...according to the BBC.
The police gave 3/4 million on the march. The BBC reporter, normally their
court reporter, so fairly judicious, pointed out that this did not include
those who went directly to the rally. Ken Livingstone said I million. The
organisers said approaching 2 million.
The largest demonstration ever in Britain (Chartists ???)
Significance?
1) massive anti-racist statement of solidarity with muslim people, although
arguably they are the least integrated of the major minorities in Britain
2) massive anti-imperialist demonstration in a country that is dominated by
finance capital, but is no longer imperialist subjectively.
This presents enormous problems for Blair (and therefore Bush) in trying to
maximise the role of Britain as the only significant subordinate
imperialist power able to field armed forces to fight alongside the US. The
demonstration of course had many pacificists on it, but more the message
was that war in this case is wrong, hasty, unnecessary and destructive, and
above all is not legitimate because Bush says it is legitimate. It will be
more difficult in future to provide armed forces from Britain for any
enterprise without approval of an international body after some sort of due
process.
3) Extraordinary and moving combination of the personal and the global.
Global demonstrations against imperialism, stalled by Sept 11 2001, are
fully back on the agenda, thanks to Bush. The internet has coordinated
this. With no reflection on other websites, the UK one is excellent.
The London demonstration crucial for being the largest, in undermining the
whole momentum of the military plans of the Bush hegemonic bloc. But not
least, there were also demonstrations in Belfast, and in Glasgow 27,000
(police) to 80,000 (oprganisers). Plus all the hundreds of demonstrations
this list will know of around the world. Especially important for
internationalism to have the link with the New York demonstration (Susan
Sarandon there, Tim Robbins here) and with the rally ending with Jessie
Jackson as a symbol.
But the personal was remarkable. Even as I left by tube at 5:30 and the
main speakers were over, demonstrators in thousands were still marching up
Picaddilly in high morale, just feeding their enthusiasm off each other.
Whistling, shouting drumming, sauntering. Good humoured, determined and
optimistic. Same experience for me in the contingent I was in which only
just passed Parliament 2 1/2 hours after the start, before I made a detour
to the rally.
The liveliness and creativity of the placards were for other people as well
as a personal statement. Sometimes trenchant sometimes naive they created a
pluralist synthesis.
Not in my name (or Jenny's - added in small letters)
Who put our oil under their sand?
The only bush I trust is my own (placard waved up and down by cheerful woman)
Demand peace and expect it.
Blair bushbaby
Saddam is not Osama
Make love not war (picture of Blair and Bush kissing)
You can't use terror against terrorism
VVeto, s'il vous plait
A truly internationalist demonstration, with the overwhelming motive a
sense of common humanity. Not fazed for one moment by fear of a terrorist
attack fanned up a couple of days ago when Heathrow airport was occupied by
soldiers. As one demonstrator said to the BBC, "war would create anger and
frustration between muslims and the west"
We are seeing something more than pacifism. We are seeing an international
united front for peace and justice, on a global basis. Every cook may now
be concerned not just with affairs of state but with the affairs of the
world. Today there was a lightness of being communist.
Chris Burford
London
