Historic Anti-War March in London 

On-the-spot report

by Bob Wing

*Bob Wing is the editor of War Times. He is currently in 
London in transit to Palestine.


London, Sept. 28

Tony Blair may be President Bush's only European ally in 
his drive for war on Iraq. But the people of the UK 
today forcibly demonstrated their opposition to forcible 
regime change.

This afternoon, at least 350,000 people from all over 
the United Kingdom descended upon the corridors of power 
for a massive and peaceful "Don't Attack Iraq/Freedom 
for Palestine" march and rally. 

As I file this report at 4 p.m., less than half the 
march, which commenced at 12:30 p.m., has arrived at the 
Hyde Park Rally.

The action was the largest of its kind in the UK in 30 
years. It was dramatic, and so large that it was truly 
impossible to guage its size. Certainly it numbered in 
the hundreds of thousands of people of every ethnicity, 
age and class.

Recent polls show that 70 percent opposed Britain 
joining a U.S.-led military action. "There is not just 
opposition to the prospect of war--there is boiling 
anger," asserts Andrew Murray, chair of the Stop the War 
Coalition.

The turnout was a shot across the bow of Prime Minister 
Tony Blair and a preview of next weeks Labor Party 
Conference.

The demonstration was jointly sponsored by the Stop the 
War Coalition and the Muslim Association of Britain. It 
was endorsed by 12 national trade unions, numerous 
Muslim and anti-racist organizations, Members of 
Parliament and the Mayor of London.

Organizers have called for another massive "Don't Attack 
Iraq Day" for Oct. 31.

"Opposition to this war in this country is the most 
incredible coalition I have ever seen," says Jeremy 
Corbyn, a Labor MP.

"Since Sept. 11, Islamophobia has spread across the UK 
and activated the Muslim and South Asian populations," 
said Asad Rehman, national organizer for the Stop the 
War Coalition and chairman of the Newham Monitoring 
Project. South Asians are the largest group of color in 
the UK, numbering about 15 percent in London alone.

"I didn't go on earlier demonstrations but I am now 
because the countdown to war has started and I find it 
terrifying," explained march Jemma Redgrave. 

Robert "3-D" Del Naja of the pop group Massive Attack 
says "I am marching because I feel very disheartened 
about our government and the way it reacts to America 
and American foreign policy."

Meanwhile, in Parliament, Labor Party members are 
staging a revolt against Blair's Iraq policy. They warn 
that the 56-strong rebellion of this week is just a warm 
up. Blair also faces powerful opposition at next week's 
national Labor Party conference.

Charles Kennedy, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party, 
the third largest in the UK, declared his opposition to 
what he called the U.S.'s "imperialist" policy.