500 locals march for peace in Gulf War garrison town
Colchester Peace Campaign | 27.01.2003 14:51
Colchester Peace Campaign held a march against war on Iraq this Saturday (25/1/03). Organisers were overwhelmed by the turnout, which reached 500 as it passed through the town, on its way to the Garrison of the 16th Air Assault Brigade, which is preparing its move to Kuwait for its assault on Iraq.
Our march got great support from other local people, with shoppers applauding and joining in, while car drivers sounded their horns. Our banners spelt out the massage clearly and vividly, No to war, don’t attack Iraq, no blood for oil.
We received positive media coverage, a big photo of the march with the caption “Anti-War lobby out in force” hitting the front page of the East Anglian Daily Times, with 2 more pages inside!
The Evening Gazette has a huge story on Page three. It features a beautiful photo of the March assembling underneath a stunningly vivid double rainbow that had appeared. (A sign of hope, and also a coming torrent of rain that drenched us all but did not reduce our numbers or spirits!) There is also a photo of young women tying anti-war banners to the Parachute regiment barracks. We also got on TV and Radio news.
The East Anglian Daily times report 91% of their readers in phone polls rejecting Blair and Bush’s war while the Gazette features the Feb 15th National Demo, giving details of local coaches to the protest.
This is now the biggest movement in Britain since the anti-Poll Tax revolt smashed Thatcher. It is a historically unprecedented opposition movement to an imperialist war.
The march had only taken 8 or 9 days to organise, and gained momentum with the government announcement earlier in the week that the locally based Air Assault Brigade, which includes the Parachute Regiment, was to immediately begin the huge operation of its move to the Gulf.
Immediately the Peace Campaign began picketing the Brigades HQ, gaining newspaper and TV coverage and local support. We were pleasantly surprised to find some soldiers beeping horns in our support, giving us the thumbs up. Others expressed a differing opinion!
The barracks are a hive of activity, with military vehicles lined up, all marked for transit to Kuwait. Spare parts and miscellaneous kit are crammed into dozens of rust coloured ‘florens’ freight containers, awaiting shipment.
This Saturday, everybody seemed energised by the march, wanting to do more.
People of all ages, young people who have never protested before, older people who hadn’t protested for decades joined a peoples parliament outside the barracks.
At an open mike forum, dozens of young people, many from the 6th form college, made eloquent criticisms of the war, and discussed what to do to oppose it. Applause was given to calls for money for welfare not warfare, with fair pay in the Fire Service, and proper resources for Education, rather than increasing student debt being popular ideas.
On the same day, by coincidence 800 marched through Norwich – that means over 1200 marched in the East Anglia region alone in one day. We are also receiving reports of many other meetings in the most rural parts of East Anglia at the same weekend, with even many conservative people taking a stand against the war.
What Next? Join the discussion!
We received positive media coverage, a big photo of the march with the caption “Anti-War lobby out in force” hitting the front page of the East Anglian Daily Times, with 2 more pages inside!
The Evening Gazette has a huge story on Page three. It features a beautiful photo of the March assembling underneath a stunningly vivid double rainbow that had appeared. (A sign of hope, and also a coming torrent of rain that drenched us all but did not reduce our numbers or spirits!) There is also a photo of young women tying anti-war banners to the Parachute regiment barracks. We also got on TV and Radio news.
The East Anglian Daily times report 91% of their readers in phone polls rejecting Blair and Bush’s war while the Gazette features the Feb 15th National Demo, giving details of local coaches to the protest.
This is now the biggest movement in Britain since the anti-Poll Tax revolt smashed Thatcher. It is a historically unprecedented opposition movement to an imperialist war.
The march had only taken 8 or 9 days to organise, and gained momentum with the government announcement earlier in the week that the locally based Air Assault Brigade, which includes the Parachute Regiment, was to immediately begin the huge operation of its move to the Gulf.
Immediately the Peace Campaign began picketing the Brigades HQ, gaining newspaper and TV coverage and local support. We were pleasantly surprised to find some soldiers beeping horns in our support, giving us the thumbs up. Others expressed a differing opinion!
The barracks are a hive of activity, with military vehicles lined up, all marked for transit to Kuwait. Spare parts and miscellaneous kit are crammed into dozens of rust coloured ‘florens’ freight containers, awaiting shipment.
This Saturday, everybody seemed energised by the march, wanting to do more.
People of all ages, young people who have never protested before, older people who hadn’t protested for decades joined a peoples parliament outside the barracks.
At an open mike forum, dozens of young people, many from the 6th form college, made eloquent criticisms of the war, and discussed what to do to oppose it. Applause was given to calls for money for welfare not warfare, with fair pay in the Fire Service, and proper resources for Education, rather than increasing student debt being popular ideas.
On the same day, by coincidence 800 marched through Norwich – that means over 1200 marched in the East Anglia region alone in one day. We are also receiving reports of many other meetings in the most rural parts of East Anglia at the same weekend, with even many conservative people taking a stand against the war.
What Next? Join the discussion!
Colchester Peace Campaign
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
photo
27.01.2003 18:50
photo
Caption in paper:"Rainbow warriors - the anti-war protesters began their march just as a double rainbow appears above them"
cutnpaste
Newspaper story
27.01.2003 18:58
Evening Gazette. By Julia Gregory.
This is a shorter version from the website
Colchester: 400 protest on anti-war march.
Rain failed to deter protesters turning out for an anti-war march in Colchester, which organisers hailed as one of the biggest demos in the town in recent years.
Up to 400 people turned out for the demonstration through Colchester town centre.
It finished with speeches and a minute's silence outside Colchester Garrison in Mersea Road, close to the barracks where the 3rd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment are preparing to set off for the Gulf.
Police said the protest, which started off lit up by a double rainbow, passed off peacefully.
Sylvia Rahmany, who comes from Colchester's twin town Wetzlar, which also has a garrison, said the peace campaign there sent a message of support.
She said: "These kind of wars produce terrorism."
A Colchester Peace Campaign spokesman said: "We can't stand aside and let mass murder be done in our name."
At least three coaches will be leaving Colchester for London for the national demonstration on Saturday, February 15.
There will be pick-ups at Colchester bus station at 9am and from the Essex University podium at 9.30am.
Transport may also be arranged from Brightlingsea. Tickets for the transport cost £8 and £5 concessions and are available on 07931 638938.
cutnpaste surfer