Government ban rally after 'stop the war' march - 15th Feb 2003

it's time

28.01.2003 20:23

first reaction, one finger (canadian, you see)

corrected, two fingers

it's time to stop asking permission.

sm

If this is true, it's war

28.01.2003 21:20

surley this cant be true, i've looked all over the news sites, cant find anything about it....... tell me it's not true!

peace1

If this is true, it's war

28.01.2003 21:22

surley this cant be true, i've looked all over the news sites, cant find anything about it....... tell me it's not true!

peace1

so i guess its 1,000,000 + people back to mine for tea then?

I can understand the health and saflty concerns, but how are people going to disperse? Biggest trouble i've ever seen at demos is where there are no fixed meeting points and peeps trying to meet each other get caught behind lines etc. suggest arranging meeting point/another rally somewhere else - how about the peace pagoda in battersea park?

love and biccies

xx

inanna

On the email today

28.01.2003 22:25

but personally, I think we should have it in Hyde Park no matter who agrees or not....

Stop the War Coalition
PO Box 3739, London E5 8EJ

020 7053 2155

www.stopwar.org.uk

office@stopwar.org.uk

MASSIVE NUMBERS EXPECTED ON THE 15TH FEBRUARY.

THE STOP THE WAR COALTION EXPECT THE DEMONSTRATION ON FEBRUARY 15TH TO BE MUCH BIGGER THAN THE 400,000 PEOPLE WHO MARCHED ON SEPTEMBER THE 28TH.

BECAUSE OF THIS IT HAS BEEN AGREED WITH THE METROPOLITAN POLICE THAT THERE WILL BE TWO STARTING POINTS FOR THE DEMONSTRATION.

STARTING POINT A - EMBANKMENT (NEAREST TUBE EMBANKMENT) AT 12 NOON
COACHES TO SET DOWN AT SOUTHWARK STREET AND PICK UP AT PARK LANE

STARTING POINT B - GOWER STREET - 12 NOON (NEAREST TUBES TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD/EUSTON SQUARE AND EUSTON). SETTING DOWN OF COAHCES TO BE ADVICED LATER.

GROUPS WHO ARE TRAVELLING DOWN FROM THE NORTH OF ENGLAND AND THOSE PEOPLE FROM LONDON ARE BEING ASKED TO GO TO STARTING POINT B.

YOU MAY ALSO HEAR RUMOURS THAT THE GOVERNMENT ARE ATTEMPTING TO STOP THE COALITION FROM HOLDING A RALLY IN HYDE PARK AT THE END OF THE DEMONSTRATION. THE COALTION WISHES TO ADVISE EVERYONE THAT THE MARCH IS NOT BEING CHALLENGED AND THAT WE EXPECT THEM TO ALLOW US TO HAVE THE RALLY AS ORIGINALLY AGREED IN HYDE PARK. SO PLEASE CONTINUE WITH BUILDING FOR THE DEMONSTRATION AS THE NUMBERS ARE LOOKING FANTASTIC.

IF YOU REQUIRE FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CALL THE OFFICE ON 0207 053 2153/4/5/6

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.

heather

Doubt it!

28.01.2003 22:27

If this is true and I do have serious reservations - then we have the government is running scared over Iraq, in fact I’ll go further, we might as well be living in a dictatorship, just like all those nasty oppressive regimes around the world they’re continuously going on about and feel they have to protect us from by bombing them first.

If they do ban the rally, I think there could be a riot and there won’t be one place in this country were Blair will be safe!

Stuey
mail e-mail: stuey'surfanytime.co.uk
Homepage: users.surfanytime.co.uk/stuey

if it's true

28.01.2003 22:43

.. we just go elsewhere - you know - somewhere appropriate. It's better than listening to the converted speaking to the converted, and many fine words from people, some of whom should have burned their Labour Party membership cards (does New Labour have such things?) long ago and encouraged others to do so.
If the parks out, there should be some other pleasurable gathering points.
Suggestions?

dh

People who vote/voted Labour have no minds(!)

28.01.2003 22:56

dh, don't the converted and the unconverted need to be together in the same place. Isn't that sort of the point?

heather

Just do it!

28.01.2003 22:58

Whether it's banned or not, whether they get permission or not, we should still go ahead with the rally, after all the police can not arrest 1+ million people. The time for being nice and polite is over, the government didn't ask us if we wanted this war, their just going ahead with it and dragging us along, so why should we ask to hold a rally opposing it? We should just go ahead with it and take over London for the day and cause as much disruption as we possibly can.

