what no "pitifully small swc demo" thread?

[Patty]

How do you account for the hundreds of thousands, millions, of marchers over the last couple of years then?

Where were they all today?
Any way, I suspect you may be counting the same people more than once.

Oh don't take offence my probable Trotskyist friend, it was only a flippant comment.

 

[JoePolitix]

I don't think its odd at all - people have just had enough of repeating the
same obviously ineffective rubbish.

If the STWC announced a day of action with some real networking,
advertising and 'oomph' behind it, I am sure a lot of people would get
re-energised.

Matt

There's always plently of networking at the demos, i met loads a peeps today. Announcing 'action' (i presume you mean direct action) by the official organisers could well put many people off who simply want to use the opportunity to peacefully demonstate against the war. It could also lead to the demo being band. Not really a wise idea.

 

[oisleep]

as opposed to it being bland

 

[JoePolitix]

as opposed to it being bland

Yeah it was pretty bland, but I'm not sure what Matt was proposing as an alternative.

 

[oisleep]

maybe some sort of band?

 

[tollbar]

There's always plently of networking at the demos, i met loads a peeps today. Announcing 'action' (i presume you mean direct action) by the official organisers could well put many people off who simply want to use the opportunity to peacefully demonstate against the war. It could also lead to the demo being band. Not really a wise idea.

Well, obviously, increasingly few people want the opportunity to 'peacefully demonstrate' against the war, when what that means in practice is another paper selling opportunity for the SWP and another trudge around the usual London route for the rest, and since when have so called 'revolutionaries' been worried about the march being banned ?.

 

[JoePolitix]

maybe some sort of band?

was there no band? I remember Faithless were at the last one.

 

[JoePolitix]

Well, obviously, increasingly few people want the opportunity to 'peacefully demonstrate' against the war, when what that means in practice is another paper selling opportunity for the SWP and another trudge around the usual London route for the rest, and since when have so called 'revolutionaries' been worried about the march being banned ?.

What are you proposing instead?

 

[oisleep]

Well, obviously, increasingly few people want the opportunity to 'peacefully demonstrate' against the war, when what that means in practice is another paper selling opportunity for the SWP and another trudge around the usual London route for the rest, and since when have so called 'revolutionaries' been worried about the march being banned ?.

well not long ago on here, they were saying that it would be impossible to get raid of faith schools as it would require the overturning of a 100 years of development, not to mention the numerous legal & technical problems posed by such a move

fearless, fuckin fearless

 

[newbie]

protest sure ain't what it used to be.

As I approached someone on the stage was exhorting me to "Move Right, keep moving Right". Immediately after that I as given a slip of paper offering me the opportunity to pray. Followed by someone demanding bringing 'our' troops home. Ours?

Nice walk in the sun though

 

[rebel warrior]

i daresay rebel'll be along in a bit & say his bit of nonsense.

Pitiful thread, Pickmans.

The demonstration recieved far more media coverage than many previous STW demos, even ones a lot bigger.

That was for 'objective reasons' to do with the disaster unfolding daily in Iraq, the attacks on civil liberties etc, but also for 'subjective reasons' to do with why the demonstration was held today.

The reason the demo was held today was because it was in solidarity with the massive American demonstrations also taking place today. You might not want to support the US anti-war movement, but some of us think that movement should be given all possible support.

However, it was smaller than previous demonstrations but the reasons are quite simple as to why. In the current climate of state induced fear and loathing of Muslims, it is not surprising that many of them are scared of now marching on the streets. However, that many Muslims supported by the rest of the peace movement did march today should be seen as an act of bravery on their part which they should be congratulated for. Also the timing of this protest did not allow the anti-war movement the months of activity building up for this protest as previous ones, and it also was out of term time which limited student numbers. Nevertheless, if Nigel's proposal for a national demo even earlier had been agreed to, the demo would have not been one tenth of the size of todays.

Overall, the demonstration was seen as being a success by those people who went on it and who make up the backbone of the British anti-war movement - as well as being important in its own right. The movement was determined that it would stay united and not allow the British state to divide us. Highlights were the Gate Gourmet workers delegation on the protest, the Justice for Jean Charles de Menezes campaign, and some excellent speeches.

