On Saturday December 19, a march and rally took place in Newcastle to
demand that the government stop bombing Syria and that Britain should
end its intervention in the affairs of Syria as well as other countries
in the Middles East and the world. Around 100 people started the march
from the Centre for Life and made their way through Newcastle to a
larger rally at the
Monument. The rally was addressed by Chandni Chopra, Friends of
Al Aqsa - Peace for Palestine, Nick Megoran, Martin Luther King Peace
Committee, Shumel
Rahman, Newcastle Unites, Theresa Easton, North East Peoples Assembly, Andrew
Grey, Green Party, Laura Pidcock, Northumberland Labour councillor, Daniel
Kebede, Stand up to Racism, Clare Williams, Unison Northern Northern
Region Convener,
Roger Nettleship, Newcastle Stop the War Coalition (PDF text of speech).
The speeches were enthusiastically received and the rally was concluded
with the songs of singer-song writer Ron Brown who was also
enthusiastically applauded. The rally was chaired by Tony Dowling and Chandni Chopra.This was an impressive march and rally on the last Saturday before the
holiday and shows the increasing opposition to the British government's bombing and interference in Syria.
Newcastle Vigils - Stop Bombing Syria
Vigils were held at the Monument on the evening of 16th, 17th and 18th December to oppose the bombing of Syria and that Britain should
end its intervention in the affairs of Syria as well as other countries
in the Middles East and the world.
National Demonstration - Stop Bombing Syria
On Saturday December 12, thirty
people from Newcastle Stop the War Coalition joined the national
demonstation in London. Thousands of people marched from Portland Place
to Downing Street against the government's decision to bomb Syria.
Protestors gathered on Whitehall for a rally outside Downing Street to
hear speakers from the Green Party, CND, the National Union of
Teachers, National Union of Students, the Muslim Association of Great
Britain, Stand Up to Racism, Military Families Against the War, the
Awareness Foundation, and representatives from Scottish Stop the War
and Walthamstow Stop the War. Stop the War Chair, Andrew Murray, read
a message sent from Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn: The message said in
part:
"A large majority of all parts of the Labour party –
including the membership, MPs and the Shadow cabinet – last week
opposed this government’s determination to extend UK bombing to Syria.
Intensifying the war won’t protect our security - or help
the Syrian people. It risks doing the opposite. The only way to beat
Isis is through a negotiated settlement of the Syrian civil war.
We in parliament will hold this government to account for
the conduct of their campaign – and step up the pressure to bring the
conflict to an end.
But for that we need your support and campaigning. Thanks
for everything you have done, your internationalism and solidarity. We
can, and will, bring these wars to an end."
Newcastle Protest Says Don't
Bomb Syria!
On
Tuesday December 1st, a large rally at Newcastle Monument of nearly 400
people protested against Cameron's plans to bomb Syria in the wake of
the terrorist atrocities in Paris. The rally which was held on
the eve of the vote in Parliament was addressed by 8 representatives
from parties, organisations and campaign groups in the region opposed
to the war. The rally sent a loud message to Cameron and to
Parliament that all the efforts should go into a political solution for
peace and that war is not a solution to terrorism and never has been.
The rally highlighted the need for an anti-war government in Britain
and that the message to Parliament tomorrow was don't attack, or bomb,
Syria. The rally
called on people to, even at this late stage, do everything they could
to stop MPs voting for war the next day.
Don't Bomb Syria
Day of Action in South Shields
On
Saturday November 28, activists of South Tyneside Stop the War Coaltion
distributed hundreds leaflets in South Shields with the title Cameron
Wants Bombing and War - Not a Solution to the Terrorism He Helped
Create. This
was part of a national day of action. A
lot of discussion took place with people who wanted to express
their anger at Cameron's plan to once again take Britain to war in
the Middle East. It was an important
day of action with many people saying they will lobby their MP.
PDF of Leaflet
March & Rally It's Time for
a Peoples' Autumn Statement
On
November 24, several hundred people attended a march and rally in
Newcastle organised by the Northern PSA and Peoples Assembly on the eve
of George Osborne's austerity autumn statement. On Wednesday he will
make a further massive cut to welfare spending and public services
while continuing to line the pockets of the billionaires. The march and
rally was called to fight for the alternative under the title It's Time for a People's Autumn Statement.
Many speakers from Northern PSA, Peoples Assembly, Unison,
Doctors (BMA), Newcastle Unites, Labour Party, Green Party and others
addressed the rally.
