Peace not War
2001: Post-September 11 articles.
Local opposition to the onslaught in Fallujah
10-11-2004 23:00
Opposition to the mindless and bloody onslaught in Fallujah was marked in Leeds by several events. This banner was one of many actions taken in the city. Others included:
- A demo at Dortmind Square at the University
- A demo outside the Students Union and Hilary Benn MP's office on Wednesday
- Stencilling and subvertising all over town (why not join in!)
In York a demonstration called on the day the troops walked in attracted around 30 people at a few hours notice. The image of the death of civilians, with a mother mourning, was reprinted in the local paper the next day. [Report]
Protests Against Fallujah Attack
08-11-2004 14:29
Update 14th Nov: Protests against the attack on Fallujah continue all over the UK. Over the weekend 12th - 14 Nov there were protests in Glasgow, Brixton, and outside the BBC building in London in response to the BBC's "one-sided and misleading" reporting of the attack. A proposed picket of the Glasgow Labour Party offices has been called for Monday 15th, as well as a call to lobby those responsible for cutting off water in Iraq.
Photos from Fallujah | Interview with a Fallujah refugee
Since the war was declared over ("Mission Accomplished") the anti-war movement has been fairly quiet, but that is now changing. Protests have been occuring across the country in response to the assault on Fallujah. On Monday 8th, the day the assault started, there were protests in over 30 towns and cities around the UK, including vigils and protests in Swindon, York and Brighton.
Four people were arrested in Edinburgh as the US Consulate was spattered with blood red paint and covered in anti-war slogans. A further protest took place on Tuesday the 9th.
In Cambridge, protestors staged a rush-hour demonstration, a rally in Market Square, as well as taking to the roof of the Guildhall with banners [more pics], and spraying anti-war graffiti.
In London hundreds demonstrated outside Downing Street while others blocked roads and painted anti-war graffiti.
Protests also occured in the much publicised build up to the assault with the 'Campaign for Justice for Gordon Gentle' Protest in Glasgow on 30th October, Manchester on Sat 6th Nov, and an activist breaking into the US bomb store at Welford and chalking anti-war slogans onto the bombs on Thurs 4th.
In London several protests and action took place including road blocks and the scaling of the gates to Downing Street, as well as the Foreign Office being splatterd with blood red paint [pics]. On Sunday 7th, there was a protest at Parliament Square, following which campaigners layed flowers at the Cenotaph, before locking on and blocking Whitehall.
London reports and pics [ 10 Nov 1 2, 3 ] [ 7 Nov 1 2, 3 ] [ 6 Nov ].
In Oxford campaigners petitioned their MP, demonstrated ('Naming the Dead') on the 4th and held a Vigil on Sat 6th.
In Wrexham there have been vigils and graffiti on bridges.
News from Iraq: Al-Muajaha | Electronic Iraq | Iraqi blog | Juan Cole blog | Empire Notes blog | also see Jo Wilding and her blog and John Pilger article..
UK Protest + Iraq Info Upcoming London Events | Voices in the Wilderness | Stop the War Coalition | Justice Not Vengeance | Iraq Occupation Focus | Jubilee Iraq.
Indymedia Bristol and Scotland. Indybay Iraq news page.
Protest/Meeting Announcements on the Newswire Cambridge, Manchester, Sheffield, Southampton.
Newswire Posts: Iraq :
14 Nov [ 1] 13 Nov [ 1| 2 ] 12 Nov [ 1 ] 11 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 ] 10 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 ]
9 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 ]
7 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] 6 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] 5 Nov [ 1 ] 3 Nov [ 1 | 2 | 3 ] 2 Nov [ 1 | 2 ]>br> 31 Oct [ 1 | 2 ]
F15 Anniversary Celebration
12-02-2004 13:37
Running from Thursday through til Sunday, the Peace Not War Music Festival is four nights of live music, speakers, film, and art - to celebrate the anniversary of the anti-war actions of 15th Feb 2003. An audiostream was planned but didn't happen see hereCambridge Day X accused walk free!
02-07-2003 21:48
The three day trial, concerning four activists' actions on the day war broke out (Day X), finished today with all charges against them being dropped. They were arrested in relation to the massive sit-in [1| 2 ] that took place in Cambridge on the 20th of March, the first day of the invasion of Iraq.The charges of willful obstruction of the highway and assault were dropped by the district judge after the prosecution made its case. Out of the 24 people arrested on March 20th, most were not charged, while other received cautions or had their charges dropped.
More arrests during anti-war actions, with charges dropped in Oxford.
Peace Protesters still active!
