Anti War Global Protest Marches.

[Ice-Lady]

"Protesters against a war with Iraq are preparing to march in London in what is expected to be one of the biggest protests ever seen in Britain". ( taken from the BBC news site, The BBC it's self have threatened to sack any "high profile" members of staff who participate in any march )

Is anyone attending one of these marches today?

It seems there is 600plus cities around the World taking part in an effort to prevent the impending war with Iraq or to most certainly bring to light the vast amount of public unrest and disapproval.

I'll include three url's which hold a vast amounts of information on these planned marches : http://uk.indymedia.org/ This site will have news on these marches coming throughout the day, refresh for updates.
For more information click Here

The BBC news site is Here

[Judge]

A complete waste of time.

All these hippy dogooders should be shot.

[Dante Hicks]

I am going to the Central London one. In fact, I should be leaving in about twenty minutes or so.

If there is anyone else attending from the PA community, I may see you there, etc.

p.s. Judge : Thanks for making the insane-drug-taking-hard-left seem to be the reasonable side.

[Ice-Lady]

Originally posted by Judge
A complete waste of time.

All these hippy dogooders should be shot.

Eerrr.. right, if you say so.
I would have liked to have gone myself, I'm no hippy dogooder, just a person who doesn't want a war.

[LHC]

What an absolute waste of time and money. Whether or not I want war, I wouldn't bother, since we're going to war regardless, and the train fair is absurdly high.

p.s. Arsenal versus Manchester United is on today.

[Judge]

Originally posted by Dante Hicks
I am going to the Central London one. In fact, I should be leaving in about twenty minutes or so.

If there is anyone else attending from the PA community, I may see you there, etc.

p.s. Judge : Thanks for making the insane-drug-taking-hard-left seem to be the reasonable side.

Your welcome.

The protest is POINTLESS, the Government will not listen, no matter how many turn up. It is irrelevant as are your protestations.

If you really want the war stopped then take direct action, block the ports where the Army are embraking, tie yourselves across the Rail lines where goods are being moved, call a general strike, but protesting is a complete waste of time.

I DO NOT WANT A WAR EITHER. NOT IN MY NAME EVER, ANY KIND OF WAR.

I hope that is clear.

If a general strike is called, then count on me to support it.

[Dante Hicks]

Originally posted by LHC
and the train fair is absurdly high.

For me it's about eighty pence.

Obviously I doubt a demonstration is likely to stop a government from doing something it was going to do anyway. It's just about being counted I suppose. There are no referendums, writing to your MP is pointless and we don't have immediate recall of representatives so all we can do is stand about in Central London going "I don't like what you're doing.". Might be fairly interesting and I'm going with a group of other people, so it's something to do.

One of my flat-mates works at Number 10 though, so he could probably stab Mr Blair with a letter opener, but I doubt that would achieve much.

[LHC]

Well, from Scúnthorpe to Doncaster, and then down to London (return) would cost me a fortune. It's not so bad when you're already in London though.

[Nusselt]

my gf wanted to go to the central london one to, but im sorry, Arsenal vs Man Utd, no fcking way im missing that. Fck the war.

[Ice-Lady]

Just thought I'd add that there are people at the docks protesting, trying to stop military movements.

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Dante Hicks
writing to your MP is pointless

Writing to yor MP is NOT pointless, nor is having your say at a drop in surgery, especially if you turn up in a large group and talk easonably. Obviously large groups protesting at MPs surgeries are counter productive

[Deffeh]

im not anti-war. Im pro-proof

But since theres still no reason for the war, i think ill march upon Glasgow today.

[Dante Hicks]

Originally posted by Judge
I DO NOT WANT A WAR EITHER. NOT IN MY NAME EVER, ANY KIND OF WAR.

Glad to hear it. Of course, I'd prefer it there were a general strike. I could stand on a picket line at work trying to chat up the more attractive fellow Amicus members. Direct action is inherently cooler, and if it had the support of the public would be infinitely more effevtive.

