Manchester Demonstration Shows the Continuing Vitality of the Anti-War Movement

[nestopwar]

On Saturday, September 20th thousands of people travelled to Manchester to take part in a mass protest to coincide with the start of Labour Party Conference to oppose the spread of war and to demand an end to the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan. The demonstration was aimed not just against the Labour Government but all of the big parties and against their pro war agenda. Slogans of No to NATO! and Stop the Warmongering! were carried by peace activists, military families, youth, minorities and Manchester and other trade unionists that took part on mass. Manchester Trades Council Banner was proudly carried with the slogan Unity Is Strength and A Better World Is Possible! The demonstation finished with a large rally at the end adddressed by a range of speakers finishing with Tony Benn President of the Stop the War Coalition. The Demonstration showed once again the continuing vitality of the anti-war movement.

A Coach went from Newcastle to take part in the demonstration organised by the Tyneside Stop the War Coalition. Participants on the coach dedicated this action and day to the memory of Julie Fowler, an activist of the Tyneside Stop the War Coalition, who suddenly passed away days before the demonstration and whilst working for the success of this important event

[stevendryden]

I can't believe that there seems to have been yet another media black-out on a Stop The War Demonstration. Like the demonstrations held early this year in Central London it seems that the media deems thousands of people taking to the street of Manchester  and marching outside the Labour Party Conference NOT news worthy. Given  that the focus of the Conference has been on the current Economic Crisis it seems baffling that a demonstration pointing out that we could be spending  millions of pounds on Public Warfare rather than Warfare should go by not noticed.
It was great to see so many people out on the streets though, and the feeling marching through tunnels with all that screaming, shouting and whistle blowing really got the old heart pumping.
RIP Julie Fowler, you'll be a big miss on the stalls.

[Roger]

The question of the media blackout is a good question. Sometimes they report the anti war movement sometimes they don't. Why? i like to think of it as disinformation because it is trying to say there is no resistance

On February 15th 2003 it was reported on a large scale but the issue there was it could not be ignored but they hadn't killed too may people then.  Today, the stakes are very high more than a 2 million dead or missing as a result to the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, serious opposition not only from the resistance but also within the ranks of the armed forces for they are on a war footing more and more and you notice they do not cover the resistance in the  countries they occupy let alone here.    The fact is to them we are the resistance and those illusions of winning the possibility of "fair and just society" just by protest are slipping away. 

I think we have to go all out in a big way to prepare to stand anti-war candidates and take up the struggle for peoples empowerment.  Develop our own media. Interestingly, we are communicating with more people now than on February 15th. That was very largely  spontaneous but now the vitality is in ever increasing and better organisation today. Our project for this year to reaffirm the anti-war movement as broad and well organised movement is bearing some fruit.  The media blackout will not save them in the end, on the contrary it is a factor in the people getting organised to get themselves better informed. Have a look at the report on our website!