09-04-2003 22:00
In Scotland anti war actions are still taking place nearly every day, despite the police tactics getting more and more restrictive for the protesters. On Thursday 3rd of april the autonomous demonstration suceeded in blocking an Esso garage for about an hour, following on from the demonstration a week earlier on the 27th of april.On Friday the school students suceeded in blocking the traffic with a sit-in before marching of in a cordon of police to the American embassy. Friday saw also a mass mave-in of posters and postcards as a solidarity action for a protester, who was arrested alongside with others on the anti-war demo the 22nd of march for his design of the American flag.
An anti-war exhibition by local artists also opened on Friday, to be seen untill the 13th of april, in the Roxy Art House.
On Saturday, activists went to protest in front of the BP headquaters in Grangemeouth, Fife.
Peace Vigils were also held on Monday, 7th of april in front of the US consulate. The next women's vigil will take place on Saturday, 12th of april Night outside City Chambers on Royal Mile from 9-10pm.
More actions are also to take place on Wednesday,9th of april, when Glasgow activists have announced a demonstration, starting off at Kelvinbridge Underground at 5pm to march to BBC studios, Queen Margaret Drive.
On Saturday, 12th of april, another mass demonstration will take place in Glasgow and in London, following on from the one on the 29th of march.
When Injustice becomes Law Resistance becomes Duty
29-03-2003 23:00
Demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday, 29th of march.The demonstration on Saturday was quite big and most impressive with over more than 10000 people.
The new tactic was fencing off the route of the demonstration from the starting point till the end.
However, inspiring and exciting was the crossing of the fencing, when protesters blocked one of the bigger traffic junctions in Edinburgh with a street party including music and dancing.
Many sympathisers of the peace movement also showed their support by banging pots and other kitchen equipment or hanging banners out of their windows or onto the balconies, which was further encouraging.
Critical Mass on Friday
A peace protest in form of a bicycle demonstration rolled around the city centre on Friday evening. "Bicycles not bombs" and "No Blood for Oil" were slogans of some of the environmentalists campaigning for a sustainable longterm solution to the worlds energy problem rather than waging war on countries rich in oil and other exploitable resources.
[ full report | Background reading: Rising Tide ]
Protest on Thursday
In Edinburgh, at midday on Thursday, an autonomous demonstration was taking place, which was quite fun, exciting, spontaneous and successfull. A picket outside the Army Recruitment Office was held, and a major junction on the main shopping road was blocked as well as a sitdown in front of GAP happened.
[report 1 | report 2 | report 3 ]
Anti-war demonstration, Glasgow
The anti-war demonstration in Glasgow last Saturday on the 22nd of march is still of concern to the participants, particularly because of the police brutality happening. [ Robert Burns against the war . | report 1 | report 2 ]
More direct actions against the war reported
22-03-2003 23:00
The British army building in Glasgow has been attacked by protesters on Sunday night. Resistance is also awakening in Galloway, where depleted uranium is tested. From Dundee, first independent reports and pictures come in about anti-war actions during the last week. In Dumfries pupils went out of school to demonstrate, too. For Edinburgh a big demonstration has been called for next Saturday, as well as for a critical mass on Friday evening and anti-war actions on Thursday midday.
Stop the War- Stop the City!
22-03-2003 23:00
Direct actions and peace demonstrations took place again today.In Edinburgh, lots of speeches and a die-in in front of the Scottish Parliament started the anti-war protest, before school students speeded the demonstration off to Princess Street to block the traffic several times with sit-ins before marching to the US consulate followed by another row of speeches.
Then back to Princes Street with more Sit-Ins and Die-Ins to Charlotte Square.
Police until then has been astonishing relaxed, but become violent, aggressive and provoking when plain-cloth policemen brutally tried to arrest a protester for no apparent reason which kicked off the bystanders to intervene, resulting in more arrests and detention.
Whereas the speakers of the rally tried to support police tactics by asking demonstrators repeatedly not to bother, the police had to let the detained people go due to crowd pressure.
The crowd finally walked off to have a solidarity picket in front of St.Leonards police station, St.Leonard Street.
The demonstration broke through police-lines, when police tried to block their way.
The solidarity picket is still continuing after 10 pm on Saturday night.
In Glasgow there was a big demonstration, and protesters were boxed in for over one and a half hours by police.
Hoosie, from Faslane Peace Camp has been beaten up by police and is now hospitalised with bruised kidney and bruised liver.
He was arrested on Thursday at an action for allegedly assaulting a police officer.
No War!
21-03-2003 23:00
As we are still waiting for incoming anti-war reports, there has been a pro-peace confetti action in Edinburgh.Anti-war confetti- action in the Scottish Parliament
Direct actions when bombs drop- now!
20-03-2003 23:00
Direct actions and protest are also planned for Friday the 21st in front of the Scottish Labour Conference in Dundee.More calls for demonstrations are out for Saturday, when anti-war demonstrators will meet up in Glasgow and in Edinburgh at 12 noon at Parliament Square, and all over the world in bigger and smaller cities to raise their voice against the war.