But these things don't happen overnight. The Russian peasantry (or whomever) didn't go from "We Love the Tsar" to "All Power to the Soviets" overnight. At the moment, our actions are constrained by the level of consciousness that the "average" person holds. They are against war (sort of), but I doubt they'd support direct action. Yet.

At the moment, the least bad option out of a lot of crappy options is standing about in the freezing cold. But I hold no illusions that it will achieve anything.

And Gayle : Writing to your MP is not pointless with some issues. MPs can be vital in intervening in specific issues or raising a local concern. But my local MP is a staunch Blair supporter with a massive majority. The number two party in this area (at the last election) was the Conservatives. There is little chance of him losing votes "to the left" since there is no local left (nor local liberals). On this issue, I'm afraid it is rather pointless.

[Dante Hicks]

p.s. I'm off now.

p.p.s. If anyone else is there from this forum, I'm fairly tall, long prematurely greying hair with a purple Che Guevara T-Shirt. Come spit in my face!

[MrL_JaKiri]

I'll look for you on the covers of papers, as a noble anti-war protestor (Guardian), vicious enemy of truth and justice (Telegraph) or Woman With Large Breasts (Daily Star)

[MrL_JaKiri]

You appear to be confused as to what people are protesting

[Leshy]

There's one in Amsterdam as well. I'm not going.

[MrL_JaKiri]

Originally posted by WorkMonkey
their protesting cus they dont want a war?

They're protesting because they don't like Bush's reasons for war

(mostly anyway)

[Kumnaa]

While I dont agree with the war, the protest isnt going to change anything.

[wu_trax]

im against the war, but i certainly wont drive 300km to berlin to protest against it :/, not with these fuel prices

[Ice-Lady]

If anyone it interested there is a live broadcast of the speeches being made in Hyde Park from 1pm GMT (2pm CET) on www.cableradio.co.uk

Speakers include : Jesse Jackson, Mo Mowlem, Harold Pinter, Tony Benn, Ms Dynamite and Damon Albarn.

[G_frog]

Originally posted by WorkMonkey
Is it EU policy now to leave dangerous dictators to rule over a rogue state with a tyrannical manor...or did I just miss something?

It's been american policy (with tacit european approval) to install and support such people for about 4 decades now.

Which intelligence agency supported the baa'th coup? was it:
i) saudi intelligence,
ii) the KGB,
iii) the israeli secret service, or
iv) the CIA?

[Archi]

Jesse Jackson never met a microphone he didnt like.

[Phang]

I was planning to go, but having spent this week in bed (due to flu and these weird intermittent stress headaches i get) the idea got scrapped. a mate is going though.





and what's a tyrannical manor? like a haunted house?

[wu_trax]

Originally posted by WorkMonkey
Is it EU policy now to leave dangerous dictators to rule over a rogue state with a tyrannical manor...or did I just miss something?

read a few of the 100,000s of threads on that topic in this forum

[Ice-Lady]

According to the radio station there estimated 1 million people in/around Hyde Park right now.

[Gayle29uk]

They come as Prime Minister Tony Blair used a Labour conference speech in Glasgow on Saturday to defend his policy on Iraq.

He said he "respected" and understood the desire to march.

But he added: "I ask the marchers to understand this: I do not seek unpopularity as a badge of honour.

"But sometimes it is the price of leadership and the cost of conviction."
Source: BBC news

He's right, that's the way representative democracy works. Can we have a 'Sack Tony' march next please?

Originally posted by Leshy
There's one in Amsterdam as well. I'm not going.

Aye...I was considering going actually, but decided not to at the last moment, does cost me some bucks to travel there heh.

Also there an organisation demonstrating there that consists out of Americans against the war on iraq...nic initiative I say, tho wether anyone actually listens to these people is another thing.

