Thousands expected to join UK protests against Syria airstrikes
Protests, public meetings and actions are planned in 18 towns and cities across the country, including a large gathering outside Downing Street on SaturdayThe Guardian : http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/26/thousands-expected-uk-protests-against-syria-airstrikes
Lindsey German of Stop the War makes a speech against the bombing of Syria. Photograph: Peter Marshall/Demotix/Corbis
Thousands of people are expected to gather outside Downing Street and in cities across the UK on Saturday to protest against government plans to launch a bombing campaign in Syria.
Nearly 6,000 people have so far indicated on Facebook that they will attend the London protest organised by the Stop the War coalition.
The event page says: “The UK has been bombing countries for a decade and a half, at the cost of millions of lives. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results meets Albert Einstein’s definition of madness.
“We are calling on all our groups to organise protests in their towns and cities on the same day. We need to resist this brutalising and dehumanising spiral of violence.”
David Cameron published a document on Thursday outlining his case for airstrikes against Islamic State. He said: “The threats to our interests and to our people are such that we cannot afford to stand aside and not to act.
“Throughout Britain’s history we have been called on time and again to make the hardest of decisions in defence of our citizens and our country. Today one of the greatest threats we face to our security is the threat from Isil.”
The prime minister said all seven terror plots in the UK this year have been directed by Isis or inspired by the group’s propaganda. He insisted that bombing would be part of a comprehensive political and diplomatic plan to deny the group space and create the circumstances for an end to the civil war in Syria.
Chris Nineham, vice-chair of the Stop the War coalition, said: “I think it’s a very, very weak statement and I think Cameron has failed utterly to put a coherent case or to outline a coherent strategy. He has not been able to answer the question: why would a relatively minor increase in the level of bombing change the current situation, which is that America and its allies have been bombing Isis in Syria for 13 months and Isis has grown?
“We always get this argument when we are asked to back another war, that our weapons don’t kill civilians, that they are precision-guided, that they cause minimal ‘collateral damage’. And yet all the facts argue the opposite: one impact of extra bombing raids will be more civilians killed. Why on earth would Britain want to increase the death rate?
“Leaving aside the purely humanitarian question, doing that would entrench the bitterness towards the west. Does anyone really believe that Britain joining the war in Syria would make a terror attack on Britain less likely?
“The kind of action Cameron is outlining is going to increase the level of suffering and destruction in Syria, it’s liable to entrench the civil war [and] to strengthen rather than degrade the position of Isis.
“There simply is not an upside in the plan that Cameron has outlined. We are urging MPs to step back and think long and hard about the consequences before they take Britain into another war.”
The Downing Street protest will begin at midday. Similar protests, public meetings and actions are planned in 18 towns and cities, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield and Swansea.
Nineham said that protests, organised at the last minute, had quickly attracted interest. “Very, very few protests that we have organised have got such a strong response so quickly on social media, so we are expecting thousands of people to descend on Downing Street this Saturday,” he said.
“People feel that it’s a critical moment in British politics. The strikes are high risk. We saw a Russian plane being shot down by Turkey two days ago. We are talking about entering a theatre of war which is already very crowded.
“There’s going to be protests right across the country and I think the anti-war movement is back, unfortunately. It shouldn’t have to be, but it is.”
Stop the War has been mobilising its members across the country to lobby their MPs. The group claims thousands of people have written to their MPs using its online tool. It has also sought to mobilise local groups to lobby MPs directly at their weekly surgeries for constituents.--
4th UK war in 14 years: Take action where you are to stop Cameron's drive to war on Syria http://bit.ly/1kTL71g
Don't Bomb Syria: Action Page
Link: http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/events/stop-the-war-events-national/don-t-bomb-syria-protest-action-page
The proposed vote in Parliament on bombing Syria by British forces is likely to take place within the next week. The vote is more likely following the terrible events in Paris. Yet this bombing will not stop terror attacks. Stop the War is opposed to this military response. Protests will take place this Saturday around the country (see locations below).
