The second national Peoples Assembly called by Stop The War Coalition (STWC)in London last Saurday may not have been as well attented as the First earlier this year, but it resulted in more than just slogan's or demands to government that is not prepared to listen to the voice of the left liberals, , trade unionists, peace campaigners, and a range of Leninist based parties

To a large extent the STWC has disappeared from a network that was at one stage the largest in Britain to a few score small monthly meetins around the country.

There had been an opportunity to develope the STWC into something permanent expanding it to campaign against the wider effects of neo-liberalism, but this opportunity has been lost. The idea of developing these groups into local social forum was stamped on by STWC largest contituent - the SWP, who have a dispoportionate amount of control over the whole organisation (They can bully or sweet talk the liberals into doing wwhat they want).

It is likely that the STWC national demo on Sept 29 in London will be a pale shadow of this years 2 million strong event, but not necessarily so.

Admirably, the coalition is promoting Non Violent Direct Action, and is hoping to intervene through another arm of the SWP - Globalise Resisitance at DESi, which is a promising move for this Organisation that is calling actions in many parts of Europe.

Throughout the assmbly ( or more accurately, rally) film past and present US/UK imperialist wars was projected above the stage, full of statisitcs which show the extent of murder and genocide commited by the US and UK. This set a tone that concentrated the mind on the enemy.

There were some some surprising amendments to motion, the SWP favouring an immediate withdrawal of troops and the UN, to leave the country to the Iraquia ti fight it out between themselves - this sort of policy would be more acceptable to Anarchists, but many of the Liberal - lefts and more commonsense-minded were nodding heads as the SWP tub star tub-thumper spoke powerfully against any UN presence at all.

One of the more bizare moments was when a young Edinburgh SWP comrade accused local Direct Action activists/anarchist of sabotage because they were organising actions in Endinburg to co-incide with the sept. 29 Natiional London Demo in London. She declared that soon a [Leninist]central committee would be set to sort out these people who, she stated:'are meeting in secret' (because they dont want the cops to know silly).

I believe that I was the only person in the Hall to laugh at this idiocy which was worrying. It did not dawn on this girl, or the rest of those present, that Scotland is a separate country, and that nice middle class girls like her might be able to afford the coach fare and back to London and have all the time in the world for trips to the capital, but poorer working people or the unemployed cannot.

John Pilger was the Star turn, and received almost as big an ovation as, George Galoway did at the last STWC national gathering - and aguably deservedly so.

Pilger told us some intersesting snipets from his new film - he continues to uncover the murky doings of our so called deomcratic government with comendable skill. This guy's is big enough not to have to suck up in any way or compromise with the Britsh Establisment which he says rules the country, not these elelected monkeys we call MPs ( bar a few dozen notable exceptions of course - an excuse me for insulting monkeys so grossly).

Pilger seemed to get confused over whether the US neo-conservatives were fasicsts or not, or what the word itself meant at all, but he quoited some a US statsman who reconned they might be. Luckily this sort of ambiguity doesn't slip into his journalistic work.

A little disappointed was a motion comdemming social forum (SWP inspired) whic was a bit meaningless since they dont really exist in an concrete from yet, and unlikely to with the left trots and liberals opposing them. I really dont think these people know what they are supposed to be anyway. London Social Forum has not yet been founded (Oct 4) so the SWP were nipping this bit - of what could be something that they just dont have the resources to control - in the bud.

The SWTC is obviously struggling now to maintain itself, but the Peoplkes Assemble should give it a second wind ( or gentle breeze in reality) but it is bound to peter out until the US launces another imperialist war, and that will not happen for another year - the US as well as the SWP are short of resources too - both of which some of which us are thankfull for.

(sorry no time to proof read this before posting)
Ed C.