| Submit your comments on this article |
| Fifth Column |
| London: Protesters stage anti-war march |
| 2003-04-12 |
| Thousands of So, for every 25 people the left-leaning loons expected to march, only two actually did. And compared with the march in February, at which an estimated 1 million attended, that's a drop of 98%. Credit to the majority of the left for realising when to stop shouting and start listening. Former Pakistani cricket captain Imran Khan - who joined the march - said the numbers were irrelevant. "It doesn't matter how many people turn out, it's about registering a protest that a principle has been violated, international law has been violated and everyone who cares must register a protest," he said. "...Even if I was the only one marching, I'd still be right, and you'd still be wrong!" Hundreds of anti-war protesters also took to the streets of Glasgow, in a march organised by the Scottish Coalition for The London rally, which started at Victoria and Waterloo stations and followed two routes through the city converged on Parliament Square on Saturday afternoon, where a two minutes' silence was held "for the war dead". Marchers were asked to bring flowers, cards, wreaths or whatever they felt appropriate to lay outside 10 Downing Street as they walked past. From Parliament Square demonstrators then progressed through Trafalgar Square, Haymarket and Piccadilly to attend a rally in Hyde Park. Speakers included MPs Tam Dalyell and George Galloway, who face having the Labour whip withdrawn because of their anti-war stance. The march, called by Stop the War with the Muslim Association of Great Britain and CND, is the third mass London rally to be held. The group's spokesman Chris Nineham said he believed "a great deal more problems" lay ahead for the British and US forces as they tried to take over Iraq's administration. *There are approximately 570,000 muslims living in London alone. Where were all the rest this afternoon?! "I don't really believe the fighting is over - I think the invasion is sliding into a colonial occupation," he said. "Every day for the last week, innocent Iraqis have been shot by US and UK troops. Unfortunately the people in the Pentagon have made it clear that they want to extend this war into a list of other countries that they want to take on - including Syria and Jordan and Iran. We are demonstrating because we don't want that to happen." "Our mission is to protect vulnerable human rights abusers wherever we can." Protests against the war also took place in around 40 other countries on Saturday, including New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Italy, Greece and France. In New York, Sara Flounders, co-director of the International Action Center said: "It's more urgent and more important than ever that there be a mobilisation. Only now the focus is, 'No' to colonial occupation," she said. In Germany, a demonstration was planned in Berlin although organisers said they were aware their movement may be losing steam now that the Iraqi regime has fallen and the guns gradually fall silent. "We are well aware that few people will be mobilised as a result of developments," said Jens-Peter Steffen, a spokesman for the "Axis for Peace" group. So... time to demobilise your discredited movement? |
| Posted by:Bulldog |
| #1 "Unfortunately the people in the Pentagon have made it clear that they want to extend this war into a list of other countries that they want to take on - including Syria and Jordan and Iran." Yes indeed, that is why British and US warships are evn now steaming AWAY from the area back to their normal stations. "Only now the focus is, 'No' to colonial occupation" - so tell France off, not the coalition. |
| Posted by: John Anderson 2003-04-12 14:26:39 |