Stuey
mail e-mail: stuey@surfanytime.co.uk
Homepage: users.surfanytime.co.uk/stuey

It not true [smilling and happy]

28.01.2003 23:09

YEAH THE MARCH AND RALLY GO ON!

peace1

unconverted

28.01.2003 23:27

Well you know Heather, that kind of thing happens in the workplace, the neighbourhood, the school, wherever your place. Not at the end of a big march. Where all can say 'Yeah - no 'war''
it depends what agenda you are seeing
With the big upsurge in public consciousness - we know this has a different quality - we can see your lies as soon as we see your lips move - Herr Bush and Herr Blair.
The point is pushing that across

dh

hmmm. how daft is that!

28.01.2003 23:42

That's hilarious!!

I wonder how many coppers it would take to disperse a crowd in excess of 750,000!?!

Has this ever happened AT ALL in history?!? Imagine the scene! - it would be hilarious!!

"please move along sir - you're causing an obstruction"

"er.... ok PC546, can u ask these other 749,999 people to move so I can get to my car!! ha ha ha!!!

See u in Hyde Park everyone!!

ha ha ha!!

Paxman

The possibilities are endless

29.01.2003 00:02

Yes it was on C4 News and I was gobsmacked.

However, already various groups (Arrow, Disobedients/Wombles, Reclaim The Streets etc.) made plans for non-violent direct action separate from the main demo. This ban will just help to swell numbers doing NVDA.

What we don't need, is a staged riot - it would seriously undermine our cause here. Please also remember, that just for once, quite a few cops are behind what we are doing too! So let's not make them the enemy on that day, and let's all come together in a spirit of non-co-operation, but peace and love all round.

I really am concerned that some groups (probably in yellow and black) will be out to cause trouble (on govt. orders) and it's imperative not to rise to the bait.

Meanwhile another strike at democracy is Prescott's announcement that he'll beat the FBU by 'force of law' by inventing some new laws!

In a way all this news could be regarded as wonderful, cos it'll make an awful lot of people realise that there's something afoot. We don't live in a democracy of any sort.

rikki

reckon its true

29.01.2003 00:02

just recieved a phone call telling me to check out teletext page 308 and its on there-george galloway mp has warned the government they have a choice "either a rally or a riot"

puk

rally or riot

29.01.2003 00:57

Know which R I'd choose
If that's what it takes

dh

WAR RALLY BAN 'MAY SPARK RIOT'

29.01.2003 03:06

WAR RALLY BAN 'MAY SPARK RIOT'
Government has been warned it would have a riot on its hands if anti-war protesters cannot stage a mass rally in London against war in Iraq.

Labour MP George Galloway said Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell had told the Stop the War Coalition it was banned from holding a rally in Hyde Park.

He warned the Government it faced a choice - either a rally or a riot.

RECEIVED: 29/01/2003 02:53:03

Rich
Homepage: http://www.teletext.com/news/story.asp?intArticleID=52655&intarticlenumber=2&intRegionID=19&intSubsectionID=1&From=I&indent=2

WAR RALLY BAN 'MAY SPARK RIOT'

29.01.2003 03:12

WAR RALLY BAN 'MAY SPARK RIOT'
Government has been warned it would have a riot on its hands if anti-war protesters cannot stage a mass rally in London against war in Iraq.

Labour MP George Galloway said Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell had told the Stop the War Coalition it was banned from holding a rally in Hyde Park.

He warned the Government it faced a choice - either a rally or a riot.
RECEIVED: 29/01/2003 02:53:03

http://www.teletext.com/news/story.asp?intArticleID=52655&intarticlenumber=2&intRegionID=19&intSubsectionID=1&From=I&indent=2

Rich
mail e-mail: exeterstopwar@hotmail.com
Homepage: http://www.eclipse.co.uk/exeter/stopwar

Mass sit down protest at Piccadilly Circus

29.01.2003 08:30

Remeber that after the demonstration there is a mass sit down protest at Piccadilly Circus with people assembling for the sit down protest at 5pm in Green Park near Green Park tube then walking to Piccadilly Circus!

This sit down protest will be the first mass act of civil disobedience against the war so this event is actually more important that the anti-war demonstration itself. If enough people take part in this then we can shut down the whole of central London!

Harlequin

Hyde Park -Old Battles, New Battles

29.01.2003 12:15

Not the first time the authorities have tried this....

http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Senate/7672/hyde.html#Q1855

Peter Loo

Big Mistake by the Government

29.01.2003 14:55

Did you know...

The last time "the authorities" tried to ban a mass rally in Hyde Park was in 1990, when demonstrators wanted somewhere to go after an anti-Poll Tax march, so the rally was rerouted to Trafalgar Square.

What happened next?

Answers on a postcard please.

Daniel

Mistake?

29.01.2003 16:02

It looks to me like a deliberate 'mistake'.

It might well be in their interests to incite a riot now to divide and conquer the mushrooming peace movement using that ol' chestnut the false violence/non-violence dichotomy.