 

[oisleep]

i daresay rebel'll be along in a bit & say his bit of nonsense.

and how right you were...

 

[DrRingDing]

Overall, the demonstration was seen as being a success by those people who went on it and who make up the backbone of the British anti-war movement

How can you justify this dull, lifeless, patronising, dwindling and repetative demos a success?

How many papers did the SWP sell today?

How many new recruits did you sign up?

 

[rebel warrior]

SW report on the demo

London march against Iraq occupation, for civil liberties numbers 100,000by Matthew Cookson

People from across Britain joined the march for peace and liberty in central London today. The demonstration of around 100,000 was organised by the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB).


<editor: enormous cut and paste odyssey deleted>

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=7427

 

[oisleep]

However, that many Muslims supported by the rest of the peace movement did march today should be seen as an act of bravery on their part which they should be congratulated for.

patronising wank

 

[oisleep]

London march against Iraq occupation, for civil liberties numbers 100,000by Matthew Cookson

People from across Britain joined the march for peace and liberty in central London today. The demonstration of around 100,000 was organised by the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB).

was there 100,00 there rebel?

 

[rebel warrior]

was there 100,00 there rebel?

Easily. You quoting police figures ?

 

[newbie]

Easily. You quoting police figures ?

giggles

 

[JHE]

With the possible exception of Tariq Ali's claim that the occupation of Iraq is now opposed by "a large majority" in Britain, that article is a pile of standard Social Worker guff!

Getting back to the question of the size of the march, Reb, how many do you estimate were there?

 

[laptop]

How many new recruits did you sign up?

Fuck of a sight fewer than the tinfoil hatters, I'll wager.

 

[oisleep]

Easily. You quoting police figures ?

easily 100,000 eh

i didn't realise i was quoting police figures, i was quoting the figures contained within the link to that tawdry article (albeit i missed a 0 out, but it was obvious what i was referring to)

 

[JHE]

easily 100,000 eh

i didn't realise i was quoting police figures, i was quoting the figures contained within the link to that tawdry article

Nah, Reb was avoiding the question by playing on your typo. (You omitted a zero.)

 

[rebel warrior]

I did not really try to count the numbers there but I would say that the numbers there were closer to 100,000 than 10,000.

 

[oisleep]

try again

London march against Iraq occupation, for civil liberties numbers 100,000by Matthew Cookson

People from across Britain joined the march for peace and liberty in central London today. The demonstration of around 100,000 was organised by the Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB).

was there 100,000 there rebel? or are SW lying?

 

[rebel warrior]

was there 100,000 there rebel? or are SW lying?

SW said 'around 100,000' were there - they did not say 100,000 were there.

 

[oisleep]

no fuckin shame have you, squirm away

so SW are saying there could be possibly more than 100,000 then?

 

[Nigel Irritable]

Nevertheless, if Nigel's proposal for a national demo even earlier had been agreed to, the demo would have not been one tenth of the size of todays.

Bullshit quite frankly. A demonstration as soon as possible after the London bombings would have had the organisational advantage of coming at a time when the issues had maximum profile and the political advantage of allowing the anti-war movement to say something useful about both terrorism and racism as well as the war.

 

[Oxpecker]

100,000? yeah right.

I was standing outside a pub in Whitehall, it took no more than 30 minutes for the march to pass me. 10,000 would be a generous estimate. I've got no axe to grind with the march organisers and we all know that the police like to underestimate numbers, but SW coming out with ridiculous figures like that just make themselves look silly.

 

[oisleep]

exactly, even rebel knows there was nowhere near 100,000 on that march, but he will defend anything that's said from his masters, for what reason i havn't the foggiest, why rebel? why?

 

[rebel warrior]

Bullshit quite frankly. A demonstration as soon as possible after the London bombings would have had the organisational advantage of coming at a time when the issues had maximum profile and the political advantage of allowing the anti-war movement to say something useful about both terrorism and racism as well as the war.

Er...the Stop the War Coalition called a vigil the next day in London which over 1,000 people came to - you cannot get any more immediate a response than that....

And people coming from outside London need a bit more time than a week in the middle of the summer holidays to put on and fill coaches, however worthy the cause...

In the areas where the bombers came from then there were immediate local demonstrations which called for peace and unity organised by Stop the War groups.