Two announcements were made by the management of Churchill Square Shopping Centre, Brighton, when protesters demonstrated against attacking Iraq (The Argus, December 23): "Please ignore the demonstrators and continue shopping" and "We apologise for the inconvenience caused by the demonstrators. Please continue shopping."

This just about sums up the consumerism of our society and why other people in the world think of us as morally bankrupt.

Never mind a potential war, just carry on shopping. Let us hope we don't shop till we drop as a result of a conflagration in the Middle East caused by President Bush's blinkered belligerence and greed.

-Juliet McCaffery, Councillor for Preston ward, Brighton and Hove City Council