[mobglob-discuss] Britain To Be Shut Down If War Proceeds - Guardian

[Tom_Childs at Douglas.BC.CA]

This is great! 
     "We want to completely close Whitehall and prevent the
      the Ministry of Defence going to work."
Regards,
Tom
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Monday February 17, 2003
The Guardian <http://www.guardian.co.uk>

Anti-war coalition leaders, emboldened by the massive turnout at peace 
rallies in London and around the world, are planning to try to shut 
Britain down should Tony Blair defy public opinion and go to war without 
a UN resolution.

"We want people to walk out of their offices, strike, sit down, occupy 
buildings, demonstrate, take direct action and do whatever they think 
fit the moment war starts," said Lindsey German of the Stop the War 
Coalition yesterday.

"We want to completely close down Whitehall and prevent the Ministry of 
Defence going to work. At 6pm on the first evening after the bombing 
starts, there will be demonstrations and vigils all over the country, to 
be followed by another march with CND on the first weekend after war 
starts."

The coalition will decide over the next few days whether or not to call 
for a local "day of action" which would be an invitation for younger, 
militant groups around Britain to take direct action.

Last year, with considerably smaller support, a similar call led to more 
than 300 demonstrations, including university occupations and wildcat 
strikes.

International campaigners from the US, Asia and elsewhere are expected 
to meet in London in the next week to consider further coordinated 
opposition to war. But whatever the outcome, local groups will continue 
their diverse protest activities, which range from weekly vigils in 
Milton Keynes to next week's Cycle for Peace in London.

American airforce bases such as those at Fylingdales in Yorkshire and 
Fairford in Gloucestershire, where activists have staged weekly "weapons 
inspections", are likely to become a focus for much activity.

One of the key dates will be March 8, International Women's Day, which 
will see an anti-war march setting out from Parliament Square, organised 
by women who have been holding a weekly antiwar picket opposite Downing 
Street.

That day's annual global women's strike, held in more than 70 countries 
each year to push for investment in caring work rather than military 
budgets, has been dedicated to the anti-war movement this year.

The size of the London and Glasgow marches, together with the great 
diversity of people on them, has given people a shared confidence and a 
new moral authority, said Ms German. "People who oppose the war now feel 
that they speak for the majority. To get at least one million, probably 
two million, people on to the streets on Saturday is unprecedented. This 
was a national occasion," she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by many people on Saturday's march, many of 
whom said they had never marched before.

"Mr Blair has truly united Britain for the first time in my lifetime. I 
never dreamed so many people felt the same way as I did," said Joanna 
Fitcham, company director from Norfolk. "I shall be taking part in every 
demonstration I can from now."

"Next time I'll bring all my friends," said John Tucker, 15, from south 
London, who had come with his mother.

Barrie Botley, 58, from Folkestone, said he had been amazed by the 
numbers present. "The campaign is growing in momentum now and this won't 
be the last protest, I'm sure. It may well be small compared to what's 
come," he said.

Several politicians yesterday predicted that the march would have 
repercussions throughout the Labour party and beyond.

Tony Benn said: "It will go down in British history. In 50 years' time 
people will say 'were you really there?' It has given us great hope. 
This is crunch time. Tony Blair can now either be the leader of the 
Labour party or leader of the war party. "

Prominent Labour anti-war MP Alan Simpson said that the march had united 
the anti-war movement with the anti-globalisation movement and could 
redefine British politics.

"The party is split over this. There are only 180,000 members but more 
than one million people were in the park. The government no longer 
speaks for its constituency. If Blair takes us into the war we will 
launch a movement in the Labour party to indict him."

Grassroots campaigners were equally quick to make the link with recent 
protests, which they believed had encouraged groups with diverse aims to 
join together and focus on specific issues.

"I was involved in the protests against the Gulf war, but this is very 
different," said Mirjam Junker, from Germany, who joined the protests on 
Saturday. "There are more people and also a wider range of people. I 
think it's to do with the anti-globalisation movement.

It was the beginning of many things; groups joining up and linking 
together. After Seattle people have learned to protest and take to the 
streets again."







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