Yep, there's nothing like the fear of 'the mob' that will rally the mail/sun readers behind 'queen and cuntry' and 'our boys' as they slaughter indiscriminantly.

It'll be a miracle if they don't get what they want.

Surely there must be shome Mishtake

The answer is Simple

29.01.2003 17:37

The answer is simple, we don't need a riot, why would we with the numbers we're expecting down in London. We'll have the rally, and there's not a hope of anyone even coming close to stopping us. Don't get angry at a deluded member of parliament and her machinations, the government will just have to learn what living in a democracy really entails - this doesn't need a riot, in a way, a riot would confirm the falsehood that they actually have any real control over the situation. We'll do what we want. Simple.

Holden

keep yr guard up...

29.01.2003 20:09

seems to be the necessary defence (at this junture)...

...with the FBU and now the peace protesters and not forgetting those lovable asylum seekers...

Nu Labour appears to be waging war on all of it's Far Right fronts...hello, anyone at labour head office still awake?

what happened to socialism; fair day's wage; collective conciousness? did these really all die with John Smith?

the 'supposed' ban on the march rally will only further to strengthen the resolve of anyone with a clear conscience...

...but does highlight the PR machine at *10 probably in overdrive trying to guage the public's response to the march; looking at how many folks have replied to this alone
it seems pretty obvious...but do not be deceived...keep encouraging others to come along - the only violence will be the colour of our carnival costumes clashing with ye sorry olde asses of grey and black...

...and DO NOT FORGET - the bigger the crowd that sits down and says no, the louder the message that will ring true!

Let's stick together...

peace!

(p.s. I have no faith in nation state politics)

scantily clad govt.

Riot or not

29.01.2003 22:25

I don't want people to riot, it will be counter productive to our cause, but I fear the strength of feeling now - there could well be one, if the march is stopped from gathering in Hyde Park for a rally to hear prominent speakers denounce this war for what it is.

There is an anger brewing (I feel it personally) and it will explode if our democratic right to protest and speak out against this war is surpressed.

Stuey
mail e-mail: stuey@surfanytime.co.uk
Homepage: users.surfanytime.co.uk/stuey

Simply ignoring the ban will be effective

30.01.2003 10:31

Simply ignoring the ban and going into Hyde Park anyway without resorting to a change in tactics would be the most powerful response. There will be enough of us to do this. It would show the state they have no control over our actions, that they cannot force us to change what we were going to do. The only side that will lose out from this ban will be the government, as we just laugh in their face.

Bear in mind that it is completely in the state's interest to provoke violence. That will collapse the growing mass appeal of the peace movement which is exactly what they want. It's obvious they are crapping themselves over this, we are winning and the demo hasn't even happened yet.

By just staying calm on the day we will be resisting the state's intention. Anyone who can't see this is playing right into their hands. If we show the police on the day that we are determined to go into the park but not to start having a kiddies tantrum about it, then they will not try to stop us. To trap that quantity of people in streets with no open space to disperse would be a public safety blunder dwarfing Hillsborough, and look how the police came out of that. The police are responsible for public safety and they know they will be under the spotlight as well as us.

Mercury Kev

be good

30.01.2003 12:31

"By just staying calm on the day we will be resisting the state's intention. Anyone who can't see this is playing right into their hands"

Oh for gods sake - when was the last time anything got changed by obeying the forces of law and order? The government is about to drop nukes on innocent civilians - do you think they will give a damn about any number of people gathering in Hyde Park or sitting politely in the street? The only thing that will worry them is the threat of serious civil disorder.

This is not the time to be nice and fluffy and try to 'win over' public opinion. It's time to stop playing politics and do whatever is necessary to stop this bloody war.

binka

NYC March banned too

30.01.2003 19:09

The New York City authorities have banned the NYC march also planned for the 15th Feb for health and safety reasons! Could these two acts by any chance be related?

Pete

UK Indymedia

Government ban rally after 'stop the war' march - 15th Feb 2003

Comments

it's time

If this is true, it's war

If this is true, it's war

GGGGRRRRRRR

On the email today

Doubt it!

if it's true

People who vote/voted Labour have no minds(!)

Just do it!

It not true [smilling and happy]

unconverted

hmmm. how daft is that!

The possibilities are endless

reckon its true

rally or riot

WAR RALLY BAN 'MAY SPARK RIOT'

WAR RALLY BAN 'MAY SPARK RIOT'

Mass sit down protest at Piccadilly Circus

Hyde Park -Old Battles, New Battles

Big Mistake by the Government

Mistake?

The answer is Simple

keep yr guard up...

Riot or not

Simply ignoring the ban will be effective

be good

NYC March banned too

Global IMC Network