Remarks of
Roger Nettleship who spoke on behalf of Newcastle Stop the War to the
rally:
"George
Osborne has plenty of money for war he is taking from the poorest 12
billion pounds of welfare and he is spending 12 billion
pounds on 138 fighter jets, on increasing the spying and mass
surveillance budget over the people of Britain. This is what the
Tories are doing.
"I would like to bring an important message to
this rally against Osborne's austerity budget from the anti-war
movement. The first thing that stop the war wants to do is to stop
Cameron's government getting their way and using the latest shock of
the terrible terrorist atrocity in Paris to bounce the people of
Britain and their MPS into accepting yet more intervention and wars
in the Middle East. You would think after all the failure, the murder,
the destruction of such wars that they would have finally learnt a
lesson. Such a war in Syria will not defeat ISIS as they claim and the
bombing and
mayhem will lead to even more deaths, more refugees and chaos and
more terrorism throughout the world."
"Let us
be clear ISIS does not have anything to do with Muslims. It is a
terrorist
group funded and armed by the US, Saudis and others. In other words
Britain and its friends have been part of creating and arming these
terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria with their wars in the middle east
over 15 years."
"Stop
the War is calling people to go all out to oppose Britain's
intervention in Syria, to lobby their MPs make sure that they get the
message. When Cameron forces a debate in Parliament for bombing
next week we will be holding a demonstration at the Monument at 5pm.
Everyone should support Jeremy Corbyn's stand. He is a leader of the
opposition that wants to end the ruling elites destructive violent
interventionist programme abroad which is the cause of terrorism, it
is the cause of the massive refugee crisis, the cause of Islamophobia
and the scape goating of Muslims."
"Let
us also get behind Jeremy Corbyn's programme which is our second
focus to stop the renewal of Trident. Stop this US Nato controlled
weapon of mass destruction in our country. Let us invest the
billions of pounds in changing the direction of the economy to meet
the needs of all and make Britain a human centred pro-social and anti
war society that defends the rights of all."
"Thank You"
Stop the War statement
condemns the terrorist atrocity in Paris on 13/11/15
Stop the War Coalition
16 November 2015.
The response of the
western governments and other major powers has been for more war. The
idea that bombing will end terrorism is refuted by the history of the
last 14 years.
We
wish to express our
condemnation at the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday. There can
be absolutely no justification for the horrific shooting and bombing
of very large numbers of innocent people, in concerts, bars and
cafes. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families.
Terrorism
attributed to
IS is growing around the world. The main victims of such attacks are
the people of the countries wracked by wars. Bombings and shootings
of these kinds are all too frequent in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and
Libya. Just this week, a major bombing in Lebanon killed dozens of
people, although this was little reported in the west. The refugees
now coming to Europe will be all too familiar with such attacks.
The
response of the
western governments and other major powers has been for more war.
President Hollande of France has talked of a 'pitiless' war against
terrorism. The idea that bombing will end terrorism is refuted by the
history of the last 14 years. It has already led to an increase in
Islamophobia and to attacks on civil liberties which will likely
target Muslims above all.
The
British government
has been campaigning for a vote in parliament to be able to
officially bomb Syria. There is absolutely no evidence that this will
do anything but make the situation worse. We should remember that
ISIS was created in Iraq, during the U.S. occupation there. The
disastrous civil war in Libya followed the bombing of that country by
the west, which began with a no fly zone. The only solution can lie
in political and negotiated solutions.
The
urgent task is how
we end these killings, defeat the reactionary force of ISIS and other
similar groups, and begin to see the prospect of peace in the Middle
East. This can only be done by the Iraqi, Syrian and other peoples of
the region themselves. Western military intervention has not only
killed or displaced millions, it has also contributed to the endless
mutation of terrorist groups like IS while destroying the capacity of
the people's of the region to confront such organisations themselves.
Defeating
ISIS means
firstly cutting its support from some of the most reactionary regimes
in the region, including Saudi Arabia. Secondly it means not creating
further grievances which help to fuel its support. That means
rejecting the idea that bombing and intervention can make things
better. We are told that we need to be 'doing something' in the face
of these attacks. It is precisely because what we have been doing in
the region that we face this threat.
Stop
the War works for
a world without terrorism and imperialism, and will continue to
campaign for a peaceful solution to the crises in the Middle East.
