David Cronin, a reporter for the Inter Press Service news agency and a regular commentator for The Guardian, placed his hand on Mr Blair's arm and said: "This is a citizens' arrest. You are guilty of war crimes."
Mr Blair, speaking to MEPs about his role as EU and US envoy to the Middle East, momentarily flinched at the contact but was saved by a bodyguard who intervened to push the Irish journalist away.
Mr Cronin said that his intention had been to invite Mr Blair to accompany him to the nearest Belgian police station to be charged for breaches of international law over his part in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
"My motivation in trying to arrest Blair is entirely based on my contempt for the crimes he has committed and abetted," he said.
It is the second attempted arrest of Mr Blair. Grace McCann, an anti-war protester, was arrested in January after trying to collar the former Prime Minister following his testimony before the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq war.
Arrest Blair.
3 comments:
"Mr Cronin said that his intention had been to make publicity for himself."
Fixed!
When you make a citizen's arrest, there's a certain format you have to use and you can't just immediately say "you are guilty of XYZ".
Also, if someone is clearly doing something for their own publicity, I really wish the press would simply not cover the story.
It's a shame he botched the procedure.
I would love to see Bush and Cheney thusly arrested, too.
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