BBC News Online
George Bush made an appearance in the public gallery at Holyrood this week and caused quite a stir.
Beneath the mask and the American flag however it turned out to be Kevin Williamson, a member of the Scottish Socialist Party.
His comrades on the floor of the chamber applauded his demonstration against the Bush visit to Britain and landed themselves in troble.
They were warned by the Presiding Officer George Reid that if they encouraged further demonstrations they would be thrown out.
Passions had been rising all morning on Thursday as the Socialists led a debate on world peace.
"George Bush has blood on his hands," said Frances Curran.
"George Bush and Tony Blair should be put on trial at the International Court of Justice for war crimes," said Tommy Sheridan.
"Their war in Iraq was illegal and unjustified and over 10,000 innocent Iraqis have been killed."

The Scotsman
FIRST Minister Jack McConnell has criticised the Scottish Socialist Party for not showing enough respect for the Scottish Parliament.
The comments came after several Socialist MSPs applauded when an SSP spokesman staged a noisy anti-war demonstration in the parliament’s public gallery.

The Herald AN anti-war protester wearing a George W Bush mask and shouting slogans yesterday brought proceedings in the Scottish Parliament briefly to a halt.
The interruption came at the end of a debate on world peace, staged by Scottish Socialist party MSPs to coincide with George W Bush's visit to the UK. They claimed Tony Blair and the US president should be tried for "war crimes" over their actions in Iraq.
Two police officers finally escorted Kevin Williamson, the SSP's drugs spokesman, from the public gallery as he waved a US flag and shouted inaudibly from behind his plastic mask.
George Reid, the presiding officer, had suspended the sitting for three minutes and he later criticised the SSP MPs who had clapped during the demonstration.
Later, Mr Williamson said he had been shouting at those who supported the war: "God bless my fellow war criminals in the Scottish Parliament. God bless my fellow mass murderers. If it wasn't for you, we would never have been able to kill those people in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The police said the man had left in a peaceful manner and no further action would be taken.

BBC News OnlineFirst minister's questions, which was to have followed the debate, had to be delayed for several minutes after a protest from the public gallery by a man wearing a George Bush mask.
BBC Scotland political correspondent Glenn Campbell said the man, Kevin Williamson, was better known for his protests about the use of cannabis and was the SSP spokesman on drugs.
Mr Williamson had been signed into the parliament by the SSP, whose MSPs clapped as he made his protest, our correspondent said.
When parliament resumed, Presiding Office George Reid rebuked the MSPs who had applauded the demonstration
He warned the Socialists that any future disruption would result in official action being taken.
First minister's questions, which was to have followed the debate, had to be delayed for several minutes after a protest from the public gallery by a man wearing a George Bush mask.

Anti-war MSPs have spoken out against US President George W Bush's visit to the UK and his administration's foreign policies.
The Scottish Socialist Party (SSP) condemned the visit and called for Mr Bush and Prime Minister Tony Blair to be tried for war crimes.
An SSP debate on the subject of "world peace" allowed other MSPs to condemn the actions of the US and UK in the Iraq war.

Pictures of Edinburgh "Unwelcome Bush" Demo

the Herald: Thousands march in protest at visit THOUSANDS of people took to the streets in Scotland's two biggest cities yesterday to protest against George W Bush's visit to Britain...
At St Enoch Square, the crowd shouted and whistled in approval as Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialists, told them it was an insult to UK citizens that the country's leaders had "rolled out the red carpet" to welcome the US president.
Referring to the ancient US Navy ships that are currently in the north-east of England waiting to be dismantled, Mr Sheridan said: "I would like to invite Mr Bush to come as far north as Hartlepool and then we could put him on one of his toxic ships and send him back."
Scots from every walk of life joined the protests yesterday, ranging from babies in prams to pensioners.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Scotland stages anti-Bush protests

Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane is among those due to address the Edinburgh protest.

