Europeans Protest U.S. War
America is becoming world enemy #1
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By SIMONE WEICHSELBAUM, Associated Press Writer
Sat, Oct. 13TH, 2001 - LONDON (AP) - An estimated 20,000 people marched through central London in the largest of several demonstrations in Europe on Saturday against the military strikes in Afghanistan (news - web sites). Some sang, others chanted, a few attempted to burn American and British flags, but police said the march, on an unseasonably warm day, was peaceful. The organizers, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, welcomed the large turnout, saying they hope to a create a broad coalition with protesters abroad. ``It is just remarkable of the high level of interest,'' said Nigel Chamberlain, spokesman of CND. ``We might be in a minority in public opinion, but we are here to show that there are thousands of people against the war.''
London police estimated that 20,000 people joined the march from Hyde Park, Piccadilly and Trafalagar Square. Police intervened to stop attempts to burn an American flag and a paper or cardboard Union Jack flag of Britain.
In Germany, more than 25,000 peace protesters took to the streets. The largest turnout was in the capital, Berlin, where some 15,000 protesters held a protest in the central Gendarmenmarkt square, police said. The rally was preceded by several peace marches held throughout the city under the motto ``No War - Stand Up for Peace.''
Demonstrators from peace, church and student groups, as well as some unions, called for an immediate halt to the attacks, warning of an escalation of violence in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan. They also called on world leaders to encourage development in the region as a way to ``root out terrorism at its base.''
The U.S.-led coalition began its military campaign against Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the ruling Taliban refused to hand over Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) and his lieutenants to the United States. Bin Laden, a Saudi exile, is the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington in which about 6,000 people were killed.
In the southern German city of Stuttgart, about 10,000 peace protesters called on the United States to leave Afghanistan and for Germans to stand together against the war.
``This war threatens to spread a fire of hatred,'' Sybille Stamm, local head of the giant ver.di service union told a crowd gathered for a rally in downtown Stuttgart. Stamm criticized the government for increasing spending on state security, at the cost of social programs.
Before the rally, police said about 80 people took part in a protest vigil near the barracks where the U.S. military's headquarters for Europe are stationed. No incidents were reported.
In Sweden, several thousand people marched peacefully in the country's three biggest cities Saturday to protest the bombings.
``It's absolutely unacceptable that the world's richest country bombs the world's poorest people,'' said Ann-Cathrin Jarl of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.
In Italy, youths demonstrated peacefully in Rome, Naples and several smaller cities. The biggest turnout was in Naples, with about 2,000 people. Many of the protesters were preparing to head on Sunday to Umbria, in central Italy, for a peace march organizers predict will draw tens of thousands of people.
In Glasgow, Scotland, around 1,500 people gathered in George Square for an anti-war protest.
Thousands of people across Australia rallied Saturday for peace. The demonstrations in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide had been planned for more than a year to protest the militarization of space, but became forums to oppose the military offensive in Afghanistan.
``No one supports the Sept. 11 attacks but no one supports what's happening now in Afghanistan, either. The way to remember the dead of Sept. 11 is not by building another mound of innocent people's bodies,'' said Denis Doherty, a rally organizer.
Another coalition stands up to be counted John Vidal Guardian
Monday November 19, 2001
They came, they said, wanting justice and common sense, but mainly an end to the war. They have been accused in the past few months of being gutless, of letting down the country and of backing the wrong side. Yesterday it was the turn of the "doves" to stand up and be counted.
Thousands - police estimated 15,000, the Stop the War coalition said 100,000 - came to London from all over Britain to register opposition to the way the war is being prosecuted in Afghanistan.
Muslims prayed while the crowd milled around good-naturedly. As Quakers, druids, civil libertarians and anti-globalisers merged into a coalition of their own the Muslim contingents were to the fore. Many buses had come from Nottingham, Bradford and all points north.
"It's most important that we are here. We have left thousands upon thousands more back at home who would like to have come. This is a war against the poor people in the world. They should look after poverty rather than killing people," said Abdul Hamid, the Iman of the Islamic Centre in Nottingham. At least 2,000 Muslims For Justice arrived shouting "Down, down, Bush and Blair".
There were British-born Afghanis, too. "Bush is a freemason, a devil worshipper," said Aqwel Khan, who said his uncle from Birmingham had gone to fight. "Bin Laden is a warrior, a freedom fighter not a terrorist."
Azmat Rehan said: "I've come to support my people. We believe in the Taliban. The news only shows the bad side. The good side is that they stabilised the country."
"I think we should march with the Muslims," said Theresa Davies with a group from the King's Church in Portsmouth. "This is a united march, all faiths must work together."
All along the route, from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, 90-year-olds mixed with three-year-olds and Green party members with Conservatives and socialists. "It's a very important demonstration," said Arthur Scargill, once the scourge of Margaret Thatcher but now looking white-haired and frail. "This is not war, it's a state of terror being led by Presidents Bush and Blair." The crowd marched peacefully but a splinter group led by London anti-globalisers tried to make their way to the American embassy. They found it surrounded by police, and concrete barriers and were told they were not allowed to demonstrate against the embassy.
After Muslim calls to prayer, MPs, churchmen, and other speakers, ranging from Bianca Jagger to journalist John Pilger, linked the war to global poverty. "In whose interests is this madness? How many more people must die?" asked MP Jeremy Corbyn. "What kind of civilisation is it where the richest nation on earth finds its answers in bombs?"
Urging people to stand up for civil liberties, Lindsay German of the Stop The War Coalition said: "We now have war without end in the name of democracy." Canon Paul Oestreicher of Coventry Cathedral, led a series of speakers. "We are the patriots. We must now build real peace and can only do that by creating a just economic system. A world where rich gets richer and poor get poorer is a recruiting ground for terrorism."
As the crowd swilled into Trafalgar Square, former MP Tony Benn raised the loudest cheers. "We have a passive parliament and a cringing cabinet that does not even demand the right to discuss Britain's involvement in the war." As most of the crowd dispersed into the bitter cold, the meeting was claimed by the organisers to have been one of the largest anti-war demonstrations since the 1970s.
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Al Haq is the West Bank affiliate of the Geneva-based The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ). Al-Haq is an Arabic word meaning 'fairness', 'justice', 'law', and 'truth'.
Al-Haq condemns Israel's assassinations and blatant disregard for international law. Al-Haq index of Press Releases - plus: more incidents to Mar 9th 2001
Scources other than the usual U.S./Israel Propagada
Arabic News, Islamic Republic News Agency,
Institute for War and Peace Reporting, Emperors-Clothes,
Cairo, Egypt News, Eurasia News,
or for The Real Terrorist War in Occupied Palestine
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