A citizen's arrest

Cheeky barman tried to put Tony Blair under a citizen's arrest for 'crimes against peace' while the former Prime Minister dined with his family in a trendy east London restaurant

Daily Mail,

26 January, 2013

A barman tried to put Tony Blair under a citizen's arrest while the former Prime Minister was out having dinner.

Blair was eating at Tramshed in east London when Twiggy Garcia approached him.

The part-time producer said he put his hand on his shoulder and said 'Mr Blair, this is a citizen's arrest for a crime against peace, namely your decision to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq.'

Mr Garcia told Vice magazine how Blair then attempted to engage in a debate before one of his son's went to get security. The worker then left the restaurant to avoid any trouble.

Mr Blair's office said today there 'was nothing to report' about the incident.

Mr Garcia was inspired to approach the former Prime Minister after reading website arrestblair.org.

This site encourages people to try and arrest Blair for 'crimes against peace.'

The arrests are largely symbolic, but a bounty is offered to those who attempt it should it be reported in the media.

The website says the intention of the campaign is to encourage attempts to arrest the former prime minister, to remind the public justice has not yet been done and to 'show the mass murder he committed will not be forgotten.'

It adds campaigners wish to put pressure on the authorities to prosecute Blair for a crime against peace.

Mr Garcia said he had not planned to approach Blair but decided to take the opportunity when he walked into the trendy east London eatery.

Speaking with Vice, he said: 'My heart rate increased when I found out he was in the building; there was a eerie presence, which some of the other staff noticed too.

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'I went on the arrestblair website to see how to perform a citizen’s arrest.

'I went over to him, put my hand on his shoulder and said: “Mr Blair, this is a citizen's arrest for a crime against peace, namely your decision to launch an unprovoked war against Iraq. I am inviting you to accompany me to a police station to answer the charge.

Mr Garcia approached Blair while he ate at Tramshed, pictured, in east London

'He said, “No, shouldn’t you be worried about Syria?” and I replied that I can only address things that are within my grasp at any one time.

'Then he asked me, “But don’t you agree that Saddam was a brutal dictator and he needed to be removed?” and I replied “Not by an illegal war.” Then he started talking about how lots of people died in the 1980s.'

A spokeswoman from Blair's office said today: 'There is nothing to report here apart from fact that Mr Blair did offer to discuss the issue that offer was declined and the individual walked off.

'Nothing else happened. Everyone is fine and they had a great time at the restaurant'

Mr Garcia is the fifth person to have tried to bring the former Prime Minister to justice after reading the arrestblair.org website.