[Reader-list] Post-march release from London

[Bhrigu]

Just Peace post-march release
Sun Nov 18th 2001, London

100,000 people were reported by Anti-War protest organisers to have marched 
through London to voice their opposition to the US war on Afghanistan, and at 
the UK government collusion in military action.  The sheer numbers attending 
the march underlines that there is a growing body of opinion that is not 
accepting the extreme militarism of the Bush / Blair coalition, and their 
bomb first, policy. The diversity of the marchers showed that all kinds of 
Britons are showing their moral fibre by refusing to accept that it is ok for 
the richest country in the world to obliterate the poorest. The Government 
are consistently playing down estimates of the growing number of people who 
oppose the indiscriminate military action, and weeks of endless bombing, 
killing innocent people. This policy of misinformation was evident in police 
statements that 15,000 people attended. This showed the shameless 
misinformation that the government is prepared to spread amongst the public.

The march commenced at Marble Arch and finished with a rally in Trafalgar Sq. 
 So great were the numbers marching that the back of the march arrived in 
Trafalgar Sq 1.5hrs after the head of the march.  The march organised by the 
Stop the War coalition and supported by a wide range of peace and political 
organisations, community groups, trades unions and individuals (including 
CND, Labour MPs, RMT, ASLEF, the Muslim Parliament, the National Civil Rights 
Movement, the Newham Monitoring Project, the London Council of Mosques, 
Labour Against the War, Media Workers Against the War, Lawyers Against the 
War, Artists Against the War and Just Peace - (Muslims for Justice and Peace).

Speakers united in their opposition to the war included MPs Jeremy Corbyn, 
George Galloway and former labour stalwart Tony Benn.  Well known author and 
Journalist, Tariq Ali raised the question of the notable absence of any 
Muslim MPs, and who they were representing if they were not standing up for 
the majority of British Muslim people, who are opposed to the war.

The Adhaan (a call to prayer), which was beautifully rendered and observed, 
then echoed around Trafalgar Sq. This signalled the breaking of the fast for 
Muslims and some non-Muslims who had fasted as a sign of unity.  Maghrib 
prayers were then held in the square before the crowd departed peacefully 
with not a single arrest.

Just Peace intend to continue working within the Stop the War coalition, and 
to keep representing a Muslim agenda in the organisation of the campaign 
InshaAllah.

Just Peace  (Muslims for Justice and Peace)
email: justpeace_uk at yahoo.co.uk
www.4justpeace.com