Exclusive: Geneva Switzerland - Swiss Police Attack School Aged Anti-War Protesters

Breaking News – Hundreds of Swiss school children have been fired upon by riot police outside the US Mission in Geneva. The attack, witnessed by workers from the nearby World Health Organization, was unprovoked.

“The police were tear gassing innocent children. I could not see any adults among them. There were dozens if not hundreds of children in that field. The tear gas explosions have been going on for about half an hour now.”

A Scoop eyewitness contact reports: “It's 13h48 Thursday 20 March 2003 in Geneva. I have just walked around the boundary fence of WHO. Alongside the fence is a paddock that backs on to the US Mission, which is always closed off to the public.

“As I walked I could hear lots of yelling, cheering, bangs (like firecrackers) and drums. I peered through the gaps in the shrubs alongside the fence and saw lots of school children, Swiss school children, not Middle Eastern, aged in their teens, running across the field, and waving anti-war banners.

“Suddenly there were a series of loud explosions and the field was covered in smoke, some of it drifting onto the edge of the WHO property and stinging my nose.

“Then, on the edge of the field that meets the US Mission property, I could see a row of policemen in protective gear, shields, helmets, etc. There were more explosions and the air was filled with tear gas,” Scoop’s contact said.

At this point World Health Organization security guards insisted the WHO staff get back into the WHO buildings, as they were to lock the doors.

“The police were tear gassing innocent children. I could not see any adults among them. There were dozens if not hundreds of children in that field. The tear gas explosions have been going on for about half an hour now.

“As far as I can see the use of force in this situation is totally unnecessary, since there are a couple of high fences covered in barbed wire separating the students from the US Mission,” Scoop’s contact said.

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