Millions of Britons have held a two-minute silence to remember the nation’s war dead.
The Telegraph [UK]
11 Nov 2011
The tribute started at 11am, the time the guns on the Western Front fell silent at the end of the First World War in 1918.
Ceremonies nationwide commemorated fallen servicemen and women from both World Wars and later conflicts, including the 385 British personnel who have died since operations began in Afghanistan in 2001.
The silence was particularly poignant for those at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan, who are mourning the loss of the latest soldier to die on active service.
Private Matthew Thornton, 28, from the 4th Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, was killed by an IED while on patrol in Babaji on Wednesday.
His family paid tribute to him last night as a “dedicated soldier” who “loved life”.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond marked the 93rd Armistice Day with thousands service personnel who took part in a special parade at the vigil site at Camp Bastion…
…War memorials in Britain’s villages, towns and cities became the focal point for remembrance at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – the time the peace agreement between Germany and the Allies took effect in 1918 after four years of fighting.
Wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph in central London during a remembrance service organised by the Western Front Association…
…The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, visited the Royal Naval Air Station at Yeovilton, Somerset, to take part in the Act of Remembrance at the Royal Naval Cemetery at St Bartholomew’s Church.
Meanwhile, representatives of animal charities gathered at the Animals In War Memorial in London’s Park Lane to remember the role of animals in conflict.
The National Service of Remembrance, led by the Queen, will take place at the Cenotaph on Sunday…
Read the complete article at The Telegraph.
Update: California Mayor Chooses Occupy Rally Over Veterans’ Day Memorial
Update 2: You must read this article from the Gates of Vienna:
…170 Members of English Defence League Arrested Near Cenotaph in London
More than 170 members of the right-wing English Defence League (EDL) have been arrested near an Armistice Day ceremony in central London amid fears they were trying to target anti-capitalists camped in the city.
Scotland Yard said the group were detained “to prevent a breach of the peace” at a pub near the Cenotaph in Whitehall.
A police source said it was believed the group were heading towards the anti-capitalist “Occupy” protest camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral, set up last month after being inspired by the “Occupy Wall Street” movement.
That is, the EDL people were arrested because, in the esteemed judgment of Scotland Yard, they just might do something bad when they encountered the legions of the unwashed in front of St. Paul’s.
The Met acknowledged that no member of the EDL had broken the law or done anything violent:
“170+ supporters of EDL were arrested this p.m. to prevent a breach of the peace,” the Met Police said on its Twitter website. [emphasis CAJ] “No reported disorder between opposing groups at this stage.”…
…According to a BBC report, the arrests were made under a provision of the Terrorism Act. That is, laws that were designed to be used against people who intend to stage another 7/7 attack (or worse) are instead being used against indigenous English people who have done nothing wrong and are planning no kind of “terrorism” whatsoever…
Also, UK, a totalitarian police state: gov’t preemptive arrests of EDL patriots
