Thousands say No Way to Nato
Friday 18 May 2012by Tony Patey Printable Email Anti-war protesters are taking to the streets of London today in solidarity with the biggest-ever demonstration in the US against Nato warmongering.
British activists will descend for a mass rally outside the US embassy in Grovesnor Square to hear key-note speakers and lend support to a massive wave of demos expected in Chicago.
The 25th Nato Summit is taking place tomorrow and Monday in the windy city.
The G8 Summit was also due to take place there today, but in anticipation of large-scale demonstrations the Obama administration moved it to the less accessible Camp David in Maryland.
Protesters have vowed they'll also be demonstrating against G8.
The umbrella organisation for today's Chicago demo is the Coalition Against the Nato/G8 War and Poverty Agenda but it is also working closely with the Occupy movement.
Organisers reckon there'll be a massive turnout from a broad range of peace and anti-war organisations and communities - black, immigrant, Muslim, labour, women, gay, environmental, anti-nuclear and religious.
US war veterans who aim to return their medals in protest.
Occupy Chicago said: "While there have been protests in Europe against Nato for decades and demonstrations against Nato summits in Strasbourg in 2009 and in Lisbon in 2010, this is the first time large numbers of Americans are discussing and challenging Nato."
Anti-war campaigners in Britain told the Morning Star that the solidarity rally here is backing the US demo's three-pronged objective.
They're saying no to a war on Iran, they're opposing the threat of intervention in Syria and they're calling for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
CND and Stop the War Coalition are holding the meeting from 1pm outside the US embassy and it's expected to go on for a couple of hours.
Big name anti-war campaigners will address the rally - including veteran politician and writer Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Kate Hudson from CND, Lindsey German from Stop the War, Mitra Qayoom, an Afghan writer and activist, and London Assembly member Murad Qureshi.
CND said Nato member countries are officially meeting to discuss the "capabilities it needs to defend its population and territory and to deal with the challenges of the 21st century."
It added: "In reality, the summit will discuss the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan, a possible attack on Iran and Nato tactical nuclear weapons in Europe."
CND general secretary Kate Hudson added: "It's well-known that Nato is a nuclear-armed alliance, but not that up to 200 US B61 nuclear bombs are stationed in five countries across Europe - Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey.
"There is increasingly strong opposition to these weapons, including from the governments of some of the 'host' nations, in particular from Germany."
