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National Stop The War Demo 18th Nov - Momentum Builds

No War! | 10.11.2001 14:54

Momentum builds for 18 November anti-war protest
News release: Stop the War Coalition: 9 November, 2001
Sunday 18 November promises to see Britain's largest yet demonstration against the US-led war against Afghanistan, topping last month's 50,000-strong demonstration in London.
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"People from all over the country and all walks of life will assemble in large numbers at Hyde Park Corner from 12 noon and march from there to a rally at Trafalgar Square," said a Stop the War Coalition spokesperson.

"The scale and diversity of anti-war feeling in this country is growing by the day, and we believe the turn-out on 18 November will reflect this. It will send out a powerful message, not only here but also in the United States and around the world.

"Already, there are more than 20 coaches booked from Birmingham, and another 14 from Wales. Coaches are also booked from Manchester, Leeds and Bradford. Local groups are preparing special banners and Artists Against the War are constructing giant Bush and Bin Laden puppets. At sunset, there will be arrangements for fast-breaking for Muslims observing Ramadan and those wishing to join them in solidarity with people suffering in Afghanistan.

"Among the speakers on 18 November will be international guests, including Ahmad Ben Bella, former president of Algeria, and a representative of New York City Labor Against the War, a coalition of New York trades unionists.

"The build-up to the demonstration is very promising - something the Blair government will be watching with growing anxiety. There's a flurry of activity everywhere. Last week we had meetings of more than 400 in Leeds and Oxford, and more than 2000 in Manchester. In the eight days left before 18 November, there are scores of local meetings and events being organised across the country - from a rally for Civil Servants Against the War to a week long teach-in at the LSE to a meeting in Leamington Spa and a rally in Bradford. [For details see below]

"Leaflets, posters and the Stop theWar Coalition bulletins are being snapped up all over the country. We're working hard to meet the demand."

Support for the demonstration, called and organised by theStop the War Coalition (StW), is mounting by the day. So far, supporters include: the Muslim Parliament, CND, ASLEF, RMT, the general secretaries of the NUJ, NATFHE and the Bakers' union, national executive members of UNISON, CWU, NUT, FBU, NUS, London Region MSF, the London Council of Mosques, Federation of Student Islamic Societies in UK/Eire, Peace in Kurdistan Campaign, Young Muslim UK - Sisters Branch, Newham Monitoring Project, National Civil Rights Movement, Germaine Greer, Paul Foot, Yvonne Ridley, John Pilger, Tariq Ali, George Monbiot, Harold Pinter, Rosie Boycott, Ronan Bennett, Tony Benn, Canon PaulOestricher, Dr Gayasuddin Saddiqui, Imran Khan (lawyer), George Galloway MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Paul Marsden MP, Alan Simpson MP, Labour Against the War, Lawyers Against the War, Artists Against the War, Media Workers Against the War, Civil Servants Against the War, Teachers Against the War, Mark Seddon (editor, Tribune), Christine Shawcroft (Labour NEC), Asad Rehman (NMP), Suresh Grover, (NCRM), Dave Nellist (Coventry councillor and national chair, Socialist Alliance), Liz Davies (former member, Labour NEC), Hilary Wainwright (editor, Red Pepper), Mark Thomas, Mark Steel, Jeremy Hardy, Socialist Alliance, Morning Star, Socialist Workers Party.

For more information contact: Andrew Murray (chair, Stop the war Coalition steering committee 0777 3764455 or Lindsey German (convenor, Stop the War Coalition steering committee) 07810 540584

Some of next weeks' events:

Monday 12 November: 7:30pm, public meeting, Brixton: St Matthews Church, Brixton Hill Road, London SW2. With Jeremy Corbyn MP and Suresh Grover. Also on that day: public meetings in Coventry and Leamington Spa. Protest in Bradford, 5-6pm, Centenary Square.

Tuesday,13 November: 7:30pm: Brighton, Stop the War Coalition Public Meeting; with Express journalist Yvonne Ridley. Brighthelm Centre, North Road, Brighton. There is also a meeting that evening in Banbury.

Wednesday 14: 7pm: Newham Opposition to War and Racism, Public Rally, Main Hall, University of East London, Romford Road, Stratford E15: Jeremy Corbyn MP, Imran Khan (lawyer for the Lawrences), Rithin Roy (SOAS), Imam from Stratford mosque (he was hospitalised in a racist attack last week), Asad Rehman (Stop the War/NMP)
Also a meeting that night in Norwich with David Shayler.
Also on 14 November: Hackney Stop the War Coalition, public meeting. Hackney Town Hall, 7:30pm. Meetings that night in Cardiff, Harrow, Waltham Forest.

Thursday 15 November, 6:30pm, Teachers Against the War, Friends House, Euston Road, central London, with NUT Executive members and Afghani school children.
Camden Stop the War, with Jim Mortimer (former Labour Party general secretary), 7:30pm,Community Centre, Winchester Road, London NW3.

Saturday 17 November: rally in York, 7:30pm.

LSE students have organised an anti-war teach-in all next week: 07776 015 737  b.castle@lse.ac.uk; there will also be teach-ins at Brighton University and elsewhere. Stop the War Coalition (StW)
PO Box 3739, London E5 8EJ
07951 235 915
 office@stopwar.org.uk
 http://www.stopwar.org.uk

...ends...

related info see:

Media Workers Against The War
 http://mwaw.org

Carnival Anti-Capitalist Bloc on 18th Nov
 http://uk.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=15306

No War!

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  1. you guys and gals — old man