[71], India saw protests across the country including 10,000 (BBC estimate) in Calcutta. (No to war in Iraq – no blood for oil!) [14], Beyond the capitals, many major cities and towns around Australia had protests. "The people are coming from all over.". The local authorities had banned the protest claiming to have worries about national security, however the protest organisers went ahead with the rally under the cover of calling a press conference. Marchers will include a group of Bedford taxi drivers called Britons Versus Bush and a collection of DJs dubbed Ravers Against the War. There was also a rally in Newry in County Down attending by hundreds of protesters (BBC estimate). "It was a huge show of anger but that's about it. In the United States, the then National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice was reported as saying that the protests would "not affect [the administration's] determination to confront Saddam Hussein and help the Iraqi people".[23]. Protesters carried posters of Saddam and burned US flags. [16], The Benelux countries had large demonstrations for their total population size. These demonstrations took place despite very cold weather, average temperatures were below −35 °C (−31 °F). Researchers from the University of Antwerp claim that the day was possible only because it "was carefully planned by an international network of national social movement organisations. Around this time, the US anti-war group International ANSWER called for actions in North America supporting the proposed protests in Europe. rally Aerial study casts doubt on estimates of 200,000, Statement From Feb. 16 Anti-War Coalitions Regarding Rabbi Michael Lerner, Florida Protesters Bare All Against War in Iraq, Reports on February 14-16 antiwar demonstrations, The "Street" and the Politics of Dissent in the Arab World, Antiwar marchers defy large police presence in Seoul, "South Africa: Anti-War Marches in Four Cities, SA Sends Mission to Iraq", Tens of thousands march in South Africa against Iraq war, Anti-War Marches in Four Cities, SA Sends Mission to Iraq, "BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Millions join global anti-war protests", "Melbourne Anti-war Protest for Peace and Against war on Iraq - 14 February 2003 - Photos", "Unprecedented worldwide actions for peace", Threats and Responses: News Analysis; A New Power In the Streets, Global and local echoes of the anti-war movement: a British Muslim perspective, "Renouncing Islamism: To the brink and back again", Archived copy of United for Peace and Justice's organizing webpage for the February 15, 2003, demonstrations, Over 200 Pictures from 133 Protests around the World on February 15/16, 2003, 15feb2003.co.uk: Archived interviews from London on February 15, 2003, Sound montage from London February 15, 2003, List of veterans critical of the Iraq War, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=15_February_2003_anti-war_protests&oldid=991520358, Articles with Slovene-language sources (sl), Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Articles with dead external links from April 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 30 November 2020, at 14:12. "George Bush can feel it, Tony Blair can feel it. Social movement researchers have described the 15 February protest as "the largest protest event in human history". [23][24] "So if people imagine one demonstration is going to change everything of course that's wrong, but demos, protests, social organisation, trade union organisation, political organisation – all these things are part of the process by which things are going to shift. Material using similar designs : IWM EPHEM 00427- 00436, IWM EPHEM 00438, IWM PST 8812-14, IWM PST 8836/8837, IWM PST 8839-8846, IWM PST 8848/8849/8852/8856 also flyers with similar designs dispersed to printed books. [1], According to BBC News, between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of 15 and 16 February;[2], Some of the largest protests took place in Europe. "[18] Gujarat: Communalists Profit From … [18], In Germany, coaches brought people from over 300 German towns to Berlin to join a demonstration of 300,000 (police estimate) to 500,000 (organizers' estimate) people; the largest demonstration that had occurred in Berlin for several decades. [45] There had been some controversy within the StWC over allowing Kennedy to speak since his party was committed to opposing the war only in the absence of a second UN resolution, but the coalition decided that failing to invite him "would have been divisive for the movement and would have fragmented anti-war opposition to the war. The march took over 3 hours to cross the city. By early 2003, the peace and anti-war movement, mostly grouped together under the banner of the Stop the War Coalition, was powerful enough to cause several of Blair's cabinet to resign, and hundreds of Labour Party MPs to vote against their government. The largest demonstration organised by the Coalition was the mass protest on 15 February 2003 in London against the imminent invasion of Iraq. Mr Blair speaking in Glasgow, said that he "respected and understood" people's desire to march. All police leave in the capital was cancelled for the event, though Scotland Yard later said that it passed off almost without incident.