Reply #99: Protesters surround Laura Bush at Jerusalem mosque (cnn)

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http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/05/22/laura.bush/index.html

Protesters surround Laura Bush at Jerusalem mosque
First lady whisked away as emotions grow tense

Sunday, May 22, 2005 Posted: 8:33 PM EDT (0033 GMT)




JERUSALEM (CNN) -- First lady Laura Bush, on a political fence-mending tour of the Middle East, found herself the target of a tense protest Sunday in Jerusalem at one of Islam's holiest sites.

After a brief tour of the Dome of the Rock mosque, about 40 or 50 protesters surrounded Bush and her U.S. Secret Service detail as they departed, pushing to get closer and shouting: "How dare you come here" and "You don't belong in this mosque."

Security closed in tightly around the first lady as the angry Muslim protesters -- many expressing fury at the United States -- came very close to Bush.

As Secret Service agents shadowed her, Israeli security guards linked arms and forced a pathway for the first lady's entourage through the crowd to Bush's motorcade.

At one point, a boy made his way up to the first lady, and one guard momentarily pointed his gun at the boy, who ran away.