She said: "This state visit was organised about a year ago and I wonder if they thought they were going to come to some sort of jubilant victory parade with confetti and the streets lined with people waving Union Jacks.

"Instead they're going to be greeted with the very opposite to that.

"You have to remember the death and destruction that's taken place and continues to take place in the meantime. At best, it's untimely."

She urged people to attend their local demonstration and give Mr Bush "the bum's rush".

The SSP has lodged a motion which will be debated in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.

It describes the Iraq war as "illegal, immoral and unjustified".

The motion also voices opposition to the visit and accuses Tony Blair of sharing responsibility for the deaths of "thousands of Iraqis and dozens of British service personnel".

Left-wing Labour MSP Elaine Smith has also lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament, describing the timing of Mr Bush's visit as "inappropriate and insensitive".

The Campaign for Socialism has urged anti-war MSPs to back her motion as a public way of expressing their opposition.

SSP Research, Policy & Media Unit
Press Release: 18/11/03

The Scottish Socialist Party today lodged a motion in the Scottish Parliament calling for Tony Blair and George Bush to be placed on trial for war crimes.
The uncompromising resolution, lodged for debate on Thursday morning during SSP Scottish Parliament Business, will coincide with the massive protests planned around the country against the state visit of George Bush.
Tommy Sheridan said;
"We appeal to those citizens to take to the streets again to display their complete disgust that a war criminal will be walking along a blood-soaked red carpet laid by Mr Blair, his partner in war crimes."

Scottish Socialist Party motion to the Scottish Parliament
S2M-00618 Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): That the Parliament opposes the state visit to the UK by George W Bush; deplores the complicity and subservience of the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who now shares the responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands of Iraqis and dozens of British service personnel; considers that the UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament were deceived into backing an illegal, immoral and unjustified war; believes that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have turned the world into a more dangerous and unstable place than ever before; agrees to send messages of support to the many thousands of protestors participating in the "Stop Bush" UK national demonstrations in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and recommends that the International Court of Justice should place George W Bush and Tony Blair on trial for war crimes.

The Herald: Anti-War Scots Gear Up For Protest A rallying cry for people all over Scotland to protest was issued yesterday by Tommy Sheridan, the Scottish Socialist leader. Appealing directly to the thousands who marched in Glasgow last February in protest against the Iraq war, he said: "We appeal to those citizens to take to the streets again to display their complete disgust that a war criminal will be walking along a blood-soaked red carpet laid by Mr Blair, his partner in war crimes." The MSP also called on the "millions of others" who may have been undecided about the war at the time, but who were now unhappy with the aftermath and the fact that no weapons of mass destruction had been found, to join in this time. He accepted that many Scots would not be able to join in the major demonstrations planned for Glasgow and Edinburgh, but he urged them, wherever they were, to protest against the Bush visit. Mr Sheridan said: "Bush is not welcome in Scotland, he is not welcome in Britain, he is not welcome in any part of the civilised world because it is not civilised to maul and maim innocent men, women and children."

Leader of the Scottish Socialist Party Tommy Sheridan said he hoped the protest would be similar to the 100,000-strong anti-war march which took place in February in Glasgow.
He said: "We appeal to those citizens to take to the streets again to display their complete disgust that a war criminal will be walking along a blood-soaked red carpet laid by Mr Blair, his partner in war crimes."

Last week the European Social Forum was held in Paris. It brought together more than 50, 000 participants from all over Europe to discuss, debate and organise. A huge number of topics were discussed around subjects such as globalisation, privatisation and war. The SSP took around 80 members to the forum as part of the delegation from the Scottish Mobilisation for the ESF. MSP's Rosie Kane and Frances Curran both addressed large meetings on immigration rights and the European Constitution, respectively. The event included a demonstration of 100, 000 people through the streets of Paris.

Photos - The SSP at the European Social Forum

Photos - Demonstration in Paris, Saturday 15th November 2003.

Red Fox speaks to socialists Green Left Weekly Australia.