London march says stop the war in Ukraine

On the march against Nato and the Russian invasion (Picture: Socialist Worker)

Around 3,000 people joined a demonstration against the war in Ukraine on Saturday in London. The Stop The War Coalition (STWC) and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament organised it.

It gathered outside the BBC buildings in Portland Place and marched to Trafalgar Square. The lead banner for the demo said, “Peace talks now, stop the war in Ukraine, no to the Russian invasion, no to Nato, no to nuclear.”

Marcher Hazel Williams, a Unite union member, told Socialist Worker, “It was important to come today and show that not everyone goes along with the lies from our government and Joe Biden. I know lots of people are frightened that the war is getting bigger and bigger and could even go nuclear.”

A small group of pro-Nato protesters gathered at the side of the demo. It included some of those who claim to be on the socialist left—they chanted “Arm, Arm, Arm Ukraine”.

Lindsey German, convenor of STWC, told the rally at the end of the march, “They always have money for arms but never for the NHS. Who benefits from this war? The arms industry, Nato, the US empire. It’s the rich and the powerful, the military machine, not workers or the poor”

And Andrew Murray told the crowd, “The Ukraine war must be brought to an end before it becomes nuclear, before it extends to China. We have a government bent on war and an opposition supporting it. The labour movement must not follow Starmer over a cliff.”

Unfortunately, there is very little clear opposition to the war from the higher positions of the labour movement. Keir Starmer’s Labour Party backs the slaughter and urges more Nato escalation. And the Labour left, even those who can see the terrible danger of the war, shut up when told to by Starmer.

This betrayal of the anti-war cause harms the resistance to imperialist war.  Jeremy Corbyn, removed as a Labour MP and blocked from standing as one, told marchers, “Stop the fighting. Stop the killing. Stop the conflict and bring about peace and justice.”

The British, US and Nato war has nothing to do with the defence of Ukraine. Instead, it uses Ukrainians as cannon fodder in a proxy war against Russia with the ultimate aim of confronting China.

The West’s supply of battle tanks and long-range missiles to Ukraine could soon be followed by fighter jets—and then there will be pressure for Nato fighting forces to take part directly.

While denouncing the reckless and destructive Russian invasion, socialists have to take on their own ruling class and oppose Nato’s bloody manoeuvres.

Demonstrations in Italy, Germany, France and other countries also opposed Nato involvement.