Worldwide Protests Say: ‘No War’

HUNDREDS OF thousands of people around the world took to the streets on Saturday 18 January. From Washington to Tokyo, from Damascus to Bradford, the scale of the protests against Bush and Blair’s ‘War for Oil’ is increasing as the troop build-up accelerates.

Cllr Dave Nellist, member national steering committee, Stop The War Coalition

As the 27 January deadline approaches for the first weapons inspectors’ report to be presented to the UN, the hundreds of site inspections in Iraq have finally produced – 12 empty rocket shells! Whether further ‘evidence’ is found or not is largely irrelevant. This war is not about weapons of mass destruction – except perhaps American arms manufacturers’ desire to test new ones. It’s about American capitalism’s determination to demonstrate its overwhelming military superiority to countries thinking of diverting from the ‘American Way’ – and in particular ensuring American multinationals control of the vast reserves of oil in the Middle East.

Tony Blair has now committed one quarter of the British Army to Bush’s war – over 34,000 UK troops are to be sent to the Middle East. They will join over 150,000 US troops so far deployed or called up by Bush.

But the momentum towards war can be derailed – millions will demonstrate on 15 February, on every continent on the globe, giving the lie to Colin Powell’s boast that “the will of the people” is to be enforced against Iraq.

The Socialist says:

  • Build for the mass demonstration in London on 15 February as part of the international day of protest against war with Iraq.
  • Build anti-war groups in every school, college, university, workplace and community.
  • Develop sustained and organised mass civil disobedience – walkouts, protests, blockades and industrial action.
  • Campaign for an alternative to global conflict and war – for a socialist world!

No War on Iraq

National anti-war demonstration called by Stop The War Coalition

Saturday 15 February

Assemble Embankment, London – 12 noon.

(Tubes: Embankment, Temple, Charing X)

For more details phone Ken Smith, Socialist Party representative on the Stop The War Committee. Tel: 020 8988-8778.