People’s Assembly for Peace

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People’s Assembly for Peace

International Women's Day Demonstrations

International Activities to Mark International Women's Day

Behind a 50ft banner proclaiming the People’s Assembly, Central Hall in Westminster, Central London, saw the launch yesterday of what many speakers considered a truer reflection of the widespread will of the people for peace than the inhabitants of the Houses of Parliament sitting in a building not far from the Central Hall itself.

Up to 1,000 delegates and representatives of anti-war forums and Stop the War Groups from throughout the country together with political organisations, trades unions, political and social forums, collectives of women, pensioners, schoolchildren, national minorities, peace groups, students’ and religious organisations, and political personalities spent the day discussing the impending aggression against Iraq, the Assembly’s declaration for peace, the role of the United Nations and political and direct people’s action in the event of war.

Many trades unions’, schoolchildren’s, youth and students delegates declared the intention to take direct action both to prevent the war and protest against it if it does start. The urgency of the situation was summed up in the slogan, which it was reported emerged from the London meeting of the International Coordination Against the War: "If they start the war, we will stop the country."

Workers’ Weekly will carry a further report of the People’s Assembly in a future edition.

London

On International Women’s Day, 2003, a march assembled at 11.30 am in Parliament Square. Hundreds of people marched from there to Victoria, then Hyde Park Corner and Grosvenor Square, in front of the US Embassy.

A big puppet was carried to symbolise all women around the world. One of the demands were for military spending to be invested in caring – that military spending accounts for over $900 billion annually.

Slogans shouted were:

Investing in caring, not killing.
We want welfare, not warfare.
We want children, not body bags.
We want peace not war.
We want food not bombs.
Who makes weapons of mass destruction: UK, USA.

UK women say: no war
USA women say: no war
Iraqi women say: no war
Palestinian women say: no war
Israeli women say: no war
Muslim women say: no war
Jewish women say: no war
Christian women say: no war
Atheist women say: no war
ALL women say: no war.

At 2.00pm the march arrived in Grosvenor Square, where women from various countries shared their experiences with those present.

They recounted that:

some of the present today, had been in this square against the Vietnam war as well – back here to meet a new anti-war generation;

in the US, native american communities live as poorly as indigenous people in South America: no electricity, no running water, no sanitation – in the richest country on earth. The oil extracted from those lands was invested in arms, leaving devastation and suffering;

in Iraq, the genocide has continued for the last 12 years, with around 1.3 million people dead thanks to the economic sanctions. Women have seen the devastation left by US chemical weapons especially in Kurdish Iraq;

there are UN resolutions against Israel, but they are not fulfilled;

there is a generation in Sri Lanka that has never seen peace in their country – women get the most abused, and especially for them, there is no way out;

George W. Bush went years ago to Argentina, to start off privatisation programmes of water and other public services. This was how disaster began – the final blow came thanks to the IMF, WB and all banks;

in Venezuela, the last coup against the government was orchestrated by the USA – this country was the only one who recognised the military government that lasted two days;

70% of households are lead by women in Venezuela; this explains the overwhelming feminine presence in the popular upraising.

Rhythms of Resistance London samba band also took to the streets of London's West-end to support the NoSweat Campaign's protests against the exploitation by the High Street Clothing brands of their predominantly female workforces .

The NoSweat activists were protesting at the Niketown superstore on Oxford Circus. The activists also protested at Disney on Regent Street as well as the Puma store on Carnaby Street. Here a woman union activist working to organise resistance to the sweatshops in London's East-end spoke.

Aberdeen

Up to 2,500 marched against war on Iraq on March 8 in Aberdeen. The protest, organised by the "Aberdeen Coalition for Justice not War", was attended by a wide range of people from political, religious, campaigning and trade union groups, as well as concerned individuals.

Saturday's demonstration was the largest yet in the city. Coalition Chair, Emma Morrison, urged those attending to respond to Tony Benn's call for direct action in the event of war.

Protesters, who included a large number of school, college and university students as well as pensioners and trade unionists, were urged to take the anti-war message into workplaces, colleges, streets and schools, and to attend a co-ordinated city-centre protest from 5pm on the evening following an attack on Iraq.

Derry

International Women’s Day in Derry was celebrated with a march against the war. Despite terrible weather and a paint bomb attack the successful march across the city was lively and confident.

Manchester

An impressive anti-war demonstration took place in Manchester on Saturday to coincide with the International Women's Day. The organisers estimated about 20,000 people participated in the march. It was believed to be the biggest in the city for 180 years.

Organised by the Greater Manchester Coalition to Stop the War, marchers demanded "no more blood for oil" in protest against war on Iraq. Leaflets handed out to publicise the march said that Tony Blair's determination to go to war indicates that he is showing that the country's democracy is just a sham.

Sheffield

Thousands demonstrated on March 8 in Sheffield against war with Iraq.

Protests also took place in Barnsley, Berkhamsted, Chichester, Nottingham, and Bridgend in Wales.

Cambodia

Cambodia held week-long activities to celebrate the International Women's Day from March 1 to March 8, with an aim to raise awareness about the achievements of women throughout Cambodia and to further promote their participation in future development of the country.

"Cambodian women today are already actively participating in state affairs and play an important role in national development," Mu Sochua, minister of Women’s and Veterans' Affairs, said.

According to official figures, women make up more than half of the total population (51.6 percent) and women head 19.6 percent of Cambodian households. Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk called on the nation and the government to "spare no efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women and to promote their status in Cambodia". The Ministry of Women's and Veteran's Affairs also implemented a programme, called "Neary Ratanak", to improve women's education, reduce poverty, and prevent trafficking of women and children and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

Japan

Some 30,000 people, including numerous women, took part in a rally in Tokyo to celebrate International Women’s Day. They also demanded no war on Iraq.

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

A national meeting was held in the DPRK capital Pyongyang on March 8 to mark the 93rd anniversary of the International Women's Day.

    Pak Sun Hui, chairwoman of the Central Committee of the Korean Democratic Women's Union, called on all the Korean women to further develop the Juche-oriented Korean women's movement. They should strengthen friendship and solidarity with all progressive women in the world aspiring after independence and vigorously struggle for world peace, the happiness of women and children and the building of an independent world free from all forms of domination and subordination, she said.

    The national meeting was followed by an art performance given by the art propaganda squad under the central committee of the union, women and children.

Republic of Korea

Over 5,000 people celebrated International Women’s Day on March 8 in Seoul with street marches claiming more female rights in the society and protesting against the impending war against Iraq. A female organiser of the event urged the government to enact stricter laws against prostitution and demanded more budget funds for gender equality policies. She also called on South Korean women to make efforts to prevent war and promote world peace. Women's groups held a signature campaign demanding the abolition of the country's family registry system, under which only the male can register as householder of the family.

Vietnam

Localities nationwide organised activities to celebrate the 93^rd anniversary of International Women's Day.

On this occasion, the Ho Chi Minh City Women’s Union launched an emulation movement to mark the 55th anniversary of the day when Ho Chi Minh called for patriotism and the establishment of the Vietnam Women's Day, October 20.

Women's Unions in Haiphong, Hanoi, Lang Son, Binh Duong and other cities and provinces also held meetings, confirming the more important role of Vietnamese women, especially in the current national industrialisation and modernisation.