Demonstrate for Troops Out!
Five years after the invasion of Iraq the world has become much more dangerous and volatile. Latest estimates suggest as many as one million have died violent deaths as a result of the occupation of Iraq. The country’s infrastructure and civil society are in shreds. Brown has promised British withdrawals but there are still 5,000 British soldiers in Iraq.
Despite talk of a change of attitude to the Bush’s wars, Brown is Bush’s key partner in NATO’s escalation in Afghanistan, and that hidden war is fast becoming a disaster mirroring that in Iraq. Meanwhile the political chaos in Pakistan is partly a product of the War on Terror and risks further military interventions. The Stop the War Coalition has joined with CND in calling a demonstration to mark the fifth anniversary of the invasion in London on Saturday March 15.
The demonstration will coincide with World Against War marches around the world agreed at the International Peace Conference in London on December 1st. It will be calling for all foreign troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and demanding there is no attack on Iran. Stop the War is asking all groups to start mobilizing for this demonstration now. More details and a leaflet will be available shortly.
World Against War Conference, December 2007
A call for international demonstrations on March 15-22, 2008
Over 1,200 delegates from the anti war movement across the globe came to London for the World Against War International Peace Conference in London.
Delegates from 26 countries addressed the conference, reported on developments in their regions and discussed strategy for the movement. The conference issued a declaration, which is included below. There was unanimous agreement to organize demonstrations for Troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan and against an attack on Iran in every country around the fifth anniversary of the attack on Iraq between March 15-22.
Delegates attended from Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Egypt, Iceland, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Lebanon, Netherlands, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Somalia, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
Declaration of World Against War conference
This conference of delegates from peace, anti-war, anti-imperialist and liberation movements across the world declares its opposition to the “endless war” prosecuted by the U.S. government against states, peoples and movements in all parts of our planet.
We oppose the interference of the U.S. and its allies in sovereign states, and assert the right of all peoples to self-determination. We support all people fighting for peace and against imperialism.
In particular, we demand:
—An immediate end to the illegal military occupation of Iraq, which has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and displaced millions of people, a withdrawal of all foreign troops and the full transfer of sovereignty to the Iraqi people and their representatives.
—A halt to all preparations for an attack against Iran, and a commitment to solve any issues through exclusively diplomatic means.
—A withdrawal of foreign troops from Afghanistan, allowing the Afghan people to determine their own future.
—Justice for the Palestinian people, and an end to Israeli aggression throughout the Middle East.
—An end to plans for U.S. missile defence, and that all states actively pursue nuclear disarmament.
We affirm the solidarity of all those fighting for peace, social justice and self-determination worldwide, and commit ourselves to strengthening our unity and developing new forms of co-operation.
We therefore designate the anniversary of the invasion of Iraq as a worldwide day of action in support of the demands NO ATTACK on IRAN and TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ/AFGHANISTAN and call on all national anti-war movements to hold mass protests and demonstrations on that day.
—Stop the War Coalition (UK), December 2007