I believe in protests, and it's one of the cornerstones of the democracy. However lately there's more and more evidence of a *leader* of a country going against it's people's wishes because he A: likes to, or because B: because of the general politics (I guess the netherlands fits in well there) If I'm right about 70% or so of the people here are against the war. Yet I'm sure should there be any calls for support from the US, we'll be first in line *rolls eyes*

[Ice-Lady]

I've just spent the last few hours watching the news coverage of these marches on TV. It is an amazing thing to have seen.
Estmates of around 1.5 million people in London alone, bringing some parts of the capital to a standstill.
In Glasgow there are reportedly 50 thousand plus people taking part, to coinside with Blair's speech at the Labour Party's Spring convention.
It is reported that marches have taken place or are underway in 600 cities world wide, on 5 different continents.
A reported figure of 2 million protesters in Rome, 100 thousand demonstrating in Paris, France.
Demos have finished in Australia with an estimated (by organisers) figure of 150,000. Demos also are taking place in Seoul - capital of South Korea, one of the staunchest US allies in Asia.
5,000plus marched through Auckland and the capital of New Zealand, Wellington.

This is to mention only a few of the demonstrations taking place globally.

Surely now Bush and Blair must listen to the voices of these people!

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Ice-Lady
Surely now Bush and Blair must listen to the voices of these people!

Nope.

[Ice-Lady]

There can not possibly be this amount of uprising within the people of the world that can be ignored!
Blair is committing political suicide if he does.

[Reck]

Originally posted by Ice-Lady
Estmates of around 1.5 million people in London alone, bringing some parts of the capital to a standstill.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/spr...ain/index.html

CNN claims 500k though

[starmog]

how many people are there in the UK

around 60million.....


1 - 2 million aint much....

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Ice-Lady
There can not possibly be this amount of uprising within the people of the world that can be ignored!
Blair is committing political suicide if he does.

He's committing political suicide if he doesn't. The only way out for Bush and Blair now is to be proved right about Iraq and WMD. If they're wrong or they back down both their careers are over.

[wu_trax]

Originally posted by Gayle28uk
He's committing political suicide if he doesn't. The only way out for Bush and Blair now is to be proved right about Iraq and WMD. If they're wrong or they back down both their careers are over.

if the inspections suceed blair and bush can sell it as their success, saddam only cooperated because of the thread of an invasion.
Blair and Bush are pretty much ****ed atm. they cant go without the uno and they can go back now.

[Ice-Lady]

I don't think he will if he backs down.
Bush on the other hand....

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by wu_trax
Blair and Bush are pretty much ****ed atm. they cant go without the uno and they can go back now.

They can and will start a war without the UN. If they go back now their careers in politics are finished, if they go on they better be proved right or their careers are finished. If we go into Iraq, blow the place up killing tens of thousands of Iraqis and have our some of our own troops shipped home in body bags but DON'T find actual chemical or biological weapons (or nuclear facilities) then Bush (probably) and Blair (certainly) are screwed. If they find an actual chemical weapons plant complete with chemical weapons they'll be the heroes of the world for being right all along and the UN will be much more forthright in future as opposed to it's current reticent demeanour.

[Ice-Lady]

Originally posted by Reck
http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/spr...ain/index.html

CNN claims 500k though

As far as I know, CNN is the only US news channel covering the protests and their coverage is considerably poor, Fox news was absolutely rubbish with no mention of it whatsoever!

Scotland Yard were giving out figures on the London march which I have yet to see, the organizers of the event "estimate" 1.5million.
This protest is the largest EVER recorded within the UK.

[Add]

Originally posted by WorkMonkey
their protesting cus they dont want a war?

if they said that they don't want a dictator ruling a rouge state, so they're going to go to war to remove him from power. fair enough. if they said they don't want a self obsessed mad man controling so much oil which we need, fair enough. it's that they are trying to sugar coat it, and poorly.

it's like when clinton said he never have sexual relations with monica, it wasn't the fact that he had an affair that annoyed people, it was the fact he lied about it.

[Gayle29uk]

Originally posted by Ice-Lady
This protest is the largest EVER recorded within the UK.

Coulda told you that days ago

[Archi]

As far as I know, CNN is the only US news channel covering the protests and their coverage is considerably poor, Fox news was absolutely rubbish with no mention of it whatsoever!

I have been hearing it on the radio all morning here in the USofA. However they said it was 150k people not 1.5 million. A bit of a difference there in the numbers.

