Peace rally opposes US strikes
The "Stop the War" rally gathered in George Square, Glasgow
Several hundred people have attended a rally in Glasgow to express their opposition to the use of any possible military strike by the United States.
About 300 people attended the event in Glasgow's George Square, organised by the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (Scottish CND).
The rally carried the message "justice not vengeance" and a minute's silence was also held for the thousands of victims of the terrorist attacks on the US.
About 3,000 people also attended a demonstration in London and several hundred gathered in Manchester.
Last week's attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and on a plane which crashed in Pennsylvania were remembered.
Tommy Sheridan: "Take strength"
But speakers said the atrocity should not be used as an excuse for acts of retaliation against "innocent victims".
Speakers at the Glasgow rally included Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, anti-racism campaigner Aamer Anwar, and representatives of the Scottish Green Party, trade unions and Strathclyde firefighters.
It follows a declaration by Scottish CND to "stop the war" which has so far been signed by eight MSPs as well as academics, trade unionists and peace campaigners.
Brian Quail, joint secretary of Scottish CND, said: "The wilful killing of innocent people can never be justified and is an act that merits unequivocal and unreserved condemnation.
"We demand that those responsible for the dreadful deeds in New York and Washington be brought to justice, but we will not uphold the calls for retaliation on more innocent victims, because the killing of innocent people cannot be justified as compensation for the loss of other victims.
Eye for an eye
"It is an elementary and immutable principle that two wrongs don't make a right.
"An eye for an eye makes a blind world. We must have no room in our hearts for vengeance."
Mr Sheridan told the crowd to "take strength" from the force of their numbers and build a coalition of opposition to the "war on terrorism".
He called on people to gather again in George Square if military strikes were launched against Afghanistan, to show their opposition.
He said: "I appeal to everyone to become involved in a broad-based anti-war movement, a broad-based movement for peace and for equality throughout the world."
Aamer Anwar: Anti-racism campaigner
But Mohamed Asif, an Afghan refugee, urged politicians to think before enforcing any further suffering on the people of his native country.
He told the rally that whoever perpetrated the attacks on the US should be brought to justice.
But he said that this must not be at the expense of innocent people in Afghanistan.
Innocent people
He said that after 23 years of conflict there is nothing left to be bombed or destroyed in Afghanistan.
"People are tired of the Taliban. People are tired of these guys who are hiding in Afghanistan because the people of Afghanistan did not elect Osama bin Laden.
"But we think, and I personally think, that innocent people are going to die in Afghanistan and we will see another New York or Washington in Afghanistan very soon.
"We hope that this will not happen."
The "Stop the War" rally gathered in George Square, Glasgow
Several hundred people have attended a rally in Glasgow to express their opposition to the use of any possible military strike by the United States.
About 300 people attended the event in Glasgow's George Square, organised by the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (Scottish CND).
The rally carried the message "justice not vengeance" and a minute's silence was also held for the thousands of victims of the terrorist attacks on the US.
About 3,000 people also attended a demonstration in London and several hundred gathered in Manchester.
Last week's attacks on the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and on a plane which crashed in Pennsylvania were remembered.
Tommy Sheridan: "Take strength"
But speakers said the atrocity should not be used as an excuse for acts of retaliation against "innocent victims".
Speakers at the Glasgow rally included Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, anti-racism campaigner Aamer Anwar, and representatives of the Scottish Green Party, trade unions and Strathclyde firefighters.
It follows a declaration by Scottish CND to "stop the war" which has so far been signed by eight MSPs as well as academics, trade unionists and peace campaigners.
Brian Quail, joint secretary of Scottish CND, said: "The wilful killing of innocent people can never be justified and is an act that merits unequivocal and unreserved condemnation.
"We demand that those responsible for the dreadful deeds in New York and Washington be brought to justice, but we will not uphold the calls for retaliation on more innocent victims, because the killing of innocent people cannot be justified as compensation for the loss of other victims.
Eye for an eye
"It is an elementary and immutable principle that two wrongs don't make a right.
"An eye for an eye makes a blind world. We must have no room in our hearts for vengeance."
Mr Sheridan told the crowd to "take strength" from the force of their numbers and build a coalition of opposition to the "war on terrorism".
He called on people to gather again in George Square if military strikes were launched against Afghanistan, to show their opposition.
He said: "I appeal to everyone to become involved in a broad-based anti-war movement, a broad-based movement for peace and for equality throughout the world."
Aamer Anwar: Anti-racism campaigner
But Mohamed Asif, an Afghan refugee, urged politicians to think before enforcing any further suffering on the people of his native country.
He told the rally that whoever perpetrated the attacks on the US should be brought to justice.
But he said that this must not be at the expense of innocent people in Afghanistan.
Innocent people
He said that after 23 years of conflict there is nothing left to be bombed or destroyed in Afghanistan.
"People are tired of the Taliban. People are tired of these guys who are hiding in Afghanistan because the people of Afghanistan did not elect Osama bin Laden.
"But we think, and I personally think, that innocent people are going to die in Afghanistan and we will see another New York or Washington in Afghanistan very soon.
"We hope that this will not happen."
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
Sitting in Peace
22.09.2001 22:03
I know that many of you who are reading this have already attended meetings and rallies and vigils. I have a vision of people in every major city in the world sitting together silently in peace. Perhaps only a few people; perhaps only for a few minutes. But it only needed a handful of people and a very few minutes to change the course of the world so violently on September 11. There are many, many more of us who know in our hearts that the only way to peace is to find ways to be at peace, within ourselves and with all our neighbours on this fragile earth, from one moment to the next.
With love,
Michael Rigg
Michael Rigg
e-mail:
m.rigg@ntlworld.com
Anti-war protest in Glasgow from the Guardian
23.09.2001 03:26
Anti-war protesters take to streets
Anti-war campaigners have taken to the streets of London and Glasgow today to urge the UK and US governments not to launch massive military retaliation to the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
An estimated 3,000 protestors gathered outside Downing Street in central London to call for a measured response to the terrorist atrocities.
Many people attending the largely silent rally in Whitehall wore black and stood shoulder to shoulder, with placards carrying the slogan "Stand should to shoulder for peace and justice, not more violence".
In Glasgow, around 1,000 anti-war demonstrators took part in a rally organised by the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
The event in Glasgow's George Square began with a minute's silence in memory of the thousands of people who lost their lives in last week's terrorist attacks.
Speakers included Tommy Sheridan, leader of the Scottish Socialist Party, anti-racism campaigner Aamer Anwar, and representatives of the Scottish Green Party, trade unions and Strathclyde firefighters.
Brian Quail, joint secretary of Scottish CND, said sympathy for those who died in the atrocity should not be used as an excuse for acts of retaliation against "innocent victims".
"We demand that those responsible for the dreadful deeds in New York and Washington be brought to justice, but we will not uphold the calls for retaliation on more innocent victims, because the killing of innocent people cannot be justified as compensation for the loss of other victims.
"It is an elementary and immutable principle that two wrongs don't make a right."
Anti-war protestors have also taken to the streets today in the Belgian city of Liege, where European Union finance ministers are meeting to discuss the US terrorist attacks.
Around 1,000 demonstrators marched on the barricaded conference centre where the summit was being held, carrying banners reading "Make Love, Not War".
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