A friend e-mails from London:

We are living in the heart of things–in Trafalgar Square–and, for
what it’s worth, can report that there is nothing of any substance going on
at all. It’s quite quiet–people are going about their business, but the
usual buzz of tourist activity has slackened a bit. The first round of
scheduled protest events involved a big talk by prominent left-leaning
activists, and drew about 2,000 people. Then, about 1,000 marched through
Oxford Street to protest the Bush Administration’s environmental
policies. The thousands who were supposed to greet him at Buckingham did
not materialize–there were maybe 100. Right now (Wednesday afternoon),
just after the President’s big talk, there are a few hundred people milling
around Trafalgar Square, a women’s prayer circle, and some people
congratulating themselves for putting red-dye in the fountains (get
it?). The crowd is a little bigger than the crowd two days ago, who were
protesting the ban on feeding the pigeons, but certainly smaller than the
crowd last month, who were protesting tuition hikes at universities). The
cops were cracking up. There was supposed to be a big “alternative state
parade” of cyclists and other folks, but it seems to have fizzled. (There
is a helicopter overhead right now).
At 3 pm, there is supposed to be a big “do” at Buckingham Palace, which I
might go investigate. The REALLY big event, we’re told, (the organizers
keep downplaying expectations as the day goes by), will be on Thursday,
when the statute of President Bush is pulled down (get it?).
I’m not sure what you all are reading back home, but it is simply not the
case that the UK–or even London–is rising up in anger over the Bush
visit. A (small) majority supports the visit, even if a (slight) majority
oppose him and the war. Not that different than, say, New York or
Washington. My impression is that most Britons–and even most Londoners
– are no more irritated by the President than by the “protesters.” (All
this notwithstanding the transparent efforts by the BBC and the Guardian–
which make Fox News and the Washington Times look like CNN and the Boston
Globe–to stir up opposition).