Belfast Demo Highlights Bush Visit

As well as giant 'No Bush' lettering that has appeared overnight on the Black Mountain overlooking Belfast - visible from many points, including the dome of the new Victoria Shopping Centre - several hundred people have today demonstrated in Belfast city centre against the US President's visit.

Some even climbed to the roof of the City Hall and erected an Iraqi flag.

The US's leading citizen is in town along with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his wife who have also travelled to Belfast to - again - greet the President and his wife Laura on their arrival from an earlier meeting in London.

During his visit this afternoon, Mr Bush will meet pupils and teachers at a mixed-faith school while Mrs Bush will attend a series of private engagements.

Mr Bush is heading for Stormont too, where Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen, will also be in attendance for the meeting with the US president.

But there will be no photocall at Parliament Buildings, and the NI MLAs will not be gathering to say 'Hi' either.

Meanwhile, tough new security arrangements that were installed at Parliament Buildings earlier this year after the failed attack by renegade loyalist, Michael Stone, are much in evidence now.

The new enforcements include the relocation of a new outdoor search facility (£34,674), the installation of railings and fencing on the building's parameter (£88,000) and new X-ray equipment (£123,000).

The largest outlay was a fee for the presence of PSNI officers which totalled £181,000. Other costs included a new PA system (£34,475), barriers (£13,200) and associated services (£43,500).

The information, via a Belfast News Letter Freedom of Information (FOI) request, has shown a total of £558,000 of public money has been spent to date to shield our public representatives from intrusion.

Meanwhile, the eve of US President George Bush's Belfast visit saw Amnesty International staging a protest in Belfast over rendition flights and conditions in Guantanamo.

Around 40 activists dressed in prisoner-style 'orange jumpsuits' marched through the city centre on Sunday.

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty's Northern Ireland Programme Director, said people were concerned about human rights.

He wants NI Executive leaders, Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness to call on President Bush today to put an end to the controversial interrogation technique of waterboarding – a method he said simulates drowning and has been condemned as torture by rights groups.

(BMcC)