Two notes from Ireland

On Tuesday I received the first note below from friends in Ireland. The second one came on Wednesday.

Tuesday: "All well here--we landed Saturday morning; feeling very tired until our coach drove through O'Connell St, the Main Street in Dublin. There outside a very large, very old bookstore, were about a couple of hundred protestors, with large posters of Blair, blood spattered across them, and the words, War Criminal. Blair made the incredibly stupid (well, not from a man who went to Iraq with George) error of beginning his book-tour in Ireland. I suppose he expected that as he had helped buy peace in N. Ireland, he would be warmly welcomed. Police were everywhere--almost as many as the protestors and the people lined up to have their foolishly-purchased volumes signed--but nevertheless, protestors threw eggs and shoes (the new insult of course) at Blair. One lone woman lined up for 2 hours, underwent the indignity of a full-search, as did everyone who was allowed in to see the great man, and when she got there, she told him he was a war criminal, etc. Police seized her before she could say much more, but they could not tell her what offense she had committed, as speech is still, supposedly, free. The outcome of Blair's triumphant tour was that he called off the next stop in Britain, saying he didn't want the police and state to expend the funds on protecting him. Another score for Ireland."

Wednesday: "Was glad to hear last night that not only has he canceled his book-signings in Britain,but has canceled the whole launch party! Way to go, Tony!"