Stop the War Coalition

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The Stop the War Coalition (StWC) (informally just Stop the War) is a United Kingdom anti-war group set up on 21 September 2001.

The coalition has opposed the various wars that are claimed to be part of the ongoing war on terrorism. It has been the most prominent group in Britain campaigning against the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq War. The demonstration against the latter on 15 February 2003, which it organised in association with Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain, is claimed to be the largest public demonstration in British history..[1]

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[edit] Formation

The impetus to form the Stop the War Coalition came following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States. The Coalition was launched at a public meeting of over 2,000 people at Friends House in London [2], which was chaired by Lindsey German, then editor of the Socialist Workers Party's magazine Socialist Review. German argued that the action in Afghanistan, then under contemplation unless the Taliban government gave up Usama bin Laden, would lead to that country's "destruction", and "possibly a wider conflagration in the Indian subcontinent, Iran and the Middle East." Other speakers at the meeting included Jeremy Corbyn (Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Islington North), Bruce Kent (of the CND), and John Rees (of the Socialist Workers Party).

Lindsey German became Convenor of the Coalition and a meeting on October 28 settled the Coalition's official aims. This meeting also elected a Steering Committee which consisted of a spectrum of left-wingers including representatives of Labour Left Briefing and the Communist Party of Britain. The Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) and Alliance for Workers' Liberty[3] failed to get elected, although both became members of the Coalition and participated in its activities.

[edit] Key messages

Banners on the march.
Banners on the march.

The 'war' in title of the group refers the various wars that are claimed to be part of the ongoing war on terrorism. Once plans for the invasion of Iraq were under way, the slogan 'Not in my name' was widely used.

At their initial meeting the Coalition also adopted the slogan 'Against the racist backlash', asserting that a war against Afghanistan would be perceived as an attack on Islam and that Muslims, or those perceived as Muslim, would face racist attacks in Britain if the government joined the war. The Coalition worked closely with the Muslim Association of Britain in organising its demonstrations.

It also has the slogan 'Defend civil liberties' and has campaigned against the restrictions, such as detention without trial, which has been brought in by the present New Labour government.

[edit] Demonstrations

The largest demonstration organised by the Coalition was against the imminent invasion of Iraq on 15 February, 2003. This was claimed to be the largest demonstration ever seen in Britain with estimates of attendance ranging between 750,000 and 2,000,000 people.[4] Speakers included Tony Benn, Jesse Jackson, Charles Kennedy, Ken Livingstone, and Harold Pinter.

The Stop the War Coalition's 'Day X' demonstration as seen from the roof of the House of Commons.
The Stop the War Coalition's 'Day X' demonstration as seen from the roof of the House of Commons.

As the military build-up continued, StWC urged its local groups and supporters to organise actions on the day the invasion of Iraq began. As this date was - for obvious reasons - unknown in advance, it was dubbed "Day X". This would eventually fall on 20 March, 2003. Despite having very little time to put plans into action, events took place up and down the country: In London there was a large protest in Parliament Square; in Nottingham traffic outside an army recruitment centre was blocked for a while; and thousands of school students walked out of lessons.[citation needed]

Following the beginning of the war and the events of Day X, the Coalition organised another national demonstration on the next Saturday, 22 March. While the turnout for this march did not match the demonstration of 15 February - between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people turned up[citation needed] - it was noted that this was the largest anti-war demonstration held during wartime and had been organised with but a week's notice. [5]

[edit] Action after the war

StWC Placard.
StWC Placard.

The Coalition held a series of protests during November 2003 climaxing in a march on the 20th protesting against what it claims is the aggressive foreign policy of U.S. President George W. Bush, and against the continued U.S. detention of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, which protesters claim is an illegal infringement of human rights and the Geneva conventions. A march past parliament was organised climaxing in a rally in Trafalgar Square. A papier-mâché statue of Bush was toppled in an action reminiscent of the much televised pulling down of a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad by American soldiers. Speakers included maverick MP George Galloway(then member of Labour Party now expelled and joined Respect), Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond and Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic.

The coalition estimates that 300,000 people were present at the demonstration, but this figure is disputed by the police estimate which put it as low as 100,000 people.[6]

On 19 March, 2005, StWC organised a large demonstration in Westminster with supporters marching from Hyde Park to Parliament Square via the US embassy. The supporters were calling for the invading troops to move out of Iraq, for the US to not attack Iran and Syria, for the UK government to halt reductions in the civil liberties of UK citizens including the right to protest and a free trial (which they allege would result from the recent Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 and Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005), and for a reduction in racism in the UK.

The date was chosen as the it was the international day of anti-war demonstrations, as called by the Assembly of the Social Movements at the 2004 European Social Forum. Estimates of the number of marchers vary from 45,000 by the police to over 100,000 by StWC to 200,000 by some observers. The protest was significant as it was the first time that a march had passed the US embassy in London since the protests over the Vietnam War.[citation needed]

Later in 2005 StWC sought to join the Make Poverty History coalition of groups campaigning around the 31st G8 summit, held in July of that year, for an end to poverty, but was prevented from doing so, by the MPH Coordinating Team, on the grounds that the issues of economic justice and development are separate from that of war. Nevertheless they independently organised for the MPH demo in Edinburgh on 2 July and in some areas campaigners from MPH and StWC worked together on a local level. They also managed to negotiate a stage in the park at the end of the march. It has been speculated that they were prevented from joining the MPH coalition because organisers wanted to avoid radical criticism of the Labour government[7]. Fellow anti-war group and StWC member organisation CND were allowed to join.

Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings, StWC in association with CND and the Muslim Association of Britain held a Vigil for the Victims at the Peace Garden in Euston, London on Saturday, 9 July, 2005 and a further solidarity gathering at Russell Square, close to one of the Underground stations targeted, on Sunday, 17 July, 2005. At the latter StWC national convenor Lindsey German condemned the bombings but added that “The only way to end the bombings is to withdraw from Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. When we have justice around the world we will have peace as well.”[8]. The StWC also supported vigils across the country.

In Autumn 2005 the StWC organised a demonstration on the 24th of September with the slogans Stop the Bombings, Stop the War, Bring the Troops Home, Defend Civil Liberties and Defend the Muslim Community. The protest was timed so as to coincide with the protests in Washington and to occur just before the start of the Labour Party Conference.

On 10 December, 2005 the StWC held an 'International Peace Conference' attended by around 1,500 people. Speakers from across the world included Cindy Sheehan, the American mother whose son died in Iraq; and Hassan Juma, president of the Iraqi Southern Oil Workers Union. At this conference a call was launched for an international demonstration on 18 March, 2006.

The March 18, 2006 anti-war protest in London took place with coaches coming from across the country.[citation needed]

Almost all the major British trade unions are affiliated to the Coalition and they are also mostly affiliated to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.[citation needed]

On 23 September, 2006 a demonstration was held outside the venue for the Labour Party Conference in Manchester which George Galloway, on his TalkSport radio show predicted would have a million protesters. Estimates of attendance varied from "around 20,000" by the police, "up to 50,000" from the Coalition[9], to "more than 50,000" by the Socialist Worker[10].

After the 2007 march, speeches in Trafalgar Sq.
After the 2007 march, speeches in Trafalgar Sq.

The 2007 demo took place on February 24, 2007 in London, jointly organised with the CND. The themes of this march were No Trident and Troops Out of Iraq.

[edit] Criticisms

Critics of the Coalition have declared that the Socialist Workers Party has too much control over the organisation.[11][12] The Coalition has been criticised for its lack of condemnation of Saddam Hussein's regime, and the inclusion of George Galloway[13][14][15] and Tony Benn[16] in its ranks. It has also been criticised for its refusal to condemn terrorist attacks within Iraq, and refusal to condemn foreign insurgent fighters who have entered parts of the country.[17][18] The commentator Nick Cohen has also criticised the relationship of the StWC with Islamist organisations such as the Muslim Association of Britain. He accuses the coalition of involving itself with "Islamofascist" organisations and ignoring the requests of secular trade unions in Iraq. He also claims that there is a contradiction between the StWC's call for respect for human rights and its close links with organisations that he claims call for the death penalty for homosexuality and apostasy.[19][20][21]

[edit] Notable members

[edit] References

  1. ^ 'Million' march against Iraq war, BBC, 16 February, 2003
  2. ^ "Arguments against the warmongers", Socialist Worker, 13 September 2001
  3. ^ "Building for November 18", Tina Becker, Weekly Worker, 1 November, 2001
  4. ^ 'Million' march against Iraq war, BBC, 16 February, 2003
  5. ^ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2874627.stm Thousands at anti-war rallies,BBC,23 March, 2003
  6. ^ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/18/newsid_4141000/4141126.stm Protests at Bush's visit,BBC,18 November, 2003
  7. ^ Inside The Murky World Of The Uk's Make Poverty History Campaign, Stuart Hodkinson, Red Pepper, June 28, 2005
  8. ^ "Vigil sees Londoners standing together against war and racism", Socialist Worker, 16 July, 2005
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ Reports and video of Manchester Time to Go demonstration, 23 September 2006|30Sep06|Socialist Worker
  11. ^ "Mark Thomas has had enough of the SWP", Mark Thomas, New Statesman, 19 May, 2003
  12. ^ "Hammer and Crescent", Amanda Day, New Humanist, 5 January, 2004
  13. ^ "Crisis demands end to fudge", Cameron Richards, Weekly Worker #550, 28 October, 2004
  14. ^ "Galloway can no longer count on the indulgence of polite society", Nick Cohen, The Observer, 15 January, 2006
  15. ^ "George Galloway doesn't speak for us", letters to the editor, The Observer, 22 January, 2006
  16. ^ "Anti-war movement stumbles forward", Helen Burnes, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! #164, December, 2001
  17. ^ "Saddam's very own party", Nick Cohen, New Statesman, 7 June, 2004
  18. ^ "Don't stop the war", Andrew Mueller, OpenDemocracy, 18 March, 2005
  19. ^ "The Left isn't listening", Nick Cohen, The Observer, 16 February, 2003
  20. ^ "The Left's unholy alliance with religious bigotry", Nick Cohen, The Observer, 23 February, 2003
  21. ^ "The great liberal betrayal", Nick Cohen, New Statesman, 1 November, 2004

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