Brazilians demand arrest of London officers

[Trojan]

Brazilians demand arrest of London officers
The Associated Press

WEDNESDAY, JULY 27, 2005

GONZAGA, Brazil Hundreds of relatives and friends of a Brazilian killed in London after being mistaken for a terrorist marched along the cobblestone streets of his hometown, demanding the arrest of the British police officers who fired the fatal shots.

Some of the protesters held banners Monday denouncing the British police as the real terrorists; other placards were adorned with snapshots of the victim, Jean Charles de Menezes, urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to send his body home so it could be buried.

All said that Blair's apology did not go far enough.

"Apologies don't help, we want justice," they chanted, stopping briefly to offer a prayer for the 27-year-old electrician who left Brazil to work in Britain so he could return home with enough savings to start a cattle ranch.

Menezes' killing has been the top story on radio and television broadcasts since Sunday.

In London, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said he had instructions from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva "to take firm measures to defend the interests of the family of a Brazilian who died in an absurd manner."

The militant Landless Rural Workers' Movement scheduled protests Tuesday in front of the British Embassy in Brasília and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro. The movement said in a statement that Menezes "was assassinated in cold blood, a victim of intolerance" and called for the British withdrawal from Iraq.

Gonzaga's mayor, outraged over news of the shooting, called it an "assassination." "It's easy for Blair to apologize, but it doesn't mean very much," said Mayor Júlio de Souza. "What happened to English justice and England, a place where police patrol unarmed?"

Many were angry that there was still no word on when the body might be shipped back to Gonzaga, a central Brazilian town of 6,000 where young men often head to the United States and Europe to finance a better life back home. Menezes was killed last Friday, and Brazilians traditionally bury their dead no later than 24 hours after death.

"We don't want apologies, he's ours and he should be here," said María José Carvalho, who has two sons working in the United States.

Governor Aécio Neves of Minas Gerais, the rural state where the electrician was born, said the government would pay to fly his body back to Brazil for burial.

Some of Menezes' cousins were upset that Blair's apology included a defense of the British police, who Blair said were working under intense pressure to prevent more terrorist attacks.

"His apologies aren't easing our pain," said Arialva Pereira, one of the cousins. "He's not saying anything about punishing the police who did this, it's more like he's supporting them."

The march on Monday ended in front of the town hall, where the Brazilian flag hung at half staff and a large black sheet was hung from the second floor as a sign of mourning.

Menezes was killed in a London Underground station as the police investigated a wave of botched bombings the day before and the deadly transit bombings of July 7. Witnesses said he was wearing a heavy, padded coat when plainclothes police chased him into an Underground car, pinned him to the floor and shot him.

While Menezes' relatives said he was working legally in Britain and had no reason to fear the police, the BBC said Menezes' visa had expired, suggesting a reason why he might have run.

At a joint news conference in London with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Amorim said the Brazilian Embassy had told him Menezes was living legally in England. Brazilian correspondents also quoted Straw as saying that he understood that Menezes' situation was legal.


GONZAGA, Brazil Hundreds of relatives and friends of a Brazilian killed in London after being mistaken for a terrorist marched along the cobblestone streets of his hometown, demanding the arrest of the British police officers who fired the fatal shots.

Some of the protesters held banners Monday denouncing the British police as the real terrorists; other placards were adorned with snapshots of the victim, Jean Charles de Menezes, urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to send his body home so it could be buried.

All said that Blair's apology did not go far enough.

"Apologies don't help, we want justice," they chanted, stopping briefly to offer a prayer for the 27-year-old electrician who left Brazil to work in Britain so he could return home with enough savings to start a cattle ranch.

Menezes' killing has been the top story on radio and television broadcasts since Sunday.

In London, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said he had instructions from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva "to take firm measures to defend the interests of the family of a Brazilian who died in an absurd manner."

The militant Landless Rural Workers' Movement scheduled protests Tuesday in front of the British Embassy in Brasília and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro. The movement said in a statement that Menezes "was assassinated in cold blood, a victim of intolerance" and called for the British withdrawal from Iraq.

