As London's historic clock tower chimed 3 p.m. on March 15, tens of thousands of antiwar protesters protested the squandering of money and lives in the name of "destroying a despotic regime."The protestors' demands included an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan and the end the siege of Gaza. They also called for no action against Iran.
To mark the 5th year of the invasion of Iraq by the United States and Britain, the heart of London became a sea of placards. The speakers in the rally accused the U.S. and British governments of putting immense pressure on Iraq to allow foreign oil companies into the country.
Talking to me, one of the protesters said, "Iraq's natural resources are for Iraqis. Let them not die seeking their own prosperity and let them determine their own future." He was distributing flyers that said, "Human Tragedy? … OR Business Opportunity?"Lindsey German, national convener of the Stop War Coalition, believes the Iraq and Afghan wars are a political scandal. She accused former Prime Minister Tony Blair and his counterparts of lying regarding the war. She also said that the marches would continue as the invasion continues!
Addressing the rally at historic Trafalgar Square, speakers also raised their concern against human rights violation in Tibet and African nations.
The speakers, standing on a stage at the foot of Nelson's Column, condemned the inhuman and unsocial acts by troops in war zones. They called for an end to the occupation of Iraq, which was ruining the infrastructure and creating chaos and bloodshed on the streets.However, a U.K. Foreign Office representative regarded the accusation as "not accurate." He said that steady progress was being made in Iraq. "Whereas, in Afghanistan NATO forces are winning the struggle against the Taliban," he said. The spokesperson acknowledged that mistakes had been made in the past and lessons learned.
Other speakers in the rally included renowned filmmaker Nick Broomfield, former Labor MP and cabinet minister Tony Benn and Azzam Tamimi of the British Muslim Initiative (BMI). The leaders from CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) and the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign also delivered speeches. Green MEP Caroline Lucas and Peace campaigner Bianca Jagger were also present to address the rally.
London mayor Ken Livingston, who has consistently opposed the invasion of Iraq, also sent his message for the antiwar march. Multicultural London will elect its mayor on May 1.
The rally assembled at 12 noon in Trafalgar Square, and then marched down to Whitehall, crossed the Thames River and symbolically encircled the House of Parliament.
Protesters of all the ages waved placards and marched for about an hour and a half. Some of them were creative in their demonstrations.
