World

Ferris Wheel Protest Ends

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

December 20, 2000 / 2:24 PM EST / CBS

Turks protesting their government's bloody raid on prisons brought the world's largest Ferris wheel to a standstill Wednesday by occupying two passenger pods on the landmark London Eye for four hours before surrendering quietly to police.

The protesters, described by police as Kurds, told Reuters in a brief telephone call from the European Commission building, that they were angered by political imprisonment in Turkey and violent clashes between security forces and inmates in Turkish prisons this week.

At least two of the protesters aboard the Eye had doused themselves with gasoline and threatened to immolate themselves to call attention to the raids, which were in their second day Wednesday, a protester told reporters.

Police gave various reports of the number of protesters, ranging from 22 to 45.

"This is a protest against the Turkish government which has allowed the military to enter more than 20 prisons across Turkey armed with smoke and fire bombs," said protester Sinan Unal, speaking from the Eye by mobile phone.

At least 19 people have died in the prison violence, most of them prisoners who set themselves on fire.

As CBS News Correspondent Tom Rivers reports, police evacuated the Eye of its other passengers as the drama unfolded. The demonstrators, who occupied pods at opposite sides of the wheel, began peacefully leaving the ride after about four hours and were escorted away by police.

After one pod of protesters was emptied, the other was rotated to the ground and police started removing the other demonstrators, who could be heard chanting slogans.

The Eye, on the south bank of the Thames near the Houses of Parliament, is one of London's tallest structures at 446 feet. It is a popular tourist attraction.

Another group of Turkish demonstrators entered the London offices of the European Commission, and 12 people were arrested. A third group shouted from the visitors' gallery during prime minister's questions in the House of Commons, but Prime Minister Tony Blair and other lawmakers ignored them.

The three incidents all appeared to support radical leftist inmates fighting army raids on Turkish prisons.

Some prisoners used guns and makeshift flame-throwers to fight the soldiers, who are attempting to force them into more stringent living arrangements.

Turkish prisoners often live in overcrowded wards of up to 100 prisoners. Prisoners from political groups often run their wards like indoctrination centers decorated with rebel flags and slogans painted on the walls.