Thinking of February 15th

Workers' Daily Internet Edition: Article Index :

Thinking of February 15th - Preface
February 15th, 2003 - Alan Newham
February 15th 2003 – A Personal View - Alan Trotter
Thinking of February 15th – A Defining Moment for the Future of anti-War Government - Roger Nettleship
February 15th – Impressions - By Doreen & Bryan Henderson

Silence is Shame!* Number 2, February 15, 2004, is a collection of articles written by South Tynesiders marking the first anniversary of the massive demonstrations on February 15, 2003 in London and throughout the world to oppose the attack on Iraq, which have become one of the most significant events in the continuing struggle against the warmongers. In this issue of WDIE we are reproducing the preface and some of the articles.

Preface

The South Tyneside Stop The War Coalition was founded by a group of concerned South Tynesiders a month before the U.S. led invasion of Iraq in March, 2003. Founding members immediately took part in the 2 million strong demonstration in London on February 15th. In this issue, which is devoted to Thinking of February 15th, it is not just about the demonstration itself but the whole movement of people that has grown up around it, both before and after, here in South Tyneside, and elsewhere throughout the country and world wide.

As the mass demonstrations on February 15th 2003 illustrate vividly it is more than just a movement for peace and against war. It has become part of a powerful movement of people in Britain and worldwide against those small circles at the head of powerful states such as the US and Britain that are committing crimes against the peace and humanity in order to pursue naked interests for world domination of resources, markets and spheres of influence.

This movement of the people if it is linked with a positive vision of how to build a better world without war, and based on defending the sovereignty of countries threatened by the big powers, will become unstoppable, whilst the war mongers will find it increasingly harder to operate politically and militarily. Their ideas will continue to be exposed by a thinking people and the collective consciousness of those involved in such a movement. Bush and Blair and other warmongers will increasingly be pursued for war crimes.

Whilst we are not a political party we strive to promote a new politics where people in all sections of society, of all political, ideological, religious and other beliefs are included in political decision-making.

This politics is along the high road of civilisation where conflicts and problems are resolved in the interests of the peoples. All want to live and work in a peaceful world without the present wars, mass poverty, disease and destruction of life and the environment. Anti-war activists along with others want to plant this new way forward and are already, for example, standing their own candidates for election.

Thinking of February 15th, 2003 is about setting such an agenda. It is about including people in thinking and writing about what this movement, that they are a part of, means to them. It is about involving people in what should be its aims and how those aims can be brought about.

Get involved it is your future!

Another World Is Possible! We will create it!

February 15, 2004

February 15th, 2003

By Alan Newham

The anti war demonstration held in London on Feb 15th 2003 was the largest political gathering in British history. If that was not enough there were demonstrations in more than sixty countries around the world. As someone who has attended many demonstrations and rallies over the years with my union banner, Feb15th renewed my faith in the power of ordinary people to make their voices heard and to influence the powerful, especially in a age when it is considered ‘old hat ‘ to do such a thing. Feb. 15th did not stop the war but it did remind people that they are potentially infinitely more powerful than those governments who have learned nothing and continue to act like barbarians.

Alan Newham.

February 15th 2003 – A Personal View

By Alan Trotter

This was our day, this was the day when ‘ordinary folk’ made their voice heard, this was the day to show your colours and to stand up and be counted, and we counted in millions across the globe, this was the day the whole world took to the streets to show their opposition about the threat to invade Iraq. This was the day when we united and became one to say NOT IN OUR NAME.

In London two million people marched in unity, many of these people were protesting for the first time in their lives, they felt so strongly about the situation in Iraq that they were compelled to get out of their beds early on a cold February day to travel to London and join the march. All across the UK there were people protesting and letting the government know of their feelings.

On this historic march all of humanity was represented, people of all faiths, all ages and all nationalities, there were grey haired grannies marching arm in arm with pink haired punks, complete families marching, people drawn together with a common bond, and that bond was the fervent desire to stop the UK and USA invading Iraq and the consequent deaths of innocent people.

I marched for hours with my friends and comrades and when we arrived at Hyde park it was dark and the last speakers had just finished, behind me were thousands of people, such was the magnitude of this demonstration. When we arrived back at the coach I felt as if I had run the London marathon - very tired and footsore but we knew that we had taken part in a historic event. To tell the truth I felt proud to be part of this gathering of wonderful people who were compassionate and actually cared that fellow human beings were going to invade and kill other fellow human beings.

We felt that with two million people on the streets of London that the Government must take notice of what the ‘ordinary folks’ think and for a while I thought they did, but the Government cannot afford to ignore the will of the people who want to live in a world without war and all the slaughter, pain and heartache that goes with it. The Peace movement is growing.

Here we are one year on, the suffering in the aftermath, the deaths of so many people and the horrific injuries to innocent children, the human rights violations, the lies from politicians trying to morally justify their actions, and the cost of this war so far is in excess of $101 billion. When will they ever learn......when will they ever learn ?