28 November | London | National protest at Downing Street
Saturday 28 November | 12 noon - 2pmDowning Street | London | And across the UK
1 December London: Public Meeting
After the Paris Attacks: The Case against WarTuesday 1 December | 6.30pm
Conway Hall | 26 Red Lion Square | London WC1R 4R
Speakers include: Tariq Ali (via Skype) | Salma Yaqoob | Lindsey German | Others tbc
Actions across the UK
Stop the War is asking all its local groups to hold meetings on this issue in the next few weeks. Action and events across the UK are listed below. You can join them or, if you want to set up an event, meeting or street stall somewhere else, get in touch with the office to receive leaflets, badges and other Stop the War materials. office@stopwar.org.uk Tel: 020 7561 4830- Birmingham – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 1.30 pm | outside Waterstones, entrance to the Bull Ring | city centre | Birmingham | Contact: Stuart | tel: 07771 567 496 | email:ser14@btinternet.com
- Bradford – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 3pm | Bottom of Cheapside | near Barclays Bank and Broadway shopping centre | BD1
- Bristol – Lobby at Karin Smyth's Surgery | Friday 27 November | 9.15–10.45am | 01179 533 575 for appointment | Knowle West Health Park | Downton Road | Bristol BS4 1WH
- Bristol – Lobby at Kerry McCarthy's Surgery | Saturday 28 November | time and location TBC
- Cambridge – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 2pm rally on King's Parade outside Kings College CB2 1ST | 3pm vigil Guildhall, Market Square | Cambridge Stop the War Coalition | Facebook »
- Cardiff – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 12 noon | Aneurin Bevan statue | Queen Street
- Chelmsford – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 11am–12 pm | outside Lloyds Bank | High Street
- Coventry – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 1pm | Broadgate (meet at Lady Godiva statue)
- Doncaster – Lobby of Rosie Winterton MP | time and location TBC
- Edinburgh – Rally | Monday 30 November | 5–7pm | East End of Princes Street | Bring candles, torches, placards and banners
- Forest of Dean – Protest | Saturday 28 November | outside MP and Chief Whip Mark Harper’s office in Cinderford | Meet 12 noon at Forest Bumps’ Coffee House in Market Street
- Frome – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 11am | outside Oxfam Shop | Frome
- Harrow – Lobby of Gareth Thomas MP | time and location TBC
- Hebden Bridge – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 12pm | St Georges Square | Facebook »
- Huddersfield – Vigil for peace | Saturday 28 November | 12 noon | Huddersfield Market Place HD1 2AA | Organised by Huddersfield Quakers | Facebook »
- Leeds – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 12 noon | Briggate outside Body Shop | Leeds LS1 6LH
- Leeds – Public meeting | Wednesday 2 December | 7pm | Leeds UNISON offices | 160A Woodhouse Lane LS2 9EN
- Liverpool – Vigil and leafleting | Saturday 28 November | 11am | Liverpool city centre | Church St (by Primark) | Liverpool L1
- Manchester – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 2pm | Picadilly Gardens | Manchester
- Milton Keynes – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 12 noon | City Square (the open area near to M&S and opposite the civic offices)
- Newcastle – Lobby of Catherine McKinnell MP | Friday 6 November | Midday | Lemington Centre | Tyne View | Newcastle upon Tyne NE15 8RZ
- Norwich – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 11.30am | Haymarket | Central Norwich
- Norwich – Lobby of Chloe Smith MP | time and location TBC
- Nottingham – Public meeting | Wednesday 2 December | 7pm | New Mechanics Institute | North Sherwood Street | Nottingham
- Nottingham – Emergency protest | Day of Parliamentary Vote - as yet unconfirmed | 5.30pm | Brian Clough statue | Nottingham Market Square
- Oxford – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 12pm | Bond Square | opposite the Westgate Centre
- Sheffield – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 11am | outside Sheffield Town Hall
- Swansea – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 1pm | Castle Square | Swansea
- Torquay – Protest | Saturday 28 November | 11am | East Street (outside of Tory MP Kevin Foster's office)
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Musicians, politicians, writers, union chiefs tell Cameron Don't Bomb Syria
Frankie Boyle, Brian Eno, John Pilger, Caroline Lucas MP and many more, write to Cameron to oppose bombing of Syria.
