Other other Thursday 20th in 2003
Rebel W | 29.09.2003 10:17 | Anti-militarism
On Thursday, 20th March 2003, aka Day X, we demonstrated in our own cities. 8 months to the day later, again a Thursday, George Bush will be enjoying the delights of British Royal Hospitality. I suggest we recreate a bit of day X specially for him.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Activism,
I recommend that a strategy be laid out soon to make demonstrations inclusive when Bush visits. He's here from the 19th to the 21th November. This is a Wednesday to a Friday. This is such a pity, as it means we don't get a Saturday to give him the 'hundreds of thousands' treatment.
I'm sure we can do it in the thousands, with a rally in a London square each day, for instance, but this will only cater for Londoners and commuters. Relatively few people can afford the time to demonstrate during this period. Many have already "run out of holiday", mostly through taking other time off for other demo's. Many just refuse to make journey's of around 300 miles to march 1 mile or so. I therefore wish to suggest a plan which will allow many thousands more to take action.
So this is my proposal... Each city should have a demonstration and rally on Thursday 20th, starting at 6pm, ending at 9pm. Why that day? Because if you remember, you were probably doing something similar exactly 8 months earlier, on Thursday 20th March. Remember the demonstrations on "Day X", when war was declared, and the 'demonstrating public' did themselves proud?
Think about Birmingham, with its vast population. That's thousands of activists, many of whom don't want to travel the 300 miles to round trip to London on a coach again. I know, because people keep telling me "I can't manage the coach trip", "18 hours is too long a day". This country is bigger than many might think. I'll be the first to admit underestimation in the past. Birmingham STWC group could mobilise perhaps ten times more people on a week day for a demonstration at home, rather than in London. What about places further away? Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, even Glasgow and Edinburgh?
If you went to the demonstration on 27th September, think about where people came from. 1 coach from York, which on March 15th had 5000 on a march, 1 and a bit from Bradford, which has a high concentration of Moslem's. London and the home counties probably made up 2/3rds of that demonstration. I would reckon that with the dedication anti-war activists are known for, we can have 250,000 on evening demonstrations around the country. Very few of them would be able to take part if told "it's London, or not at all", as is so often the case.
The 8 month anniversary of war breaking out, added to Bush being in the country (but maybe not in London at the time, he could be visiting other locations) gives an urgent need to demonstrate, something we as a movement have lacked for some time. This movement has been about the masses demonstrating, rather than the few acting for the many. Lets give people a real, safe and accessible opportunity to continue doing so.
Graham Martin
I recommend that a strategy be laid out soon to make demonstrations inclusive when Bush visits. He's here from the 19th to the 21th November. This is a Wednesday to a Friday. This is such a pity, as it means we don't get a Saturday to give him the 'hundreds of thousands' treatment.
I'm sure we can do it in the thousands, with a rally in a London square each day, for instance, but this will only cater for Londoners and commuters. Relatively few people can afford the time to demonstrate during this period. Many have already "run out of holiday", mostly through taking other time off for other demo's. Many just refuse to make journey's of around 300 miles to march 1 mile or so. I therefore wish to suggest a plan which will allow many thousands more to take action.
So this is my proposal... Each city should have a demonstration and rally on Thursday 20th, starting at 6pm, ending at 9pm. Why that day? Because if you remember, you were probably doing something similar exactly 8 months earlier, on Thursday 20th March. Remember the demonstrations on "Day X", when war was declared, and the 'demonstrating public' did themselves proud?
Think about Birmingham, with its vast population. That's thousands of activists, many of whom don't want to travel the 300 miles to round trip to London on a coach again. I know, because people keep telling me "I can't manage the coach trip", "18 hours is too long a day". This country is bigger than many might think. I'll be the first to admit underestimation in the past. Birmingham STWC group could mobilise perhaps ten times more people on a week day for a demonstration at home, rather than in London. What about places further away? Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds, even Glasgow and Edinburgh?
If you went to the demonstration on 27th September, think about where people came from. 1 coach from York, which on March 15th had 5000 on a march, 1 and a bit from Bradford, which has a high concentration of Moslem's. London and the home counties probably made up 2/3rds of that demonstration. I would reckon that with the dedication anti-war activists are known for, we can have 250,000 on evening demonstrations around the country. Very few of them would be able to take part if told "it's London, or not at all", as is so often the case.
The 8 month anniversary of war breaking out, added to Bush being in the country (but maybe not in London at the time, he could be visiting other locations) gives an urgent need to demonstrate, something we as a movement have lacked for some time. This movement has been about the masses demonstrating, rather than the few acting for the many. Lets give people a real, safe and accessible opportunity to continue doing so.
Graham Martin
Rebel W
