200 join Zimbabwe protest in London
Around 200 exiled Zimbabweans and pro-democracy activists have gathered in London to call on President Robert Mugabe to allow free and fair elections.
The demonstration came as British Prime Minister Tony Blair is due to recommend Harare's suspension from the Commonwealth at the organisation's summit in Australia.
Outside the Zimbabwean High Commission, protesters chanted traditional peace songs and waved banners telling the world to "wake up" because "Zimbabwe is dying".
Ten of the activists, including gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, were staging a 36-hour hunger strike which began at 8am this morning.
Several of the crowd have been expelled from Zimbabwe while others have fled in fear of their lives.
Taurayi Chamboko, 30, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, said he had been threatened with death by Mr Mugabe's henchmen if he continued with his work as an activist with the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
"I was taken away at 3am one morning in June 2000 by people who said they were from the CIO (Central Intelligence Organisation) which is a non-uniform section of the police.
"They said they wanted to take me to the police station for questioning over a parking fine. But I was taken to a country house and locked in a room and told to sing pro-Mugabe slogans. Although they threatened me with death I continued my work with the MDC until I came to Britain for a rest.
"I have not been back because the situation deteriorated from that point onwards. Some of my friends disappeared entirely.
"A young guy from the youth department of the MDC was never seen again. Mugabe's thugs were coming in the middle of the night, taking people away and beating them, and some lost their lives during these beatings."
The hunger strike is aimed at pressurising the Commonwealth to agree to issue warrants for the arrest of Mr Mugabe, suspend Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth, ban the export of luxury goods to the country and send 1,000 human rights monitors to all regions to report on intimidation and violence.