Gonzaga's mayor, outraged over news of the shooting, called it an "assassination." "It's easy for Blair to apologize, but it doesn't mean very much," said Mayor Júlio de Souza. "What happened to English justice and England, a place where police patrol unarmed?"

Many were angry that there was still no word on when the body might be shipped back to Gonzaga, a central Brazilian town of 6,000 where young men often head to the United States and Europe to finance a better life back home. Menezes was killed last Friday, and Brazilians traditionally bury their dead no later than 24 hours after death.

"We don't want apologies, he's ours and he should be here," said María José Carvalho, who has two sons working in the United States.

Governor Aécio Neves of Minas Gerais, the rural state where the electrician was born, said the government would pay to fly his body back to Brazil for burial.

Some of Menezes' cousins were upset that Blair's apology included a defense of the British police, who Blair said were working under intense pressure to prevent more terrorist attacks.

"His apologies aren't easing our pain," said Arialva Pereira, one of the cousins. "He's not saying anything about punishing the police who did this, it's more like he's supporting them."

The march on Monday ended in front of the town hall, where the Brazilian flag hung at half staff and a large black sheet was hung from the second floor as a sign of mourning.

Menezes was killed in a London Underground station as the police investigated a wave of botched bombings the day before and the deadly transit bombings of July 7. Witnesses said he was wearing a heavy, padded coat when plainclothes police chased him into an Underground car, pinned him to the floor and shot him.

While Menezes' relatives said he was working legally in Britain and had no reason to fear the police, the BBC said Menezes' visa had expired, suggesting a reason why he might have run.

At a joint news conference in London with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Amorim said the Brazilian Embassy had told him Menezes was living legally in England. Brazilian correspondents also quoted Straw as saying that he understood that Menezes' situation was legal.


GONZAGA, Brazil Hundreds of relatives and friends of a Brazilian killed in London after being mistaken for a terrorist marched along the cobblestone streets of his hometown, demanding the arrest of the British police officers who fired the fatal shots.

Some of the protesters held banners Monday denouncing the British police as the real terrorists; other placards were adorned with snapshots of the victim, Jean Charles de Menezes, urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to send his body home so it could be buried.

All said that Blair's apology did not go far enough.

"Apologies don't help, we want justice," they chanted, stopping briefly to offer a prayer for the 27-year-old electrician who left Brazil to work in Britain so he could return home with enough savings to start a cattle ranch.

Menezes' killing has been the top story on radio and television broadcasts since Sunday.

In London, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said he had instructions from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva "to take firm measures to defend the interests of the family of a Brazilian who died in an absurd manner."

The militant Landless Rural Workers' Movement scheduled protests Tuesday in front of the British Embassy in Brasília and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro. The movement said in a statement that Menezes "was assassinated in cold blood, a victim of intolerance" and called for the British withdrawal from Iraq.

Gonzaga's mayor, outraged over news of the shooting, called it an "assassination." "It's easy for Blair to apologize, but it doesn't mean very much," said Mayor Júlio de Souza. "What happened to English justice and England, a place where police patrol unarmed?"

Many were angry that there was still no word on when the body might be shipped back to Gonzaga, a central Brazilian town of 6,000 where young men often head to the United States and Europe to finance a better life back home. Menezes was killed last Friday, and Brazilians traditionally bury their dead no later than 24 hours after death.

"We don't want apologies, he's ours and he should be here," said María José Carvalho, who has two sons working in the United States.

Governor Aécio Neves of Minas Gerais, the rural state where the electrician was born, said the government would pay to fly his body back to Brazil for burial.

Some of Menezes' cousins were upset that Blair's apology included a defense of the British police, who Blair said were working under intense pressure to prevent more terrorist attacks.

"His apologies aren't easing our pain," said Arialva Pereira, one of the cousins. "He's not saying anything about punishing the police who did this, it's more like he's supporting them."

