Rally in London against Britain’s Aggression

Up to 1,000 people rallied near Temple Tube station on the Embankment in London on Saturday, October 4, at the start of the march calling for an end to the air strikes in Iraq and the ongoing aggression in Syria. The demonstration was organised by the Stop the War Coalition, along with other anti-war groups such as CND and the British Muslim Initiative.

It was a wet day but despite the rain there was a calm and determined atmosphere amongst the demonstrators. Many had made their own placards which they had covered in plastic to stop them getting wet. Everyone assembled at 1pm and the march moved off at about 2pm along the Embankment, past Westminster and finished outside Downing Street where many speakers from various organisations addressed the marchers.

What was agreed by all on the march was that the British government is not representing the views and desires of the British people and has no right to wage war in our name. A contingent of RCPB(ML) carried a banner declaring “Britain Urgently Needs an Anti-War Government!” which generated a lot of discussion about what is the alternative for Britain. Leaflets were
also distributed carrying the Party’s statement condemning the vote in Parliament to launch air strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq. Other banners read, “Stop bombing Iraq” and “Iraq III No!”

Six RAF Tornado fighter jets have been deployed to Akrotiri base in Cyprus. From there, British pilots are launching airstrikes at the Islamic State as a part of the US-led “coalition”. David Cameron has announced that two more British Tornado planes are to be deployed. Cameron also announced that Britain will no longer be disbanding its II Squadron – comprising of 16 Tornados – in March as initially planned. Instead, the 102-year-old squadron will assist with airstrikes in Iraq. The squadron was originally scheduled to be disbanded following the closure of operations in Afghanistan.

The fraudulent arguments given to justify the aggression cannot hide the fact that the foremost practitioners of state terrorism are the US, Britain and other members of the aggressive NATO alliance, such as France, as well as Israel. US Special Forces and drones have been deployed in Pakistan with no consent from its government. It is the US imperialists themselves who are
preventing the world’s people from establishing governments and international arrangements which uphold and promote peace and stability. They use death squads, assassinations and outright invasion in order to block the development of any solutions which might favour the peoples, who desire peace, the end of the use of force, and the power to be in control of their own destiny.

The terrorist groups which are being used as pretexts for aggression are themselves the creation of Anglo-US imperialism. It is evident that the situation has spiralled out of their control, as they create violence and anarchy in their attempts at regime change by various means. The aim is to remove any government which takes a stand against Anglo-US dictate. The plots which they hatch are murky indeed, while their mission is global hegemony in order to annex and control the world’s human and natural resources. As is evident with the actions of the British government, the treasury can always find the funds to pay the arms manufacturers and those engaged in war production, while social programmes are being decimated and the poor and vulnerable, not just in this country but round the world, are made the scapegoats and the targets of all the misery, poverty, death and destruction brought on by these criminal exploits of the imperialists.

The times are crying out for all people whose aspiration is to bring peace to take a stand in opposition to the sources of war, to the imposition of the use of force in sorting out international issues, and to work to bring about an anti-war government which will uphold international peace and security based on genuine humanitarian principles.

On Saturday, October 4, around 50 people from the region took part in a protest at the Monument, Newcastle, to take a stand against the bombing of Iraq, the threat of the RAF extending air strikes to Syria, and against any further open and covert military operations in these countries with troops, or other forces. Hundreds of leaflets were distributed and speakers addressed the protest from Newcastle Stop the War, Newcastle Trades Union Council, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade and the Sunderland Peace Movement.

Martin Levy, President of Newcastle Trades Union Council, Val Anthony of Campaign Against Arms Trade, Tony Dowling of Newcastle Stop the War, and Rev Chris Howson of Wear for Peace made strong speeches.

In chairing the proceedings, Roger Nettleship of Newcastle Stop the War Coalition explained that Cameron’s aim is not to eradicate terrorism but to shape the Middle East in the interests of Anglo-US imperialism. Cameron wants to deceive people about this “war on terror”.

He said, “Now Cameron wants to compound these crimes and bomb Iraq again. He wants to go on for years and he will want troops on the ground. This must not be tolerated by the British people. It is up to us to not let this pass.” The chair concluded: “Britain needs an anti-war government that ends its crimes against the peace throughout the world. No to the bombing of Iraq! No to an attack on Syria!”

The Newcastle Stop the War Coalition will be holding a public meeting, “Stop the Bombing of Iraq! Don’t Attack Syria!” on Thursday, October 9, 2014, 6.00pm, Newcastle City Library, 33 New Bridge Street West. The speakers on this occasion will be Andrew Murray, Vice President Stop the War Coalition, Clare Williams, Unison Regional Convener, Rev Andii Bowsher, co-Chair of Martin Luther King Peace Committee and chaplain at Northumbria University, and Abu-Tayeb, Islamic Diversity Centre.