Anti-War/Trident Demo, 24th Feb in London

[faceless]

Is anyone else planning to go to this? I'll be going down with a couple of pals and I've a feeling it will be a brilliant weekend.

[nekokate]

I would love to go, but it will depend on whether I have a job by then - I'm currently unemployed and got bugger all money for travel. I hope it gets a really huge turnout!

[faceless]

There are some buses going from Leeds... and many other places too. This page has links to anti-war groups all over the country: www.stopwar.org.uk/new/involved/ but here's the Leeds info.

Beeston: 7am, Hamara Centre, Tempest Road
West Yorkshire Playhouse: 7.15am

Tickets: Adults £10 unwaged / £15 low-waged / £20 waged
Children: donation welcome
To book, call LCAW on 07875 666239 or use form below.

[lefty]

I don't normally demonstrate but I feel this will be a big one and worthwhile, that is why i'll be there, and i'll bring my friend as well.

[anthowell]

I'll be there, on the Swansea bus.

[Salim201]

WILL BE THERE FROM LONDON with a drum and banner!!!

[luke]

i'll be there ... again ...

we got to get as MANY people as possible to go, like galloway said on his show at the weekend, its been coming out from various places now about how worried at the size and effectiveness of the anti war movement they are, the warmongers must be shocked that not all the country are in a dazed celebrity obssessed gullible consumer stupor

in my dreams all the protesters decide to stay in london, just camp out on the streets, bring pack lunches and that lol completely shutting down the city, if we did that for a few days big business would be loosing out so much money every day, they'd soon be putting pressure on government to get our troops out so that we'd all go home

the reality though is that they'd probably send in the riot sqaud

[Skylace]

Wish I could but for obvious reasons I can't! Be thinking about you guys who get to go on the day!

[til661]

Will definitely be there myself.

I'm really hoping for a big turnout this time, something to rival the one in the build up to the Iraq war would be fantastic...we can but dream i suppose

[faceless]

TONY BLAIR WRITES TO STOP THE WAR AND MEETS BRIAN HAW

Stop the War Coalition is shocked but very pleased to receive this message from Prime Minister Tony Blair and to hear of his interview with award-winning peace campaigner Brian Haw.

"DEAR STOP THE WAR COALITION,

Unfortunately, I can't join your national demonstration against my war policies in London on 24 February (see below for details), but I'm very pleased to hear that my record WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? will be featured at the protest. You can read my reasons for making this record, see my video for the song and find out how to buy it on this website: http://www.uglyrumours.com/

If enough of you buy WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? it will go into the charts, which the media won't be able to ignore. This will spread the peace message and help bring the troops home. The record is available to buy now, either by texting PEACE1 to 78789 or by download at http://tinyurl.com/33j4oj

Any profits made from the record will go to Stop the War Coalition and help them continue campaigning against my slavish support for George Bush and his warmongering, which has led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan and which George and I are now planning to spread to Iran. Please buy WAR - WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? and forward this message to everyone you can.

To publicise your demonstration and to promote my musical plea for peace, I have given an interview to the anti-war campaigner Brian Haw, which you can view here: http://tinyurl.com/3dglkv

By the way, Stop the War tell me that coaches are coming from all over the country to be at Saturday's demonstration. It's very gratifying to hear that my reputation - what I call my legacy - can draw such huge crowds to the capital. You can find a coach in your area here: http://tinyurl.com/3ytfyv

I also hear that hundreds of thousands of leaflets and postcards will be distributed across London this week and that Wednesday 21 February has been designated LEAFLET THE TUBES day, when Stop the War hopes to publicise its demonstration at every tube station in the city. Anyone who wants to help or leaflet their neighbourhood or workplace, should contact 020 7278 6694 for leaflets or postcards.

I'm very pleased to learn that you have organised THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE on 20 March 2007 - exactly four years after George and I invaded Iraq. MPs, politicians from the USA, a range of experts, campaigners and other witnesses will discuss the Iraq war and its consequences. I'm afraid I won't be able to join you, as it's my policy never to be present when the Iraq war is discussed seriously. Judging by what an easy ride my war policies have had in parliament, this seems to be the policy for most MPs too. (See below for details of March 20 event.)

I do of course wish your demonstration on 24 February every success (not). You will be representing the vast majority in this country who have always opposed my warmongering and I've always said that my government should be the voice of the people.

Yours, as nauseatingly hypocritical as ever,

TONY BLAIR
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
------------------------------------------------

[harry perkins]

I'll be there

[faceless]

does anyone think that Blair's announcement today that 1500 troops will be withdrawn by April was an attempt to take some of the sting out of the tail of the demo? It seems very well timed to me.

[luke]

yeah could be, george said similar last night - although the protest is also to do with the trident replacement, and iran. its redeployment thought isn't it, leaving iraq for afghanistan? out of the frying pan into the fire kinda thing

i think ghandi said something along the lines of a future without war requires a youth not willing to join the army

[faceless]

Oh right, I didn't notice him mentioning it last night. I also didn't know that the troops are merely being moved into another theatre of war, so that puts it right back on the agenda then. I wonder how the media will respond on Saturday though.

[luke]

ahhh maybe it wasn't last night, i'm sure it was him though sometime recently

i'm sure its a redeployment, think it was on the daily politics i heard that. i bet they will delay the announcement though so people don't connect the two ...

the media always does a terrible job of covering the protests, always downplaying the numbers that turn up

did you know we have more troops in northern ireland than we do in iraq?! crazy

roll on the empire ...

edit - interview here with tony benn on the troop withdrawl

http://www.archive.org/download/dn2007-0221/dn2007-0221-1_64kb.mp3

10:06 mins in