The Stop the War Coalition is a UK campaign, set up following the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attacks in the USA, on September 21st, 2001 at a public meeting of over 2,000 people in London. It campains under the the slogans: Stop the war, No to a racist backlash and Defend civil liberties. It opposes the American-led action against the Taliban in Afghanistan, as well as the invasion of Iraq.
In association with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Muslim Association of Britain, it has organised many marches and protest events since its creation, the largest being against the imminent invasion of Iraq on 15th February 2003. This was the largest demonstration ever seen in Britain with between 750,000 and 2,000,000 people. Speakers included Ken Livingstone, Tony Benn, and Charles Kennedy.
After the war began it held another demonstration on the 22nd March. While the turnout for this march did not match the demonstration of 15 February - between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people turned up - it was noted that this was the largest anti-war demonstration held during wartime and this with but a week's notice.
Its latest round of protests was during November 2003 climaxing in a march on the 20th protesting against the aggressive foreign policy of George W. Bush and the continued detention of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, which protesters claim is an illegal infringement of human rights and the Geneva conventions. A march past parliament was organised climaxing in a rally in Trafalgar Square. A papier maché statue of George Bush was toppled in an action reminisent of the much televised pulling down of a the statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad by American soldiers. Speakers included maverick MP George Galloway(then member of Labour Party now expelled and joined Respect), SNP leader Alex Salmond and Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic.
The coalition estimates that 300,000 people were present at the demonstration, but this figure is disputed by the police estimate that puts it as low as 100,000 people.
Almost all the major British trade unions are affiliated to the Coalition as well as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Upcoming Events
- January 20th 2005 - (The date of President Bush's second-term inauguration). Demos accross the country.
- February 15th 2005 - The coalition is calling for a national day of action (including direct action) around the country, which they say will be a chance for all groups to take some form of anti-war action in their communities/workplaces, and will include a major symbolic action in London.
- March 19th 2005 - International day of anti-war demonstrations. Demonstration in London. Called by the Assembly of the Social Movements at the 2004 ESF
Major Members
- Andrew Murray, StWC chair, full-time ASLEF official, leading Communist Party of Britain member
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Lindsey German, StWC convenor, leading SWP member, RESPECT candidate in the elections for London Mayor
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John Rees (UK politician), leading SWP member, RESPECT star candidate in the European elections
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Tony Benn left-wing Labour party member
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Jeremy Corbyn, Labour Party MP, CND member
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George Galloway, MP, expelled Labour party member, West Midlands RESPECT candidate in the European elections
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Tariq Ali, anti-imperialist (trotskyist) writer
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Salma Yaqoob, RESPECT founding member
See also
External links
- Stopwar.org.uk http://www.stopwar.org.uk
- BBC News: February 2003 Protests http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2765041.stm
- BBC News: Protests at the outbreak of war http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2874627.stm
- BBC News: Anti-Bush protests http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/3223780.stm
Articles on alleged domination of STWC by the Socialist Workers Party:
- Mark Thomas, "Crap Comrades" http://www.mtcp.co.uk/article.php?id=40 , New Statesman
- SchNEWS, "Monopolise Resistance - The SWP try to hijack anti-war protests" http://www.schnews.org.uk/sotw/monopolise-resistance.htm/
Last updated: 05-02-2005 12:23:17
