STOP THE WAR!

Protest tonight, Monday, Trafalgar Square, 6-7pm.

STOP THE WAR COALITION
 stopthewar01@yahoo.co.uk
07951 235 915
PO Box 3739, London E5 8EJ

NEWS RELEASE: Sunday 7 October 2001

* Attacks on Afghanistan will outrage the people of the world
* Stop the War Coalition calls on all those opposed to the US-UK military
action against Afghanistan to protest in Trafalgar Square, central
London, tomorrow (Monday) 6pm

"There is no justification whatsoever for tonight's military assault on
Kabul, Kandahar and possibly other targets inside Afghanistan," said a
Stop the War Coalition spokesperson.

"These attacks are acts of war wholly outside all accepted legal,
democratic and civilised norms.

"They will outrage people of all nationalities across the world.

"This military action in no way assists the apprehension of the
perpetrators of the atrocities of September 11. It will not deter
terrorism, nor will it make anyone, anywhere safer. On the contrary, it
threatens to precipitate only more violence and more suffering for
guiltless people, not least the guiltless people of Afghanistan already
afflicted by starvation and an escalating refugee crisis.

"Bush and Blair are trying to prepare us for a long, drawn-out war in and
around Afghanistan. The Stop the War Coalition intends to mobilise the
largest possible protest against this immoral and wholly destructive
course - and bring it to a speedy end."

The Stop the War Coalition is asking all those opposed to the US-UK
military action to protest tomorrow (Monday) evening, from 6pm, in
Trafalgar Square.

It will also be working flat out to ensure the largest possible turn-out
for the anti-war demonstration called by CND for Saturday 13th October.

The Stop the War Coalition was formed in London out of a meeting of more
than 2000 people held at Friends House a fortnight ago. Sponsors include
Harold Pinter, MPs George Galloway, Tam Dalyell, Jeremy Corbyn, and Alan
Simpson, writer George Monbiot, peace activists Hugh Stephens and Jim
Addington, Suresh Grover; chair of the National Civil Rights Movement,
Asad Rehman from the Newham Monitoring Project, Andrew Murray from ASLEF,
Dave Nellist, Mike Marqusee and Liz Davies from the Socialist Alliance,
Hilary Wainwright from Red Pepper, Chris Nineham from Globalise
Resistance, broadcaster John Pilger, novelist and screenwriter Ronan
Bennett, lawyer Soraya Lawrence and writer and comedian Mark Steel. Stop
the war groups have affiliated in South London, Tower Hamlets,
Portsmouth, Hackney, Sheffield, Islington, Camden and Haringey.

For more information call Lindsey German 0207 538 3308; 0208 986 1375;
07810 540584