Saddam execution leads to protest all over Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 30 (UNI) The execution of former Iraq President Saddam Hussein triggered state-wide protest marches and a three-hour hartal in the evening called by major political parties in Kerala.

The local fishing community, in Malappuram district which named their small coastal village ''Saddam Beach'', to express their admiration of Saddam and his anti-imperialistic stance, shouted slogans against US President George W Bush.

''It is cruel,'' one of them said.

In the city here, many organisations burnt the effigies of US President and one organisation even hanged the effigy in public as a symbolic protest.

A bus carrying a group of tourists from Italy was blocked by angry protestors at Vizhinjam near Kovalam.

But no attempts were made to harm the tourists.

The foreign tourists, who were amused by the sporadic protests in the state following Saddam's execution, were seen taking photographs of the protest marches and burning of Mr Bush's effigy.

With the news of Saddam Hussein's execution flashed, major political parties in Kerala reacted sharply and called for a state-wide hartal from 1500 hrs to 1800 hrs.

Many office goers were caught unaware by the suudden call of hartal as public transport system went off the roads.

After hartal hours, there was a mad rush at bus stations and railway stations.

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