[wu_trax]

Originally posted by Gayle28uk
They can and will start a war without the UN. If they go back now their careers in politics are finished, if they go on they better be proved right or their careers are finished. If we go into Iraq, blow the place up killing tens of thousands of Iraqis and have our some of our own troops shipped home in body bags but DON'T find actual chemical or biological weapons (or nuclear facilities) then Bush (probably) and Blair (certainly) are screwed. If they find an actual chemical weapons plant complete with chemical weapons they'll be the heroes of the world for being right all along and the UN will be much more forthright in future as opposed to it's current reticent demeanour.

first of all: if you controll the country you can 'find' everything you want.
i dont think they will risk it without the uno, after what i have read on bbc 60-70% of the people in uk are against the war without uno-support. no politician can permanetly ignore them. maybe that percentage is not that high in the US, but there will be quite a lot of people who think the same way there. you cant start a war if noone wants it.
right now Bush and Blair cant do anything. they have two possibilities: convice the security council to accept their war or b) convice the population the war is neccessary and the security council blocks everything because they are evil people.

PS there were up to 500,000 people in berlin today \o/ they expected 80-100,000

[Sub]

Originally posted by starmog
how many people are there in the UK

around 60million.....


1 - 2 million aint much....

Knock off about 17 million elderly people, then the number of children, and it's quite a large number.

[Ice-Lady]

Originally posted by Archi
I have been hearing it on the radio all morning here in the USofA. However they said it was 150k people not 1.5 million. A bit of a difference there in the numbers.

I have sat and watched the march live, followed the un biased media coverage and seen the huge amount of various organizations involved and believe me there was WAY WAY WAY more than 150k people there.
I posted some links in my first post about this which supply a huge amount of factual information.

[Cyp]

About 30000 in the Copenhagen area, apparently. (Police only estimated around 25000, though.)

[wu_trax]

http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/sto...B&SECTION=HOME


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=2234818

Originally posted by Add
if they said that they don't want a dictator ruling a rouge state, so they're going to go to war to remove him from power. fair enough. if they said they don't want a self obsessed mad man controling so much oil which we need, fair enough. it's that they are trying to sugar coat it, and poorly.

it's like when clinton said he never have sexual relations with monica, it wasn't the fact that he had an affair that annoyed people, it was the fact he lied about it.

Agreed

Frankly its insulting, an has the opposite effect of what was intended.

[Dante Hicks]

Just got back.

Fairly interesting, although not a revelation. A fairly good mix of student types/foriegners/random middle aged types & loons. I can't be bothered to give a journalistic "Let's make this seem interesting, and give you my tale" account, but a few comments.

It was fairly good. Loads of people (way more than 150k) although beyond one hundred thousand is difficult to measure. Scotland Yard's estimate of 750,000 seems credible. Pretty much all the roads along the route of the march were closed (ah, the dream of a pedestrianised Central London) and there were parts were as far as the eye could see were anti-war types.

As always the only interesting pursuits were (a) Spotting if any attractive women were among those assembled and (b) reading the banners. Some of the banner highlights :

- "Killing people is bad" (obviously big into controversy)
- "Don't Kill Innocent Children" (ditto)
- "Don't be a twat Tony"
- "Munters for Peace"
- "Smoke Dope Not Iraqi's"
- Various cartoons of Bush & Blair
- "Disgusted of Tumbridge Wells" (on the back of a middle-aged middle-class looking gentleman)

The most common banners were the general Daily Mirror "Stop the War" ones (although most people seemed to deface their banners so they weren't advertising the Mirror). The Palestenian flag was fairly common too.

For some reason, loads of Avril Lavigne look-a-likes were present and all had written "No War" in some sort of pen on their faces. Oh well.

My feet hurt, I'm going to watch some TV.

[Ice-Lady]

Update on figures for the London march is 750k according to police, although the organisers and other sources put the head count at over 1 million. Having watched this demo closely, I would be more inclined to go for the 1 million mark.

[ParraCida]

I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised about these protests. I think the information age has finally cought up with governments. People are no longer naive and willing to simply do as their told.
This was a good day for humanity, it has restored a lot of my faith in this world.


If there is a god, I think today was the first time he smiled in a long long time.