Dawn chorus greets early rising Premier

By GREG ANSLEY

In the pink dawn of a Canberra morning, Prime Minister John Howard suffered his first repercussion from the commitment of Australian troops to war in Iraq.

As the track-suited Mr Howard tried to leave The Lodge, his residence, for his daily wake-up walk, he ran into about 15 Greenpeace protesters who had risen even earlier.

Four-wheel-drives painted as United Nations vehicles blocked all entrances to place Mr Howard under "house arrest".

Chained to them, and to the gates of The Lodge, were demonstrators dressed in white.

"We've come here to bring our views to you," said spokesman Shane Rattenbury.

Mr Howard kept walking, replying as security staff fielded demonstrators: "I respect your views ['thank you very much,' interjected Mr Rattenbury] and I just ask you to respect mine."

"I agree entirely," replied Mr Rattenbury as Mr Howard was hustled into the distance, "but I'd like you to listen if that's possible, because up until now you have not."

Later, with the protesters gone, Mr Howard said: "I just say to people who disagree with me, 'you have a right to protest but ... the stupidity or otherwise of individual acts of protest will be judged by your fellow Australians accordingly'."

Herald Feature: Iraq