Your suggestion of blocking a motorway seems a certain way of annoying a whole load of potential supporters into not becoming supporters. Isn't blocking roads what the Israelis do in Palestine?

Direct action should always be against the actual targets - in this case government and the war machine. If you could stop B52s from taking off this would be more effective.

Other than that it's got to be peaceful protest, and you can do that wherever you like. I once saw poppies painted
on cannons.

Why haven't we thought of this earlier?
We can force the public to block the roads by blocking the pavement and forcing people to get by by going onto the road.

We could chose a few strategic spots where there are lots of people going by on narrow pavements eg Oxford Street.

The good thing is that it would only need a few people with a few banners to sit and block the pavement and there would be chaos as everyone moves onto the road.

Mass action!

Keep the ideas coming!

In response to the above Parks, road blocking has been an effective form of protest in Argentina specifically employed to sever the 'arteries' of the state-economy and act as a focal point for people. Its use need not be restricted to motorways but can include trains, congested city centres and country routes. However, it must be used as part of a wider campaign of attrition.

In relation to the suggestion by Parks that there could be a 'correct' form of protest, I would ask the contributor not to get drawn into the divisive ploy used all to often to splinter a movement. I refer to the corporate media spin regarding 'spikies' and 'fluffies' that centred around Mayday 2000 and subsequent anti-capitalist protests. One lesson learnt from the last three years is that there can never be a correct form of protest because the subject of protest is constantly shifting. One day the state deploys plods, the next day its deploys TSG (Terrotorial Support Group - London's heavy boys), in other countries protesters are getting shot. Amongst the protesters are people who want a return to pre-Iraq political stability, some wish for a change of Government whilst others wish for the abolition of the state in its present form. We know now that a criteria that meets with general concensus will not be achieved. Instead we must be flexible in order to confront whatever force the state chooses to deploy against us. Be the tactics of the day peaceful or confrontational, we must be ready and united to meet the challenge.

P.S. I would add that there was a demonstration in Chichester, a small Cathedral city. It attracted 300 protestors, many cops and interestingly the FIT (Foward Intelligence Team). What's unusual about that is the march was made up of 'peaceful' protesters (families and elderly), some of whom have never been on a march before, most of whom have never fallen on the wrong side of the law. Yet the state despatched units (FIT) from Scotland Yard to this and other protests to gather intelligence, film and record the most vocal of the general public. This to me signifies a worring escalation of intelligence gathering where the British public as a whole has now become a significant enough threat to the state to warrant measures reserved for protesting extreme leftist groups, Animal rights etc. I would say that the Government, in towing the U.S. line 'Your either with us or against us' now perceives the general public as being more than less on the side of the enemy.

Speaking as a commuter myself, I'd be more than happy to sit in a traffic jam all day if their was a national stoppage and I'm sure many would agree that it certainly beats going to work.

If its democratic to go to war without the majority of the people in support and if its legal to go to war when the secretary general says it's not then it must be very legal to block a road or 2 in opposition.

I hope someone actually does do it.

1) target pedestrian crossings- you can press the button and the little green man stops the traffic.

2) padlock chains around the pedestrian buttons, as they stick out from the poles, and are perfect for chaining round.

3) run the chain across the road and pull it tight, padlock chain to other side, also around the little green man button.

4)run away- shoul only take 60secs.


notes: hang a banner from the chain with anti war message.
also, if you target roads that go in both directions, and only block one half, then emergency vehicles, pregnant women, fire engines etc can still get past.
approximately 11 meters of chain are required to close a single road, which will cost about £20 from your local hardware store. two small locks (shed padlocks are ideal) shouldn't cost more than £6. including banner materials you can block an entire road for about £30 and it will only take 60seconds. if everyone else is doing direct action then it may take the firebrigade a long time to reach the blockade and cut it down. meanwhile you'll be long gone.

I seem to remember the miners blocking motorways during the miners strike with just 3 or 4 cars gradually slowing down.With regards to blocking public highways and byways why not find out where your nearest zebra crossing is,get enough people(around 20 should do it)and just keep crossing and recrossing as you are entitled to do by law and you have prority over vehicles at a zebra crossing(everyone,cars and pedestrians alike have the right to pass and re-pass on public highways and byways although standing still could constitute an offence). Even your granny can come along as its completely legal so she'll be home for countdown!