Blair pelted with eggs in Dublin
Source: Agencies |
September 5, 2010, Sunday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ANTI-WAR protesters hurled shoes and eggs at Tony Blair yesterday as he held the first public signing of his memoir "A Journey."
Scores of demonstrators chanted that Blair had "blood on his hands" as the former British prime minister arrived at a Dublin bookstore. A shoe, eggs and other projectiles were thrown toward Blair as he emerged from a car, but did not hit him. A flip-flop could be seen lying on the roof of a BMW in Blair's motorcade.
Security was tight for the signing, with book buyers -- who appeared to outnumber the 200 or so protesters -- told to hand over bags and mobile phones before entering the store.
Some of the protesters, who were held behind barricades, scuffled with police. Three men were arrested after they broke through a security barrier.
Following the skirmishes, the city's tram service was suspended and shops in the surrounding area were also closed.
Blair spent about two hours in the store before emerging to more shouts and hurled eggs. He was quickly driven away.
Blair was paid a 4 million pound (US$7 million) advance for his book, which mounts a strong defense of his policies during his decade as prime minister, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In it he says he is not sorry for his decision to enter the United States-led war, although he has wept for its victims.
He is donating all proceeds from the book to a charity for wounded troops.
In an interview aired yesterday, Blair rejected claims that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had increased Muslim radicalization, saying "wicked and backward-looking" radical Islam is the greatest threat to global security.
Blair told the BBC World Service "the biggest threat in international security is this broader radicalized movement ..."
He said al-Qaida-linked extremism was "loosely a global ideological movement, but Iran is a state sponsor of it."
"A Journey" is Amazon's best-selling title in Britain, and is in the top 10 on the online retailer's US chart.
Scores of demonstrators chanted that Blair had "blood on his hands" as the former British prime minister arrived at a Dublin bookstore. A shoe, eggs and other projectiles were thrown toward Blair as he emerged from a car, but did not hit him. A flip-flop could be seen lying on the roof of a BMW in Blair's motorcade.
Security was tight for the signing, with book buyers -- who appeared to outnumber the 200 or so protesters -- told to hand over bags and mobile phones before entering the store.
Some of the protesters, who were held behind barricades, scuffled with police. Three men were arrested after they broke through a security barrier.
Following the skirmishes, the city's tram service was suspended and shops in the surrounding area were also closed.
Blair spent about two hours in the store before emerging to more shouts and hurled eggs. He was quickly driven away.
Blair was paid a 4 million pound (US$7 million) advance for his book, which mounts a strong defense of his policies during his decade as prime minister, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
In it he says he is not sorry for his decision to enter the United States-led war, although he has wept for its victims.
He is donating all proceeds from the book to a charity for wounded troops.
In an interview aired yesterday, Blair rejected claims that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had increased Muslim radicalization, saying "wicked and backward-looking" radical Islam is the greatest threat to global security.
Blair told the BBC World Service "the biggest threat in international security is this broader radicalized movement ..."
He said al-Qaida-linked extremism was "loosely a global ideological movement, but Iran is a state sponsor of it."
"A Journey" is Amazon's best-selling title in Britain, and is in the top 10 on the online retailer's US chart.
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