Lobby - Cameron Hands Off Syria
Lobbying
Shadow Attorney General Catherine McKinnell MP
The
government is fixated on getting a vote to bomb Syria. Over the last
few months Cameron keeps calling for further intervention in the “war”
in Syria using bombers. This “war” has been caused by the
Anglo-US-Israeli and Saudi interventions in the middle east in
the first place and the arming of proxies to overthrow secular states
to suit their global ambitions. They have created this anarchy
and violence so that they certainly can’t sort it out by illegal
intervention which does not have the backing of the Syrian government
or the UN.
There was a vote against
the government’s bombing plans at the recent
Labour Party conference and Jeremy Corbyn has a long record of
opposition to foreign wars. So lets bring about an anti-war
government in Britain! And please lobby YOUR
MP using this link - it only takes 2 minutes! http://act.stopwar.org.uk/lobby/stopbombingsyria
On September 30, around 40 people
took part in this vital meeting discussing the west's wars and the role
they have played as a
central part in the refugee crisis over last 18 years. Three speakers:
Shumel Rahman, Newcastle Unites and one of the
organisers of Newcastle demonstration refugees are welcome, Nick
Megoran Geography lecturer at Newcastle University and Martin Luther
King Peace Committee, and Alex Snowden Newcastle Stop the War addressed
the meeting. This was followed by participants engaging in discussion
from the point of view of developing the new politics that has been
opened up by Jeremy Corbyn's victory as leader of the Labour
Party. The
mood was for the anti war movement to go all out get behind Jeremy
Corbyn to stop the attempt of the Cameron goverment to push through
Parliament military action against Syria and address properly the
refugee crisis that these wars had caused.
The
Stop the War Coalition condemns the British government’s support for
the Saudi-led attack on Yemen. This war is a further
destabilising act of aggression in the Middle East, which risks
embroiling the region and its peoples in a still wider war.
We
note that Foreign Secretary Phillip Hammond has pledged Britain’s
political, technical and logistical support for the attack by the Saudi
forces which, as he says, is largely equipped with British aircraft and
munitions.
Saudi
Arabia is now playing a leading part in almost every anti-democratic
development in the Middle East, including joining in the current
Anglo-American bombardment in Iraq, We repeat our long-standing demand
that Britain end its alliance with the dictatorial and oppressive Saudi
regime, and cease supplying it with arms.
This
present conflict in Yemen reflects the determination of both Saudi
Arabia and the western powers to destroy the democratic potential of
the Arab Spring in one country after another. Only the people of
Yemen can resolve the crisis in that country and decide their own
future, and their independence and territorial integrity must be fully
respected.
Britain
must change its Middle East policy as a matter of urgency, including
stopping bombing Iraq, ending involvement in the Syrian conflict and
abandoning plans to open a base in Bahrain, another Saudi-maintained
dictatorship. The anti-war movement will place these demands
before all candidates in the General Election campaign.
Anti-Pegida march and
Rally
Newcastle
Newcastle unites in defence
of the Muslim Community and for the rights of all! Some footage of the
powerful 3000 strong anti-Pegida demonstration and rally in Newcastle
on February 28 2015. Newcastle Stop the War took part as part of the
Newcastle Unites organised demonstration. Estimates showed that this
demonstration far outnumbered some few hundred coming from outside
trying to spread hate in the city on behalf of the ruling circles. It
is vital to defend the Muslim community and all communities. Defend the
rights of all!
Newcastle
Meeting Condemns Islamophobia and the War on Terror
On
Thursday, February 26th
around 50 people took part in a vital meeting to condemn Islamophobia
and the War on Terror in the wake of the recent attempts by the ruling
circles to to whip up hostility and racism against our Islamic
community. Speakers included writer and
broadcaster Yvonne Ridley and Stop the War Coalition vice chair Chris
Nineham. The meeting was also addressed by Mick Bowman recently
returned from Palestine and having been mistreated and arrested by the
Israelis and Hazera Begum a Muslim Chaplain at Northumbria University.
The Meeting
was Chaired by Alex Snowden of Newcastle Stop the
War Coalition. The meeting was a fairly in depth discussion of
the
issues and brought together people involved in fighting to build the
unity of the people and provide safe spaces to solve the problems
caused by the devastating wars being waged by the Anglo-US
and Israeli
powers in the Middle East and elsewhere. The issue was also preparing
for the Saturday demonstration in Newcastle against Pegida and standing
up
for the Islamic community as our community and defending the rights of
all communities and people against the plan of the ruling elite to
divide and rule.
Newcastle demonstration
against the invasion of Afghanistan, October 2001
You can join
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Coalition: Here
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