Stop the War: Five Years on.
John Shemeld | 16.03.2008 00:09 | Anti-militarism | Iraq | Palestine | Terror War
Five years after George Bush declared victory on the deck of an aircraft carrier, Iraq is still a mess, and it's obvious his invasion, supported by his loyal yes-men in Britain, has been a disaster. That's why we marched in London on Saturday.
Forty-five people took the coach down to London from Nottingham to demonstrate against the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, against any attack on Iran and for an end to the siege of Gaza. That included a gang of 9 from Loughborough University.
I don't know how many people were there, but I do know that Trafalgar Square was packed, and I do know that as the front of the march was going over Lambeth Bridge, there were still people going over Westminster Bridge. It was measured in tens of thousands. The police may disagree, and the mainstream media may faithfully report their estimate, but then that's why Indymedia was created, wasn't it?
Ben Griffin, ex SAS trooper, spoke in Trafalgar Square despite the gagging order placed on him - stopping him speaking about his time in Iraq. He spoke about the US war in Vietnam, in some detail, and then said that it was just the same in Afghanistan and Iraq. Brave man.
As we set off, Tony Benn said that parliament represented the democracy of the past, and the future of democracy was on the streets. We brought some democracy to the streets.
When the war started, Bush and Blair didn't give a shit about whether there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or not; whether there was a second UN resolution or not; whether the whole bloody thing was legal or not, because they were confident that we would have all forgotten about all of that by now. It is a tribute to the resistance of the people of Iraq, and the protest movement in the US and UK that those things are issues still. We have not let them off the hook.
Keep looking back at this item, because photographer Danny will add a load of photos of the demo as a comment in the next couple of days.
Stop the War demos vary in size, but they are always the biggest demos going, and they continue to make Bush, and now Brown, squirm.
I don't know how many people were there, but I do know that Trafalgar Square was packed, and I do know that as the front of the march was going over Lambeth Bridge, there were still people going over Westminster Bridge. It was measured in tens of thousands. The police may disagree, and the mainstream media may faithfully report their estimate, but then that's why Indymedia was created, wasn't it?
Ben Griffin, ex SAS trooper, spoke in Trafalgar Square despite the gagging order placed on him - stopping him speaking about his time in Iraq. He spoke about the US war in Vietnam, in some detail, and then said that it was just the same in Afghanistan and Iraq. Brave man.
As we set off, Tony Benn said that parliament represented the democracy of the past, and the future of democracy was on the streets. We brought some democracy to the streets.
When the war started, Bush and Blair didn't give a shit about whether there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or not; whether there was a second UN resolution or not; whether the whole bloody thing was legal or not, because they were confident that we would have all forgotten about all of that by now. It is a tribute to the resistance of the people of Iraq, and the protest movement in the US and UK that those things are issues still. We have not let them off the hook.
Keep looking back at this item, because photographer Danny will add a load of photos of the demo as a comment in the next couple of days.
Stop the War demos vary in size, but they are always the biggest demos going, and they continue to make Bush, and now Brown, squirm.
John Shemeld
e-mail:
john_shemeld@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage:
http://www.nottmagainstwar.org.uk
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worth reading
16.03.2008 09:21
Dissillsioned marcher from five years ago
CLASS WAR’S OPEN LETTER TO THE STOP THE WAR COALITION
This Saturday sees a large anti-war march in central London, with the Stop The War Coalition marking five years since the largest demonstration in British history - against invading Iraq.
Below is Class War’s open letter to the STWC leadership:
Five Years On - Why Are We Still Marching
IF MARCHING CHANGED ANYTHING THEY’D ABOLISH IT
Back in 2003 the Stop the War Coalition had two tactics to prevent war in Iraq: marching from A to B and then going home, and marching from B to A and then going home. Neither of these cunning plans worked, but they seemed so good to Tony Benn, Lindsey German and their friends it is all the StWC’s done to stop the war. This may let them claim the moral high ground: but how many divisions can that muster? Any superiority this might give them has, anyway, been squandered by their adherence to tactics which have failed to achieve their stated objectives. The British state has faced StWC down once and knows it can do so again if, for example, it chooses to partner the US in an attack on Iran.
ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS
Thankfully not all protestors followed the supine policies of the StWC. School and college students walked out of their institutions, disrupted traffic, and showed a willingness to wrestle with the police. When demonstrators travelled to disrupt the Fairford airbase, there was no ‘right’ to demonstrate, only the illegal actions of the police. Clearly they recognised the threat posed by direct action to the Government’s war plans, even if the StWC could not.
NO WAR BUT THE CLASS WAR
Gordon Brown is committed to the neo-conservative project. Those who celebrated Tony Blair’s resignation ought to consider that he handed over at a time of his choice to the successor of his choice who shares his politics. Britain remains in the missionary position and will remain so regardless of whether Bush, McCain, Obama or Clinton’s on top. Given this, a militant anti-war movement is as necessary as ever. Sadly the StWC is as impotent now as five years ago.
TALKING A GOOD FIGHT
To cover up its flaccid nature, the StWC has as many excuses as an incapable lover. Their 2008 pamphlet begins with the following astonishing claim by Viscount Stansgate (Tony Benn): ‘The Stop the War movement is the most powerful and influential popular political movement of my lifetime and possibly of any period of our history’. If the last five years have been a victory, we would have hated to see a defeat! Such lies can also be found amongst the witterings of the SWP leadership, with John Rees informing us that ‘Tony Blair was Britain’s worst ever prime minister’ (has he never heard of Margaret Thatcher?) and that ‘we [the StWC] had driven him out of office’. This is nothing short of collective delusion and helps explain why the 1.5 million marchers in 2003 have been followed by ever decreasing turnouts. Working class people are used to being lied to by mainstream politicians – we do not need such lies from the self-proclaimed leaders of the anti-war movement as well.
worth reading
Maybe we have all shown poor leadership?at least stwc organised buses, but
17.03.2008 13:25
Although its good to see continued marches & it makes Brown & Bush think, STW needed to go further.
People are still against the war, & MArches are helping hold back an invasion of Iran.
Oil stock has peaked, we may go into finacial meltdown, look at Transition town movement & less centralised control world.
NVDA could have helped stop the war, at bases & in London.Anything like Poll Tax could have been counterproductive, you would think more decent peacekeeping coppers & troops would join us.
"AtoB"marches have their place & can work with direct action nearby if there is good liason-unity between stopwar groups. In 2003 it seemed SWP squashed info in nottingham at least on NVDA & good food was binned according to people on various coaches.
These things were NVDA actions were organised openly by the NVDA movement, we meet in community centres & pubs,SWP members could have come. They are mostly welcome too as long as they believe in democracy & consensus.
THough not if they are doctrinal, bossy ones, which Marx's proletarian dictarship philospohy seems to encourage, even if his class analysis was good.
For unity, against dictatorship, can u dig it?
Green Syndicalist
e-mail:
sparkeee1@hotmail.com