Stop the War Follow

Anyone who was on last Saturday's 20,000-strong demonstration will have been delighted at the size of it. It showed that there is an impressive movement ready to oppose the warmongers and their threats against new targets, especially Iraq.

Saturday's protest to stop the war was big, loud, young and militant. A brilliant 20,000 marched through London streets. Banners and placards called for peace, and branded George Bush a war criminal.

The world now faces the greatest war machine in history, lashing out at whoever it decides is "evil". US military aggression and arrogance are creating opposition among hundreds of millions of people across the world. "The good news is we're the world's only superpower," said Joseph Biden, chair of the US Senate's foreign relations committee, last month. "The bad news is we're the world's only superpower."

A Stop the War Coalition teach-in took place in Nottingham last Saturday. Around 60 people engaged in a series of dynamic discussions. The final rally included Lindsey German, the editor of Socialist Review, Neil Kingsnorth of Yorkshire CND, and Alan Simpson, the local Labour MP.

Andrew Murray, chair of the Stop the War Coalition, tells Peter Morgan why the left has been vindicated in its opposition to the war.

Debate The Socialist Alliance hosted a lively debate about the war last week in London. David Aaronovitch, a prominent pro-war journalist, argued that the action had brought about the end of the Taliban. He also hoped that the new US-sponsored Afghan government would bring real change.

A thousand people marched in Birmingham last Saturday against the war. The march was organised by Birmingham Trades Council and supported by the Stop the War Coalition. A rally heard speakers from a range of organisations and campaigns. Later Artists Against the War held an inspiring social with African drummers and visual projections.

Over 150 people packed out the debate on the war in Afghanistan organised by the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Stop the War group last week. Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee and writer on the Independent David Aaronovitch presented their pro-war position.

The 100,000-strong march in London against the war two weeks ago shattered the myth that almost everyone in Britain supports Tony Blair over the bombing of Afghanistan. If that many people marched, think how many millions supported the demonstration.

The warmongers aim at new victims The US is preparing to attack more countries even as the chaos and horror in Afghanistan unfold daily. "There are 40 to 50 countries which harbour terrorists and which could be targeted for diplomatic, financial or military action," said US vice-president Dick Cheney last week.

Anti-war demo sweeps London Even the mainstream media was forced to acknowledge Sunday's marvellous anti-war demonstration in London. TV news and papers had to carry images of the tide of people from all over Britain who poured on to the streets. Yet alongside those images almost all the media repeated the absurd police claim that only 15,000 people had joined the march.

The movement against the war is spiralling. Even the mainstream media feels forced to reflect the growing opposition to Bush and Blair. Meetings and protests took place in cities and towns across Britain last week. All were focused on raising the anti-war banner locally, and mobilising single-mindedly for the mass national anti-war demonstration in London a week on Sunday.