> How many of these protesters will be in line to take up seats in the parliament in 20 years time, talking wistfully and humorously of their 'radical' days back in 2002 ?

Since there are only 600 or so seats in the UK parliament, and over 300 000 people on the protest, very few of them will be in line for parliamentary office !

Obviously a posting like this can expect to be eagerly criticised, particularly by the SWP who did most of the building for the highly successful Stop the War Coalition march last week. Recent criticisms of similar postings tend to involve accusing anyone pointing to the limitations of the anti-war movement of being out of touch with 'ordinary' people, squabbling in a Judean People's Front kind of way and damaging the unity of anti-war forces in a way that can only help the supporters of war.

All the things that Labour Party activists accuse the SWP of, in fact.

The march was a great success. Even more encouragingly, the stop the war coalition is calling for direct action against the war, quite a move for the SWP and one that could bring in militant new forces, particularly young people. If unity develops between the direct action movement, Asian groups, the left and others, particularly others, it COULD create a situation where the energy of millions of anti-war people in Britain could build something really effective.

However the anti-war movement is not immune from the problems that the British left have - partuicularly an overwhelming faith in the traditional labour movement to do the right thing if they could free themselves of a few bad leaders. Not union members, workers, but the Labour Movement, which is led by an unchallenged Tony Blair.

For all our failings - god, where do you begin? - the direct action movement has got a spirit of rebellion and instinctive anti-capitalism that is simply absent in many left wing groups that consider themselves more sophisticated. Remember, the STWC used to refuse discussion of direct action at their meetings, something that seems to have only changed after Tony Benn's call for direct action which itself only reflects the massive anti-war feeling across the country.

The direct action movement is great at doing stuff but not so good at arguing with the labour party voting left. Doing stuff on our own (always an easy temptation)is stupid when other people are up for doing stuff and we can involve thousands of new people in direct action. We should be open to the real possibility that the SWP is changing (as ever to catch up with public opinion, but never mind) in a positive way and that anti-war activists will be working together all over the country in a positive way. That's great, lets work with everyone - but lets not tone down our anti-capitalism to fit in with a labour-voting dominated organisation. Lets show them how direct action works and stop this fuckin war.

400,000 people on the streets, perhaps the biggest demonstration in British history, and Grumbley just turns up his nose and slags off the organisers.

We should always be critical of course! But from within the movement.

It is probably true that many of the marchers only vaguely understood how globalisation and capitalism generates war, and how to lay an axe to the root of war - our job is to march along side these people and share our experience and learning with them in a spirit of friendship - not elitism.

The Stop the War coalition comprises over 40 organisation and brings together people with radically different analyses of the war, but who are all opposed to the war.

By acting together in a non-sectarian way we can achieve maximum impact. Those with a more radical analysis should push this analysis, but from WITHIN the movement - not standing above the people marching!

So much for the old free speech !
Anyway, With the entire world on the brink of catastrophe, when Bush Jr is depending on Blair to endorse a semblance of internationalism to his insane vendetta, if there are serious problems with the movement the time to talk about them is now, before its too late.
It seems to me that the components of this large gathering will split, between their unresolved differences: those who stood with the United Nations and those who were more resolute. There will then be a split between the remnant, the religious and the secular parts of the movement, and also between the middle- and working- class sections. The war will go ahead and only then will a real anti- war movement take shape...
If that sounds pessimistic, I assure you I hope I'm wrong on the above predictions. I dont want a war.