Granny's Bush Palace Protest [View All]

From the UK's Mirror:

£19m ring of steel .. but a 61 year old gran armed with a flag spoils the Bush party

A GRANDMOTHER defied a £19million security clamp by clinging to the gates of Buckingham Palace for more than two hours yesterday in protest at President Bush's visit.Veteran anti-war demonstrator Lindis Percy, 61, unfurled an upside-down US flag with the message "Elizabeth Windsor and Co - he's not welcome". Then she refused to budge until she climbed down voluntarily and was driven away by police.Her protest came as it was announced the number of police guarding London for Mr Bush's visit would almost treble from 5,000 to 14,000. Security chiefs remain "very concerned" about an al-Qaeda threat.White House aides were still locked in dispute over which relatives of dead British troops will meet the president amid fears he may be met with hostility.But unrepentant Tony Blair said he stood by the decision to invite Mr Bush who flies in today for a three-day State visit.

Health visitor Mrs Percy scaled the palace's 18ft wrought-iron gates as the Queen prepared inside for Mr Bush's arrival.Dozens of police, who moved crowds about 100metres away, vainly tried to persuade her to come down. Firefighters and an ambulance also attended the scene. But Mrs Percy would only surrender in her own time and stayed up for two and a quarter hours. Fellow protester Anni Rainbow said: "She's protesting against Bush's visit. He's a bogus president and we don't want him here."Witness Stephen Beasley added: "She seemed happy to be there. It takes courage to stand on the gates of Buckingham Palace." Mrs Percy, from Hull, is one of 11 protesters accused of offences at RAF Fairford, Gloucs, used by US B52 bombers during the Iraq war.The mother-of-three, who has four grandchildren, is bailed to reappear before Cirencester court today in connection with a protest outside the base.

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