Link:
Frankie Boyle has joined musicians, writers, union chiefs and politicians telling David Cameron not to bomb Syria as thousands of protesters prepare to march on Westminster.
The outspoken comic is one of 23 people who signed a letter begging the Prime Minister to block air strikes tonight after he warned Britain is under 'armed attack'.
Others include former Roxy Music star Brian Eno, Green MP Caroline Lucas, writer John Pilger and comedian Jeremy Hardy.
Their missive to Number 10 condemns the 'rush to bomb' and says wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have caused 'large scale casualties, devastating destruction and huge flows of refugees'.
And it declares: "Far from tackling terrorism, the last fourteen years of war have seen massively increased Jihadi terrorist organisation around the world."
The letter was organised by the Stop the War Coalition, which is organising a mass march on Westminster against bombing ISIS in Syria.
Many thousands of people have already expressed their interest in the protest, which will take place outside Downing Street from 12pm to 2pm this Saturday.
Tonight Jeremy Corbyn, who is rumoured to be attending the march, wrote to Labour MPs saying he will not be able to back the PM's seven-point plan for military action.
His move threw the party into turmoil, with several MPs poised to vote against their own leader when the shadow cabinet decides Labour's official policy on Monday.
He wrote: "I do not believe that the PM today made a convincing case that extending UK bombing to Syria would meet that crucial test. Nor did it satisfactorily answer the questions raised by us and the Foreign Affairs Committee.
"In particular, the PM did not set out a coherent strategy, coordinated through the UN for the defeat of ISIS."
The letter in full
Dear Prime Minister,
The current rush to bomb Syria following the terrible events in Paris risks a dangerous escalation which will inflame the war there and increase bitterness against the West. The US has been bombing Isis for a year and admits that Isis is as strong as ever and has continued recruiting.
The experience of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya shows that Western military interventions lead to large scale casualties, devastating destruction and huge flows of refugees.
Far from tackling terrorism, the last fourteen years of war have seen massively increased Jihadi terrorist organisation around the world.
The experience of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya shows that Western military interventions lead to large scale casualties, devastating destruction and huge flows of refugees.
Far from tackling terrorism, the last fourteen years of war have seen massively increased Jihadi terrorist organisation around the world.
Rather than ignoring this recent history by joining the long list of countries that have bombed Syria in the last year, we urge the government to stop arming reactionary and aggressive regimes like Saudi Arabia and Qatar that sponsor terrorist groups and look for political solutions as the only viable way to end the conflict.
Mark Rylance, Brian Eno, Frankie Boyle, John Pilger, Francesca Martinez, Jeremy Hardy, Caroline Lucas MP, Arthur Smith, Miriam Margolyes, John Hilary, Michael Rosen, Mark Serwotka, Tariq Ali, Victoria Britain, Manuel Cortez, Christine Shawcroft, Prof Ray Bush, David Gentleman, Lindsey German, Kate Hudson, Andrew Murray, Logic (Musician), Prof John Kinsella
Mark Rylance, Brian Eno, Frankie Boyle, John Pilger, Francesca Martinez, Jeremy Hardy, Caroline Lucas MP, Arthur Smith, Miriam Margolyes, John Hilary, Michael Rosen, Mark Serwotka, Tariq Ali, Victoria Britain, Manuel Cortez, Christine Shawcroft, Prof Ray Bush, David Gentleman, Lindsey German, Kate Hudson, Andrew Murray, Logic (Musician), Prof John Kinsella
Source: The Mirror
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