iraq: workers on the march
WORKERS, MARCH 2003 ISSUE
ON 15 FEBRUARY the working class came from all over Britain to take over the capital, saying no to war against Iraq. The vast numbers filled the streets, flowing as one along the roads and pavements and side streets. Where the colossal crush made forward movement impossible, in Haymarket and Piccadilly, people stood and waited patiently, chatting to those around. Over a million workers acted with tremendous dignity, orderliness and extraordinary discipline to ensure there was no trouble and no physical harm. The police stood aside and left the march to police itself.
It was a true cross section of the British working class - all ages, political backgrounds, all religions and none, all colours and types, town and country - coming together in unity of purpose. Family groups, community groups, students from their schools and colleges, and workers from their workplaces, came together. Every now and then a great shout travelled along the length of the demonstration, a Mexican wave of sound, a mighty roar of rejection of war. When the working class stands up it is a magnificent and awesome sight.
A sister march of 90,000 marched on Blair at the Labour conference in Glasgow. He had arrived early, given his speech ahead of schedule, and run away.
All over the world, from New York to Greece, Antarctica to Thailand, people marched against war. In a show of true European internationalism, workers demonstrated in huge numbers in Italy and Spain – a million in Rome, over 3 million in Madrid and Barcelona – to demand that their US-supporting governments reject aggression. New York and San Francisco, among other US cities, also saw huge demonstrations.
In Hyde Park people stood in their hundreds of thousands and cheered speeches calling for Blair to go. Union leaders pledged determination to extend the action of the Motherwell ASLEF members who refused to transport weapons destined for war on Iraq. The people have spoken. For Blair, to go to war in such circumstances would be the act of a dictator, alone with his army.