By 3news.co.nz staff / RadioLIVE
Extra security is in place for the visit to Auckland today of former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Anti-war group Global Peace and Justice are planning a protest due to Mr Blair’s original agreement with the United States to go to war in Iraq.
The group want to see him arrested for war crimes.
Spokesman John Minto says if they don't have any luck at Eden Park, where he's due to speak today, they'll target the hotel where he's staying.
"Iraq posed no immediate threat to any other country, there were no weapons of mass destruction and no plans or programme to develop [weapons of mass destruction]," says Mr Minto.
"Tony Blair knew this but deceived the public and a gullible media because British multinationals wanted their share of the massive Iraqi oil reserves."
Website www.arrestblair.org is offering a monetary reward in exchange for attempting to perform a citizen's arrest of the former UK Prime Minister, whom along with then US President George W Bush, took his country to war in Iraq in 2003.
In order to collect the bounty, the claimant must attempt a non-violent citizen's arrest, and have it reported by a mainstream news outlet.
So far, three people have collected a total of almost £9,000 from the site, which was started by Guardian writer George Monbiot, and is funded by donations made over the internet.
Estimates of the war dead range between 100,000 and 1 million.
Ticket prices for today's event were slashed by half to $500 after slow sales.
RadioLIVE / 3 News
source: newshub archive
