'Why I'm protesting against Bush'

Mr Gethin says he does not want to see Mr Bush humiliated

It's not just the war against Iraq that is driving Toby Gethin to march on Thursday against George W Bush's visit to London.

The 19-year-old student believes the United States, the "leader of the free world", is enslaving millions in developing countries with its restrictive trade covenants.

He also believes the US must play a more active role in helping to cut global warming.

Under Mr Bush, America pulled out of the Kyoto protocol which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which are thought to contribute to climate change.

"I don't think George Bush is an animal, deep down I think he has a humane spirit," says Mr Gethin.

"But these issues are incredibly important not just to America, but the rest of the world. The way he is going about them is wrong," he adds.

Old loyalties

He says he recognises the "special relationship" that exists between Britain and the US and that America has, at times, proved a crucial ally to the UK.

People protesting should realise that one of the greatest infringers of human rights is no longer running Iraq because of the force of US military might Why Donald Anderson backs Bush's visit

But he believes the time for old loyalties has now passed.

"I don't think we should stand with America through thick and thin. We have to know when to say, we've had enough."

A student of development studies in Norwich, Mr Gethin is a member of Action Zone, the youth wing of the charity Action Aid which funds development programmes in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

He will be marching under the charity's banner on Thursday, and hopes many thousands of others will also be there to register their disapproval of Mr Bush's visit to the UK.

"A lot of the money America is pouring into Iraq is not about developing the country, it is going to fund their military effort there.

"Those billions of dollars could be better spent on tackling HIV and Aids."

'Strength of feeling'

He adds: "I'm deeply sympathetic for the Americans after the World Trade Centre attacks, but they way they are tackling it is wrong.

"Instead of a war on terror there needs to be a war on poverty, so poorer countries do not feel isolated from the global community."

Mr Gethin wants the US to withdraw from Iraq as soon as possible, but concedes an immediate pull-out would be self-defeating.

"They are there for political motives and to exploit energy resources, not for the good of the Iraqi people."

So does he want to see the president humiliated?

"No, but I want him to realise the strength of feeling here against the war in Iraq."