Some 100,000 anti-war protesters marched in London today
[13 October], doubling last month's turn-out of 50,000, and reflecting the full
breadth, depth and diversity of anti-war feeling in Britain.
The
Stop the War Coalition, which organised the march, hailed the turn-out as well
beyond expectations. After a week in which sections of the media indulged in
misplaced triumphalism in relation to the war in Afghanistan and subjected
anti-war dissenters to misrepresentation and calumny, the huge numbers were
particularly significant.
After the large demonstration in London on 13 October, the Guardian reported
that government ministers were surprised and concerned. Tonight, they will be
even more concerned.
Some 100,000 people, undoubtedly representing the views of millions, have seen
through the hypocrisy and the double-standards, and reject the war being waged
in their name.
Despite all the government's advantages in the propaganda war, more and more
people are asking hard questions about this military action - and they are
increasingly unsatisfied with the spin-doctors' answers.
Among the marchers were a wide range of people from trades unions, Muslim
organisations, community and anti-racist groups, colleges, schools and
universities, human rights, peace and anti-globalisation organisations, and
political parties.
Protesters came by the coach-load from across the country, including Newcastle,
Manchester, Plymouth, and the Foreign Secretary's own constituency of
Blackburn. Forty coaches came from Birmingham. As the head of the march reached
Trafalgar Square, the tail was still leaving Hyde Park.
"After today's demonstration, no-one can doubt both the scale and the
diversity of anti-war feeling in this country," said Suresh Grover of the
National Civil Rights Movement and the Stop the War Coalition steering
committee. "This is a ground-breaking event, a massive display of
opposition to the military action.
"This protest is also against the attack on human rights in Britain. The
government is slipping in the suspension of habeas corpus and the introduction
of internment and detention without trial. We are also seeing a proliferation
of racist assaults.
"This huge turn-out represents the tip of the iceberg of disquiet running
through British society. Despite the media attacks, we've doubled our numbers
in a month. The message of the demonstration is that we are not going away.
This movement will only get bigger."
Among the speakers were John Pilger, Bianca Jagger, Tony Benn, Tariq Ali,
Yvonne Ridley, New York City trade unionist Michael Letwin, Dr Jonathan Farley
(a Tennesee-born American scholar currently at Oxford), MPs Jeremy Corbyn, Paul
Marsden, Alan Simpson, George Galloway, and Adam Price, Asad Rehman (Newham
Monitoring Project), Germaine Greer, George Monbiot, Morning Star editor John
Haylett, Socialist Alliance chair Dave Nellist, human rights lawyers Louise
Christian and Mike Mansfield, NATFHE general secretary Paul Mackney, NUT
Executive member Bernard Regan and people from Palestine, Kurdistan and
Afghanistan itself.
The march was organised by the Stop the War Coalition and was supported by a
wide range of peace and political organisations, community groups, trades
unions and individuals (including CND, Labour MPs, RMT, ASLEF, the Muslim
Parliament, the National Civil Rights Movement, the Newham Monitoring Project,
the London Council of Mosques, Labour Against the War, Media Workers Against
the War, Lawyers Against the War, and Artists Against the War).
At sunset, demonstrators - Muslim and non-Muslim - joined in iftar, the evening
fast-breaking ritual of the month of Ramadan. The crowd revelled in its own
diversity, and in the unity that so many found in calling for peace and justice
- for Afghanistan, and people everywhere.
http://www.mwaw.org/