Eason book store
FACEBOOK CAMPAIGN TO SABOTAGE MEMOIR

Hundreds of people have joined a mischievous Facebook campaign to move Tony
Blair's autobiography  to the crime section in bookshops in protest of the 'war
criminal'.

The group, called 'Subversively move Tony Blair's memoirs to the crime section in
book shops', has rapidly recruited protesters within hours of being created and urges
bookshops to 'think twice about where they categorise our generation's greatest war
criminal.'

Creator Euan Booth, 24, a trainee nurse from Oxford, said: 'I'm not an activist, just a
voter who is still furious that he is able to lie to the British people, day after day, but
this time earn money from it.

'This is a peaceful and mischievous way of making your point if you feel the same
way.'

But a spokesman for book chain Waterstone's said the book was still flying off the
shelves.

Then at about 4pm, the Blair cavalcade – led by gardaí outriders - swung round from
Kildare Street and stopped directly outside the main entrance to the hotel. The ex-
premier emerged from his chauffeur-driven BMW and was almost immediately
surrounded by a group of eight bodyguards.

At least two of them appeared to be wearing bullet-proof jackets under their dark
suits.

At least ten gardaí officers were also on hand to keep a close eye on him and a small
crowd of onlookers that had gathered momentarily on his arrival.

Dressed casually in light blue denim jeans, an open blue shirt and a thick blue sports
jacket, he turned briefly and waved to onlookers.

Mr Blair was then ushered inside the main lobby where other guests were politely
asked to stand to one side while he was led into an open lift.

After a brief refreshment break, he then spent more than two hours giving back-to-
back interviews, including a pre-recorded one with Pat Kenny.

In one interview, he was asked about derogatory comments in his biography about
his successor, Gordon Brown.

He told the reporter he was still friends with Mr Brown, that they had had a falling
out and that the UK press had exaggerated difficulties the two men had had.

The level of security surrounding this visit is almost unprecedented. But it is
considered necessary because Mr Blair is regarded as an assassination target by
terrorist groups, including Al-Qaeda.

So seriously is the threat to his life that it is estimated he is protected 24 hours a day.

Every time he travels abroad, Scotland Yard sends an ‘advance team’ to assess
potential security risks. Every aspect of Blair’s route will have been pored over for any
potential security issues.

A UK security source said last night: ‘A team will have arrived in Dublin days, if not
weeks before Blair arrived. They will have looked at every aspect of his stay to try and
find any weaknesses in any security arrangements.
Protection: Tony Blair leaves Eason bookstore in Dublin flanked by his security guards

Protection: Tony Blair leaves Eason bookstore in Dublin flanked by his security guards
Louis Walsh
Jedward

Company: Mr Blair appeared on Irish TV's the Late Late Show with X-Factor's Louis
Walsh, left, and Jedward

‘They will have even made sure that any local hospitals are on full alert.’

Yesterday, his arrival in Dublin’s city centre was greeted with little more than curious
stares from passing tourists.

Indeed, for most of the Irish Anti-War Movement’s protest outside the gates to RTÉ’s
Late Late studios, the number of Jedward fans outnumbered their own.


Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308938/Tony-Blairs-security-tight-begins-
publicity-trail-memoirs.html#ixzz0ykeZVNT9