[Nasional-e] LONDON, ROME, MADRID: HALF-MILLION PROTESTERS

Thu Oct 3 12:36:02 2002

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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Oct. 10, 2002
issue of Workers World newspaper
-------------------------

LONDON, ROME, MADRID: HALF-MILLION PROTESTERS=20
DEMAND "NO WAR ON IRAQ"

By John Catalinotto

The worldwide movement to stop U.S.-British aggression=20
against Iraq took a leap forward over the Sept. 28-29=20
weekend with massive demonstrations totaling half a million=20
people in London, Rome and Madrid.

People from all over Britain answered the call of the Stop=20
the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain. The=20
demonstration was endorsed by 12 national trade unions,=20
numerous Muslim and anti-racist organizations, members of=20
Parliament and the mayor of London. They marched under the=20
slogans of "Don't attack Iraq--Freedom for Palestine."

Eyewitnesses, writing their reports across the Internet,=20
described the London action as possibly the biggest-ever=20
anti-war demonstration in Britain, or at least the biggest=20
in 30 years.

"It was a fantastically mixed range of age, gender,=20
religions and left/libertarian/peace groups," one wrote. The=20
march took almost six hours to travel three miles from the=20
Thames Embankment to Hyde Park via Trafalgar Square and=20
Piccadilly.

Organizers estimated between 350,000 and 450,000 people took=20
part.

Scottish Labor Member of Parliament and long-time anti-
sanctions campaigner George Galloway said Prime Minister=20
Tony Blair would be watching the demonstration in his five-
star hotel in Blackpool and would "be turning several shades=20
of green." Galloway also said that Iraq and Iran are the=20
only two Middle East countries not controlled from=20
Washington.

The purpose of the attack on Iraq was to get control of the=20
oil, he said, shouting, "No war for oil."

Despite the enormous importance of this action, the New York=20
Times of Sept. 29 and 30 gave no coverage at all to the=20
demonstration. Even the British press is underplaying it.

Blair, who has been a willing servant of the Bush=20
administration, faces a Labor Party conference in early=20
October with large sections of his party in revolt against=20
his pro-war leadership.

Political analyst and organizer Tariq Ali wrote that the new=20
wave of trade-union leaders who have been elected to defy=20
the "New Labor Thatcherites"--that is, Blair's grouping--
were solidly against the war. Bob Crow of the Railway=20
Workers denounced Blair in vitriolic language. So did Mark=20
Serotka from the Civil Servants Union, wrote Ali.

RED FLAGS AND CHE IN ROME

In Rome, up to 100,000 people demonstrated Sept. 28, many=20
called out by the Refoundation Communist Party (PCR). PCR=20
leader Fausto Bertinotti described this first major action=20
against the threatened war on Iraq as "only a beginning." An=20
article in the Sept. 29 issue of Il Manifesto reported that=20
many in the crowd carried the red flags of the party as well=20
as pictures of Che Guevara.

The Greens were there, too, along with left elements in the=20
Party of the Democratic Left and organizations of=20
Palestinians and Kurds. All demanded, "No war on Iraq."

A representative of the British anti-war movement spoke in=20
Rome to show the international solidarity between the two=20
movements. The heads of these two European countries--Blair=20
and media magnate Silvio Berlusconi--support U.S. aggressive=20
policies in the Middle East.

So does Jos=E9 Mar=EDa Aznar in Spain. And there, too, the=20
struggle was sharp.

Carlos Varea of the Spanish Campaign for Lifting the=20
Sanctions on Iraq told Workers World that 30,000 to 50,000=20
people demonstrated in Madrid Sept. 29 calling for "No war=20
on Iraq."

Some 54 organizations built the march, including trade=20
unions, social organizations, political parties--the United=20
Left and others--religious and community groups, feminist=20
and youth organizations and local groups, as well as two=20
cultural/intellectual groups.

The Madrid meeting ended with the reading of messages from=20
former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark and British MP=20
George Galloway, and an announcement that the movement in=20
Spain is preparing a new demonstration for Oct. 26.

Representatives of the German Kassel Peace Council--a=20
coalition of many groups--decided over the same weekend to=20
hold local and regional anti-war demonstrations throughout=20
Germany on Oct. 26 against the U.S. war and in solidarity=20
with demonstrations called for Washington and San Francisco.

German anti-war activists want to press the government of=20
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, just elected on a peace=20
platform, to withdraw German units from Kuwait and forbid=20
the use of bases in Germany for a new Gulf War.

This enormous outpouring in Europe has already greatly=20
encouraged activists in the U.S. anti-war movement. Sara=20
Flounders of the International Action Center said she=20
expected that "as news of these demonstrations reaches the=20
public in the United States, they will realize that it is=20
the Bush administration that is isolated, and not those=20
millions of people in the U.S. who want no part of a war on=20
Iraq."

