Demo halts traffic

And on Friday 25 anti-war dissenters staged a surprise demonstration outside the offices of the Inland Revenue in Lewes in protest at their taxes funding the war effort.

In Thursday's action, protesters carrying placards and shouting anti-Bush and Blair slogans occupied the road alongside the war memorial.

Police were present but did not try to move them on.

The demonstration lasted for some 45 minutes.

Luckily most of the rush hour traffic had already passed through the town by then.

The protesters were holding a demonstration on the memorial island when part of the group suddenly occupied the road.

Traffic was held up on School Hill and police had to divert motorists.

A couple of drivers attempted to edge their cars through the ranks of protesters and police had to step in to avoid a possible incident.

Younger members later sat down in the road in protest for a period.

Said Susan Murray, one of the organisers: 'We always intended that our people should have a choice as to whether they kept a vigil at the memorial or took direct action.

'In the event we had both.

'We are for peace and not for any kind of violence.

'We wanted to make a statement in the middle of Lewes of our horror about what the Government has led us into.'

A police spokesman said there were no arrests and no major difficulties.

Traffic was held up for only short periods at a time.

The unannounced protest at the Inland Revenue office caught staff by surprise.

But manager Anne Coomber met them at her office door on the second floor of Medwyn House in Mountfield Road and promised to convey their views to management.

Police arrived after a few minutes but there were no arrests.

A fire appliance also made an appearance and then left.

Organiser Hugh Court said: 'We feel we have to go beyond our usual behaviour to say that our tax is being abused and, in effect, being taken away from funding our children's education.

'We do not accept the war, and having to pay for people to be killed is an outrageous situation.

'We are non-violent people. We wouldn't hurt a fly.'

Another demonstrator said: 'We of Middle Britain don't want to be rude and unpleasant but we want to make our point.'

Ms Coomber said: 'I will take your views forward.'

The protesters were met with some scornful comments from a group of men outside the offices who made it clear they did not share their views.