The march on Monday ended in front of the town hall, where the Brazilian flag hung at half staff and a large black sheet was hung from the second floor as a sign of mourning.

Menezes was killed in a London Underground station as the police investigated a wave of botched bombings the day before and the deadly transit bombings of July 7. Witnesses said he was wearing a heavy, padded coat when plainclothes police chased him into an Underground car, pinned him to the floor and shot him.

While Menezes' relatives said he was working legally in Britain and had no reason to fear the police, the BBC said Menezes' visa had expired, suggesting a reason why he might have run.

At a joint news conference in London with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Amorim said the Brazilian Embassy had told him Menezes was living legally in England. Brazilian correspondents also quoted Straw as saying that he understood that Menezes' situation was legal.


GONZAGA, Brazil Hundreds of relatives and friends of a Brazilian killed in London after being mistaken for a terrorist marched along the cobblestone streets of his hometown, demanding the arrest of the British police officers who fired the fatal shots.

Some of the protesters held banners Monday denouncing the British police as the real terrorists; other placards were adorned with snapshots of the victim, Jean Charles de Menezes, urging Prime Minister Tony Blair to send his body home so it could be buried.

All said that Blair's apology did not go far enough.

"Apologies don't help, we want justice," they chanted, stopping briefly to offer a prayer for the 27-year-old electrician who left Brazil to work in Britain so he could return home with enough savings to start a cattle ranch.

Menezes' killing has been the top story on radio and television broadcasts since Sunday.

In London, Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said he had instructions from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva "to take firm measures to defend the interests of the family of a Brazilian who died in an absurd manner."

The militant Landless Rural Workers' Movement scheduled protests Tuesday in front of the British Embassy in Brasília and the consulate in Rio de Janeiro. The movement said in a statement that Menezes "was assassinated in cold blood, a victim of intolerance" and called for the British withdrawal from Iraq.

Gonzaga's mayor, outraged over news of the shooting, called it an "assassination." "It's easy for Blair to apologize, but it doesn't mean very much," said Mayor Júlio de Souza. "What happened to English justice and England, a place where police patrol unarmed?"

Many were angry that there was still no word on when the body might be shipped back to Gonzaga, a central Brazilian town of 6,000 where young men often head to the United States and Europe to finance a better life back home. Menezes was killed last Friday, and Brazilians traditionally bury their dead no later than 24 hours after death.

"We don't want apologies, he's ours and he should be here," said María José Carvalho, who has two sons working in the United States.

Governor Aécio Neves of Minas Gerais, the rural state where the electrician was born, said the government would pay to fly his body back to Brazil for burial.

Some of Menezes' cousins were upset that Blair's apology included a defense of the British police, who Blair said were working under intense pressure to prevent more terrorist attacks.

"His apologies aren't easing our pain," said Arialva Pereira, one of the cousins. "He's not saying anything about punishing the police who did this, it's more like he's supporting them."

The march on Monday ended in front of the town hall, where the Brazilian flag hung at half staff and a large black sheet was hung from the second floor as a sign of mourning.

Menezes was killed in a London Underground station as the police investigated a wave of botched bombings the day before and the deadly transit bombings of July 7. Witnesses said he was wearing a heavy, padded coat when plainclothes police chased him into an Underground car, pinned him to the floor and shot him.

While Menezes' relatives said he was working legally in Britain and had no reason to fear the police, the BBC said Menezes' visa had expired, suggesting a reason why he might have run.

At a joint news conference in London with Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, Amorim said the Brazilian Embassy had told him Menezes was living legally in England. Brazilian correspondents also quoted Straw as saying that he understood that Menezes' situation was legal.

[Source]
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This is real good for relations. -troj

[BADDOG]

Some of the protesters say the British police are the real "terrorists"?????

What utter bloody twaddle!!!!

It's a damn difficult job to do and if your ordered to stop by armed police then you bloody well should do as your told or suffer the consequences!!!!

No one wants the innocent to die but we live in dangerous times and terrible as this is, these things will happen as long as cowardly scum plant bombs in a major city!!!!

Warm Regards