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Update on the "War is Stil the Issue" Peace Camp

Gabriel | 26.06.2007 11:22 | Anti-militarism | Iraq | London

The illegal "War is Still the Issue" Peace Camp in Parliament Square has now been in place since noon on Saturday 23 June.

Despite their protestations to the contrary (see eg.  http://tinyurl.com/2ao7s3) the police are well aware of the camp's illegality, which was widely publicized prior to the camp: through over 10,000 leaflets – distributed to both the general public and the police - a web-site (www.warisstilltheissue.org), and a letter in the national press ( http://tinyurl.com/2fxcsh). To date, the police have *chosen* not to arrest the campers - a de facto acknowledgement that the law is unworkable.

Tomorrow (Wednesday 27 June) Gordon Brown will become Prime Minister. Anyone prepared to abide by the camp rules (no violence or aggressive behaviour, no alcohol, drugs or littering) is welcome to come and join the camp. If the police have not arrested the campers by then, a "TweedleBlair, TweedleBrown" photo-call will take place in the Square at 11.30am tomorrow.

Military Families Against the War will also be holding an anti-war demonstration in Downing Street throughout Wednesday from 10am (www.mfaw.org.uk).

Tonight (Tuesday 26 June), from 6.30pm, the Poets for Peace will be holding a poetry reading event in Parliament Square, entitled "A Warning to the Usurper." This is not a demonstration and therefore not illegal under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (see below).

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WAR IS STILL THE ISSUE
A five-day peace camp in Parliament Square to see out Blair.
23 - 28 June 2007* (see 'Peace Camp timetable' below for start and finish time)
www.WarIsStillTheIssue.org

SEE OUT BLAIR
On 27 June Tony Blair will finally step down as PM and Gordon Brown – the man who bankrolled and supported Blair’s wars – will take his place. Brown will have a choice to make. Will he be Tweedledum to Blair’s Tweedledee, or will he transform the Labour agenda from pro-war to pro-peace? At this crucial moment the anti-war movement needs to stand up and be counted. We need to stop Brown from choosing business as usual: more war, more terror, more nukes and more restrictions on civil liberties.

SEE IN BROWN
Join us this June for a five-day Peace Camp in Parliament Square to celebrate Blair’s departure and demand that Brown:

* withdraws all British troops from Iraq and Afghanistan
* scraps Trident
* makes a public commitment that the UK will not support a future attack on Iran

2,200 DAYS
By the time of the camp, Brian Haw will have spent over 2,200 days in Parliament Square demonstrating against sanctions, war and occupation in Iraq. By camping in Parliament Square in this critical week we will express our solidarity with him, and signal to politicians and journalists that WAR IS STILL THE ISSUE – for Blair, and now for Brown.

PEACE CAMP TIMETABLE
Starts: 12 noon, Saturday 23 June
Sunday 24 June: Gordon Brown becomes Labour Leader. Join the protest outside the special leadership conference in Manchester. See www.stopwar.org.uk
Monday 25 - Tuesday 26 June: Limbo in Westminster
Wednesday 27 June: Tony Blair goes to Buckingham Palace to hand in his resignation. Brown takes over.
Finishes: 12 noon, Thursday 28 June

Please note that this is an “unauthorised” demonstration within 1km of Parliament and that under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act it is a criminal offence to participate in such a demonstration (max fine £1000). For more info see www.parliamentprotest.org.uk.

This protest supported by JNV, London Catholic Worker and Voices UK.

Gabriel
- e-mail: gabriel@voices.netuxo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.warisstilltheissue.org