Thursday 23 December 2010 - Pre-Christmas peace vigil in front of Dalston army showroom in east London by London Catholic Workers and friends, in opposition to the war in Afghanistan and the perceived cynical establishment of a military recruitment centre within this impoverished community during a time of economic hardship.

All images are Copyright (c) 2010 D. Viesnik. They may be reproduced free of charge for non-commerical use provided they are credited. For high resolution versions / commercial use, please e-mail.

A merry band of London Catholic Workers and friends, fresh from shooting remakes of videos for John Lennon's anti-war classics "Merry Christmas (War is Over)" and "Give Peace a Chance" (watch this space for the finished videos), took themselves along to their favourite local army showroom, or "arcade of death", inside Dalston Kingsland shopping centre to bring their seasonal message of peace to the happy festive shoppers of east London.

After some initial lively interaction with security guards, who were calmed by police officers who arrived not long afterwards, the peaceful demonstration was allowed to continue undisturbed for an hour or so, whereupon the protesters left of their own volition.

The protest included signs stuck up on the glass doors of the showroom (which was already shut) indicating that it was now permanently shut, since the 'war is over', a duvet sprinkled in fake flowers, framed images of former Beatle and peace activist Lennon - assassinated 30 years ago this month - and Catholic Worker founder Dorothy Day. Also present was a man dressed in an orange boiler suit, wearing shackles and a Father Christmas mask, some of the time covered in a black hood (images to follow), who sat or knelt on the duvet most of the time and sang the above-mentioned songs by Lennon, sometimes accompanied by some of his colleagues.

The war in Afghanistan is now into its 10th year, with no end in site. Lennon's peace activism was spurred on by the lengthy US war in Vietnam at a time when peace activism went together with a vibrant counter-culture movement, and growing anti-war resistance from war veterans themselves. There is perhaps much to be said for fostering such a movement in this country. There is the odd sign of hope in terms of resistance to the seemingly endless western-instigated carnage in Afghanistan, such as the refusal by Lance Corporal Joe Glenton to return there, resulting in his incarceration for several months earlier this year, the many militant but peaceful actions by members of the Democracy Village and Peace Strike in the course of the year, the ongoing long-term witness of the Parliament Square Peace Camp(aign), Peace Strike and others in the vicinity of the corridors of power, as well as various demonstrations, vigils and walks. However, all of this seems a woefully inadequate and pitiful response from the vast majority of us to the level of violence and suffering being carried on in our name in Afghanistan and, increasingly, Pakistan, in the name of the so-called "War on Terror". Will there be a surge of anti-war activism in 2011, or will the current decline in militant anti-militarist activity in the capital and, indeed, nationwide continue into the new year? That is surely for the grassroots activist community itself to decide.

Related link: http://www.londoncatholicworker.org

All images are Copyright (c) 2010 D. Viesnik. They may be reproduced free of charge for non-commerical use provided they are credited. For high resolution versions / commercial use, please e-mail.