Alan Trotter

Thinking of February 15th – A Defining Moment for the Future of anti-War Government

By Roger Nettleship

When people took to the streets of London on February 15th, 2002, to oppose the attack on Iraq and to demand freedom for the Palestinian people few guessed at the qualitative change that was taking place among the people of Britain and throughout the world over the "war on terror".

Two million people demonstrated against the warmongering of Bush and Blair and their imminent attack on Iraq. Demonstrations of similar mass proportions were simultaneously taking place across the world. Even after the war started hundreds of thousands demonstrated against the bombings and death and destruction in Iraq and its eventual armed occupation by the "coalition of the willing". Hundreds of thousands protested against the visit of Bush to Britain during the week last year.

February 15th with what happened before and its aftermath is one of the greatest manifestations of the people against war. With the world faced with the overwhelming military power of the US and Britain in pursuit of their unjust wars and interventions, with their aim to control the Middle East and other areas of the world, February 15th was as if the whole world were speaking – a defining moment – for the future of anti-war government!

February 15th – all humanity is on the streets, drawn together not just against war but against the anachronism of warmongering states of US and Britain and those that govern them.

Millions of people are asking questions. How is it in the modern age, in the birth of the new millennium, outright gangsters and warmongers using sophistry and spouting "ethical" phrases that cover over lies and more lies are allowed to rise to the head of powerful states? How is it that in the modern age conflicts are not being resolved peacefully, that the right to human life is not sacrosanct and the sovereignty of nations not respected and protected? How is it that in the name of opposing terrorism and weapons of mass destruction state terrorism is the only response and weapons of mass destruction proliferate whilst the battles to defeat poverty, disease and destruction of the environment is never taken up and is becoming so acute that it is threatening the future of humankind? February 15th showed this greater realisation that peoples and oppressed countries cannot rely on the big powers to settle conflicts, end war, provide real disinterested aid to end poverty and protect the environment.

February 15th represents today the growing consciousness and realisation that people are the makers of history and must take matters into their own hands and keep the initiative in their own hands.

What has happened following February 15th has all confirmed how right people were to take a stand that this was not in their name. It is confirming with every passing day that there is no future for the world, for humanity, in following the path of these imperialist powers that continue their occupation of the Balkans, Middle East, Asia and Africa and prepare for more wars of occupation.

Thinking of February 15th is thinking of the future. Not in terms of some unrealisable dream but a practical task that the peoples of the world are taking up regardless of different political and ideological views, different religions, social status and so on to build a new world where conflicts and war are a thing of the past, where the peoples in their millions more and more actively take part in deciding the future for their societies and countries and resolve all of the most serious problems that face them.

Thinking of February 15th is ending the situation where warmongering governments are imposed and creating anti-war governments. It is even raising the issue of ending the control of the monopolies over the economy and politics, and providing renewal of the political process so that the people become the decision-makers.

This anniversary of February 15th must continue to act as a defining moment for a future direction that the people are increasingly taking and raising with increasing and considerable justification and optimism – a future of anti-war government. Another World is Possible! The People Will Create It!

Roger Nettleship

February 15th – Impressions

By Doreen & Bryan Henderson

The February 15th rally was a welcome release of pent up anger towards the way the country was being duped into going to war. We were being fed a diet of lies and spurious intelligence reports and I wondered how anyone could believe it. The rally lifted my spirits and gave me new hope. The number of people, especially young people, was a real tonic. Our opinions were ignored - a point that should be remembered at the next election when we will have the opportunity to put them out of office.

Bryan Henderson

My first impression of the great march was one of jubilation as I first saw the massive turnout. ‘So many kindred spirits,’ I thought, ‘This is a peaceful uprising.’ I had a feeling of a possible successful result.

Who could ignore such a massive show of solidarity against the invasion of Iraq? Who? Tony Blair and his New Labour MPs, that’s who.

And then I realised again that without the support of MPs and trade unions this was going to be another sickening defeat, just like the miners’ strike. However, that does not detract from the fact that over 2 million people protested.

But without the support of MPs all our protests were doomed. Our next protest has to be at the ballot box. If your MP did not or does not listen to his or her constituents, then vote that MP out at the next election. Why support an MP on the premise that just because he or she has ‘Labour’ in his title and stands as a ‘New Labour candidate, then that MP must be a ‘socialist’? It does not work that way. In fact the MP might have not have any socialist values. The invasion of Iraq was a blatant contravention of what most of the United Nations said in mandates that they wanted. Do not forget the lies we were fed. Do not forgot how the attack was linked to the USA’s need for oil. Do not forget the suffering caused by sanctions imposed on the Iraq people. Do not forget Tony Blair’s obsession with the USA.

But the main question to ask yourself is: what sort of twisted policy could have led the strongest nation in the world to bomb and bomb again the people of Iraq with cluster bombs, and with the backing of Tony Blair, our PM, and all in the name of ‘freedom’? This war has opened up a can of worms. There are now more terrorists of untold numbers and determinations. It will last for years.

Doreen Henderson

* Silence is Shame! Printed and Published by South Tyneside Stop the War Coalition C/0 Trinity House Social Centre, 134 Laygate, South Shields, NE33 4JD E-Mail: s.t.stop.war.coal@btopenworld.com