Vieques - Demonstrators gathered outside a US Navy camp and infiltrated the bombing range on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques to protest over a naval bombing practice exercise due to start yesterday. An announcement by President Bush last week that the Navy would stop using the island for military practice in May 2003 failed to appease protesters, who want an immediate end to bombing.
Navy security officers arrested eight protesters on the bombing range, police said. Demonstrators outside the Navy's Camp Garcia said about 30 people had sneaked onto the base and were hiding on the range in hopes of halting the bombing. Those outside the gates claimed victory when the bombing had not started by late morning.