The International Conference Against War [1] in Westminster on June 20 was one of the most significant anti-war events in recent decades. Following this conference, where more than 2,600 anti-war activists came from 27 countries outside of Britain, the anti-war movement is now building activities and actions in each country for international days of demonstration and actions across the world. Actions are being organised on common dates - from the international March for Palestine on October 10 to the worldwide weekend of mobilisation against militarisation and conscription on November 21-22 - forming a developing calendar of resistance that unites workers, youth, peace organisations and anti-war movements in every country.

As part of this movement, this month meetings and actions have taken place or are taking place against Britain's support for the US bombing of Iran and Israel's continued genocide of the Palestinian people as well as against the British government's continued drive to escalate its proxy war with NATO against Russia in Ukraine.

On August 5 a national online meeting took place on Trump's major new escalation in the war on Iran and to oppose the new Burnham government's support for US and Israeli aggression [2]. On Saturday, August 8 there is a Yorkshire March for Palestine demanding an arms embargo and sanctions on Israel, US out of British bases and banning Israeli settlement goods in Britain. On August 15, a demonstration is organised outside the US base at RAF Fairford. The organisers say that a "US B-1 bomber flew from RAF Fairford to bomb Iran the day after Andy Burnham became prime minister. The majority of us don't want British bases used in this illegal war. Join us at RAF Fairford on August 15 to call on Burnham to send the US bombers home for good!"

The actions in the anti-war movement are demanding that the government end its militarisation - to end all involvement in the US and Israel's war on Iran, including stopping the use of British bases here and in Cyprus and Diego Garcia for military attacks, as part of the growing international calls for an immediate end to the barbaric bombing of Iran, and Israeli bombing of Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen. The anti-war movement has the crucial task of opposing the warmongering schemes of the British government, whether here in Britain, or with the self-titled "coalition of the willing" in the proxy war against Russia in Ukraine, or in alliance with the US regime and the criminal raining down of death and destruction on the peoples in the Middle East.

What is the significance of these events and what are the aims? They are undoubtedly a leap forward for the international anti-war movement as the next big step to co-ordinated action across borders to stop the drive of these Anglo/US NATO wars. Also, the International Conference Against War emphasised the vital question of the involvement of the working class and trade union movement. Actions include workplace meetings on war spending and militarisation, union-backed protests and co-ordinated international trade union actions and statements against war and war budgets. In the movement against militarisation and war, the working class and people have to work to consolidate themselves as the power to combat the warmongering, violence, dictate and militarism of the ruling elite. They must particularly take up the demand that the youth must not be made cannon-fodder in the wars of the ruling elite and the armaments industry.This must be at the heart of building Stop the War and everyone else in the anti-war movement into a people's front against war and in defence of the rights of all. This is an aim which is being taken up by the movement for peace, justice and democracy at this stage of history, which is calling for the work to establish an Anti-War Government.

Further on the aim for an Anti-War Government

As Workers' Weekly already summed up in an article on "The Need for an Anti-War Government" in March [3]: "The resistance to Britain's militarisation is growing, and it is a central part of the Party's work to bring out and inspire the human factor/social consciousness in this transitional period of history" ... "It can be seen that militarisation is not simply a rise in "defence spending", but is the road along which these oligarchs and governments are taking society. So the anti-war movement in its direction towards an Anti-War Government does more than react, or put its faith in a limited number of justly supported figures who take a stand against imperialist war, but works out ways to concretise how society must be organised so that sovereignty lies with the people and eventually political power is grasped, and the state acquires a modern democratic personality. The strength and future lies with the people as they break with the old conscience of society and fight for the alternative."

"The call is for a modern state which enshrines the rights of all by virtue of being human and their concrete reality. The alternative is being created as working people themselves constitute the authority at each turn of events and decide directly how to intervene to make sure whatever the ruling class is implementing at their expense cannot succeed. This means that those who currently deprive the people of power must themselves be deprived of the power to rule with impunity."

Notes
1. International Anti-War Conference: The International Conference against War was a huge success!, Workers' Weekly, June 27, 2026
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-26/ww26-20/ww26-20-01.htm
2. Speakers at the meeting included Shabbir Lakha, Stop the War, Atefeh Zandi, Iranians Against War, Sophie Bolt, CND and Maryam Eslamdoust, TSSA General Secretary. A video of the whole meeting can be seen on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/cCDSDx3IJ6c
3. Britain's Militarisation: The Need for an Anti-War Government, Workers' Weekly, March 21, 2026
https://www.rcpbml.org.uk/wwie-26/ww26-09/ww26-09-02.htm

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