[R-G] US anti-war group ordered to take down Iraq demo posters

[Anthony Fenton]

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Agence France Presse -- English

August 15, 2007 Wednesday 8:13 PM GMT

LENGTH: 282 words

HEADLINE: US anti-war group ordered to take down Iraq demo posters

DATELINE: WASHINGTON, Aug 15 2007

BODY:


A US anti-war group has been warned it will be fined 10,000 dollars  
if it does not remove posters in Washington announcing a march in the  
capital next month against US involvement in Iraq, a spokeswoman said  
Wednesday.

"The ANSWER Coalition has received citations from the authorities in  
Washington threatening to fine us 10,000 dollars unless several  
hundred posters announcing the September 15 march on Washington DC  
are removed," Sarah Sloan, the staff coordinator for the anti-war  
group, told AFP.

"We have until Thursday to take down the posters," she said.

Several hundred yellow posters have been put up around Washington  
announcing the protest, which is timed to coincide with the release  
of a report by the US military commander in Iraq, General David  
Petraeus, on progress in the US "surge" strategy of raising troop  
levels.

Washington city authorities said the posters have to come down  
because they were stuck on with adhesive that did not meet city  
regulations.

"The charge about adhesives is false," Sloan said.

"This is a definitely a calculated political move aimed at disrupting  
the demonstration, which has been organised on a day when the world's  
eyes will be on Washington for the Petraeus report," she said.

Demonstrators from at least 90 cities around the United States and  
Canada have already pledged to come to Washington for the march,  
which will be part of a week of anti-war protests led by veterans of  
the Iraq war, according to Sloan.

A petition calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush,  
allegedly carrying one million signatures and endorsed by former US  
attorney general Ramsey Clark, will also be submitted to officials  
during the week's activities.