http://www.nme.com/news/106798.htm

THOM YORKE LEADS PROTEST OVER BUSH VISIT

RADIOHEAD’s THOM YORKE is spearheading a growing chorus of protest aimed at US President GEORGE BUSH’s visit to the UK – branding him and TONY BLAIR "liars".

Bush and a massive entourage came to London this week (November 18) for a rare state visit. Even before he arrived the trip provoked fury, with reports that US security officials wanted to create a three mile ‘exclusion zone’ around him, effectively shutting down central London and stopping legitimate protesters from getting anywhere near the President.

Angry at what he sees as using the "threat of terrorism to suppress whatever they choose", Thom Yorke e-mailed NME last week, urging people to protest against the visit.

When asked why he’d chosen to speak out, Thom told NME: "To make Blair squirm over his decision to take us into a illegitimate war (In Iraq) and follow this religious lunatic (Bush) toward a dangerous future for the whole planet.

"Both of these men are liars. We have right to call them such, they are putting our children’s future in jeopardy. They are not controlling the terrorist threat, they are escalating it. Blair will not be allowed off the hook by his pathetic pleading for us to ‘move on’, neither shall Bush."

Thom continued: "(The visit) will be heavily staged I think. I expect they will use the threat of terrorism to suppress whatever they choose, intimidate and arrest whoever they wish. The majority of British people were against this war, and Bush's visit will just taint Blair even further."

While in the UK Bush will be staying in Buckingham Palace. Yorke urged the Royal Family to "do something useful" and protest too. He continued: "This is a royal invitation isn't it? How about one of the little heirs to throne doing something useful with their lives and speaking out? Refusing to shake hands for example? As we are still awaiting the results of the Hutton Inquiry I think now is a good time to remind Blair that he's on very very very very very very very very thin ice."

Anti-war protesters Damon Albarn and Robert '3-D' Del Naja have also spoken out. 3-D told NME.COM: "The state visit of George Bush is an insult to the entire nation. The daily death and chaos in Iraq is escalating. This visit divides our people and our communities. The war on terror has only created more anger, more frustration and more militants. And the country continues to evolve into a future target for extremists."

Albarn added: "We are still at war. We are still good at watching war. What does watching war tell us about ourselves? How does war lead to peace? How does watching war lead to peace? Two million people asked a question on February 15 - Why War? We haven't had an answer yet."

Travis singer Fran Healy also contacted NME.COM. He said: "Terrible timing from our government. WHY NOW? How insensitive is this? Nothing surprises me any more. The whole thing stinks. A three-mile bubble. Impressive. And the great thing is- we pay for it. We pay for all of it and we'll keep paying in money and in lives for a long time to come. I wonder if Bush realises he's the most unpopular man in the world. That is some feat. How does that feel? I am interested to see what happens. The police are gonna have their jobs cut out for them."

I'm completely shocked, Brit-pop stars say they don't like Bush? You don't say. It's also going to get fairly dark tonight.

who cares what he says....he is a singer for a bad musical group, that doesn't make his opinion important

Doesn't this guy realize that his opinion would only be important if he were pro-bush?

Remember if you become a pop star your opinion no longer matters. However, if you post on dvdtalk your opinion is somehow golden.

I don't see anywhere in these posts where it says his opinion doesn't matter

read your previous post

I said it wasn't important

Let me clarify, he can spout off all he wants, but that doesn't make it important to me, and I really don't see why it would be in a newspaper. Maybe since I am not a radiohead fan I don't realize just how important this guy is

I'm still wondering what he said that was wrong.

This guy wants to be Bono and John Lennon. Only, he's not nearly as smart.

His opinion is about as important as the Ja Rule- 50 Cent feud they're discussing in another thread.

Because NME is a music magazine...

I will still listen to his music, and Radiohead will still be one of my favorite bands even though Mr. Yorke is talking out his ass.


That is all.

Another reason to like Radiohead!

'Hail to the Thief' is a reference to Dubya, so it was already known he wasnt a fan of The Shrub.

It's funny how these same people don't protest Al-Queda, Hamas, and other RELIGIOUS TERROR groups.

They always pick the easy ones. The know BUSH won't blow up Radiohead's tourbus

Did I miss the news about these groups sending a leader to England to give a speech?!? Seems like that would have been all over the news.

Riiiiiight....

I can't tell if this post is sarcastic or just plain stupid. You actually expect people to protest against terrorist groups? You might as well hold a protest rally against serial murderers....as if there'd be any difference.

...actually one of the best around.

Another

I would take Thom just as seriously as Lennon. They don't seem to be bringing anything new to the table. But they do make public what's on a lot of peoples mind. I'm not siding with him just because he's the lead singer to my fourth favorite band. I'm siding with him because he has the same views as me.

My favorite quote there was "...and follow this religious lunatic (Bush) toward a dangerous future for the whole planet." All aside, that's *exactly* how I feel.

Not to get too off topic, but why can't America be genial gentleman, and stay away from where we're not very welcome? Isn't it sort of like a 400lb man going to a anorexic support meeting? Is it *not* apparent that our millitary is no longer appreciated by everyone in the middle east? Is it *not* apparent that Brits aren't very happy with us Americans? So what sort of an *idiot* would actually schedule for the president to take a trip to the UK?

Combating terrorism was okay, up to a certain point. But constant public bloodshed is *not* going to mend up our problems. Maybe I play too many video games. But wouldn't well-planned covert ops have been much more efficent? I feel like America is being held up by a man with a knife, and we're fighting back with an oozie...when if fact America could have beat the man with a knife. After 9/11, I think that America pulled out it's oozie and blew it's load a little too early. I guess it could even be said that the man-with-a-knife got gang-raped by American and Britain (I apologize for being so graphic).

<-------- Agrees with what Yorke said even before he said it.

That's all I have to say for now.

Don't call me or my posts stupid. I'm not going to resort to namecalling although many choice words ran across my mind when I saw this post. What do you guys do? Suck Radiohead's penises? Are you so in love with them I can't disagree with them?

This guy has right to feel the way he does and I've got right to disagree so effe you.

Good input.

Nice bargain

Interesting distinction.