Arrest Blair!

Tony Blair may be sleeping a little less soundly in his bed following the launch of ArrestBlair.org. Brainchild of author and activist George Monbiot – who attempted his own citizen’s arrest of John Bolton at the 2008 Hay Literary Festival – the website has already raised over £13,000 for a “Justice for War Crimes” fund.

Anyone attempting a peaceful citizen’s arrest of the former prime minister can claim a quarter of the money in the fund, provided their actions are reported in at least one mainstream media outlet. The first successful claim has already been made by Grace McCann, who tried to arrest Blair as he left the Chilcot inquiry on 29 January. (Sadly, my own attempt earlier that day, which led to my ejection from the QEII centre by the police, was not accurately reported, though I was attacked by The Times’ parliamentary sketch writer for being a “scruffy-looking” “loony”).

According to a recent poll for the Daily Mail, 28% of the British public think that Blair should be prosecuted for war crimes.