- END -

(Copyright Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to=20
copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but=20
changing it is not allowed. For more information contact=20
Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail:=20
ww@wwpublish.com. Subscribe wwnews-on@wwpublish.com.=20
Unsubscribe wwnews-off@wwpublish.com. Support the voice of=20
resistance http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php)

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<DIV>Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Oct. 10, =
2002 issue=20
of Workers World newspaper ------------------------- LONDON, =
ROME,=20
MADRID: HALF-MILLION PROTESTERS DEMAND "NO WAR ON IRAQ" By =
John=20
Catalinotto The worldwide movement to stop U.S.-British =
aggression=20
 against Iraq took a leap forward over the Sept. 28-29 weekend =
with=20
massive demonstrations totaling half a million people in London, =
Rome and=20
Madrid. People from all over Britain answered the call of the =
Stop=20
 the War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain. The=20
 demonstration was endorsed by 12 national trade unions, numerous =
Muslim=20
and anti-racist organizations, members of Parliament and the mayor =
of=20
London. They marched under the slogans of "Don't attack =
Iraq--Freedom for=20
Palestine." Eyewitnesses, writing their reports across the =
Internet,=20
 described the London action as possibly the biggest-ever =
 anti-war=20
demonstration in Britain, or at least the biggest in 30 =
years. "It=20
was a fantastically mixed range of age, gender, religions and=20
left/libertarian/peace groups," one wrote. The march took almost six =
hours=20
to travel three miles from the Thames Embankment to Hyde Park via =
Trafalgar=20
Square and Piccadilly. Organizers estimated between 350,000 =
and=20
450,000 people took part. Scottish Labor Member of Parliament =
and=20
long-time anti- sanctions campaigner George Galloway said Prime =
Minister=20
 Tony Blair would be watching the demonstration in his five- star =
hotel in=20
Blackpool and would "be turning several shades of green." Galloway =
also said=20
that Iraq and Iran are the only two Middle East countries not =
controlled=20
from Washington. The purpose of the attack on Iraq was to get =
control=20
of the oil, he said, shouting, "No war for oil." Despite the =
enormous=20
importance of this action, the New York Times of Sept. 29 and 30 =
gave no=20
coverage at all to the demonstration. Even the British press is =
underplaying=20
it. Blair, who has been a willing servant of the Bush =
 administration,=20
faces a Labor Party conference in early October with large sections =
of his=20
party in revolt against his pro-war leadership. Political =
analyst and=20
organizer Tariq Ali wrote that the new wave of trade-union leaders =
who have=20
been elected to defy the "New Labor Thatcherites"--that is, Blair's=20
grouping-- were solidly against the war. Bob Crow of the Railway =
 Workers=20
denounced Blair in vitriolic language. So did Mark Serotka from the =
Civil=20
Servants Union, wrote Ali. RED FLAGS AND CHE IN ROME In =
Rome, up=20
to 100,000 people demonstrated Sept. 28, many called out by the =
Refoundation=20
Communist Party (PCR). PCR leader Fausto Bertinotti described this =
first=20
major action against the threatened war on Iraq as "only a =
beginning." An=20
 article in the Sept. 29 issue of Il Manifesto reported that many =
in the=20
crowd carried the red flags of the party as well as pictures of Che=20
Guevara. The Greens were there, too, along with left elements in =
the=20
 Party of the Democratic Left and organizations of Palestinians =
and=20
Kurds. All demanded, "No war on Iraq." A representative of the =
British=20
anti-war movement spoke in Rome to show the international solidarity =
between=20
the two movements. The heads of these two European countries--Blair =
 and=20
media magnate Silvio Berlusconi--support U.S. aggressive policies in =
the=20
Middle East. So does Jos=E9 Mar=EDa Aznar in Spain. And there, =
too, the=20
 struggle was sharp. Carlos Varea of the Spanish Campaign for =
Lifting=20
the Sanctions on Iraq told Workers World that 30,000 to 50,000 =
 people=20
demonstrated in Madrid Sept. 29 calling for "No war on =
Iraq." Some 54=20
organizations built the march, including trade unions, social =
organizations,=20
political parties--the United Left and others--religious and =
community=20
groups, feminist and youth organizations and local groups, as well =
as two=20
 cultural/intellectual groups. The Madrid meeting ended with =
the=20
reading of messages from former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark =
and=20
British MP George Galloway, and an announcement that the movement in =

Spain is preparing a new demonstration for Oct. =
26. Representatives=20
of the German Kassel Peace Council--a coalition of many =
groups--decided over=20
the same weekend to hold local and regional anti-war demonstrations=20
throughout Germany on Oct. 26 against the U.S. war and in solidarity =

with demonstrations called for Washington and San =
Francisco. German=20
anti-war activists want to press the government of Chancellor =
Gerhard=20
Schroeder, just elected on a peace platform, to withdraw German =
units from=20
Kuwait and forbid the use of bases in Germany for a new Gulf=20
War. This enormous outpouring in Europe has already greatly=20
 encouraged activists in the U.S. anti-war movement. Sara =
 Flounders of=20
the International Action Center said she expected that "as news of =
these=20
demonstrations reaches the public in the United States, they will =
realize=20
that it is the Bush administration that is isolated, and not those=20
 millions of people in the U.S. who want no part of a war on=20
 Iraq." - END - (Copyright Workers World Service: =
Everyone is=20
permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, =
but=20
 changing it is not allowed. For more information contact Workers =
World,=20
55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: <A=20
href=3D"mailto:ww@wwpublish.com">ww@wwpublish.com</A>. Subscribe <A=20
href=3D"mailto:wwnews-on@wwpublish.com">wwnews-on@wwpublish.com</A>.=20
 Unsubscribe <A=20
href=3D"mailto:wwnews-off@wwpublish.com">wwnews-off@wwpublish.com</A>. =
Support the=20
voice of resistance <A=20
href=3D"http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php">http://www.workers.org/=
orders/donate.php</A>)</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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