[44]. The StWC, who had previously held a series of demonstrations and rallies against the Afghanistan war and the upcoming Iraq war, jointly called the London demonstration with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain joined the StWC for this event. Jong-Myo Park was surrounded by riot police who almost out numbered the protesters. Other witnesses, such as Milan Rai, are of the opposite opinion: "We achieved a lot, and a hell of a lot more than we realise". Thousands of anti-war protesters also took to the streets of Glasgow, marching through the city centre towards the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre, where the Labour party's spring conference is being held. People were reported to be still starting the march as those at the front of the march reached a rally in Myers Park several kilometres away. [83], Despite failing in its explicit aim, the 15 February global day of anti-war protests had many effects that, according to some, were not directly intended. [82], The unprecedented size of the demonstrations was widely taken to indicate that the majority of people across the world opposed the war. [3], In 2002, the United States government began to argue for the necessity of invading Iraq. [84] This is echoed in the words of former Hizb ut-Tahrir organiser Hadiya Masieh who said of the non-Muslims marching in London "How could we demonise people who obviously opposed aggression against Muslims?". The organisers responded with a statement that he was not picked because of an arrangement between the groups that organised the demonstration that there would be no speakers that had publicly attacked any other anti-war group and that "since he had publicly attacked A.N.S.W.E.R. [17], Friday also saw protests in Melbourne, Australia where around 150,000 people (BBC estimate) (Over 200,000 organisers estimate) joined a demonstration. "[54], The Northern Irish march was held in Belfast, where 10,000 (Guardian estimate) to 20,000 (SW estimate) protesters from across the sectarian divide joined the demonstration. The third in a set of 8 posters sold separately. [15], In Slovenia, roughly 3,000 people gathered in Ljubljana's central park of Kongresni trg, supported by the mayor Danica Simšič, and marched the streets in one of the largest demonstrations since independence in 1991. "But sometimes it is the price of leadership and the cost of conviction.". Croatia also saw protests in Osijek, Vukovar, Knin, Zadar, Šibenik, Split and Dubrovnik. [24], In Lebanon, 10,000 protesters (CBS, GLW estimate) took part in a demonstration in Beirut. Anti-war protesters gather on London's Embankment in February 2003. Three former Portuguese prime ministers were in attendance. "So let everyone recognise what has happened here today, that Britain does not support this war for oil. Stop the War Coalition www.stopwar.org.uk Poster number 3 by David Gentleman 2003. Within about 48 hours the country was under effective western control at a cost of just 172 coalition soldiers killed and 555 wounded, with opposition casualties being about 100 times that many. [14] Taiwan had a protest of more than 2,000 people (WSWS estimate) in the capital city of Taipei under the slogan of "No Blood for Oil". [41] Hundreds of coaches brought protesters from 250 towns and cities across the UK,[40] with around 100 coaches coming from Wales alone. [71], No protests were reported as having taken place in mainland China. Moreover, within weeks of the February protests, the STWC had gone into decline with startling rapidity. However, the protest ended early when it rained heavily. Archaeologists Against War. The protests were largely peaceful though a small group of protesters who were reported to have broken off from the main rally, caused damage to property in Union Square, and threw stones at police officers, which resulted in forty arrests. The weather was cold and rainy. [63], In Austin, Texas, 10,000 protestors marched down Congress Avenue from the state capitol building. In Wellington the march had to carry on after the then planned end point as there were too many people to fit into the park. "[53], In addition to the demonstrations in England, the United Kingdom also saw protests in Scotland. Wage War On Low Pay. An email network connecting the different national organisations across Europe, and eventually also the different US groups, was set up. "[17], In Athens, Greece, 150,000 people (WSWS estimate) demonstrated. At the rally in Oslo the vice-chair of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) spoke from the platform claiming that "Bush only cares about American oil interests". THE STOP the War Coalition (STWC) is suggesting that open anti-war meetings are held in every possible community from 24 February - 10 March to elect delegates to the People's Assembly. The protest was held on Sunday 16 February. At the time GR was involved in planning for the Florence European Social Forum (ESF) and brought up the suggestion at an ESF planning meeting. [5] One poll which covered 41 countries claimed that less than 10% would support an invasion of Iraq without UN sanction and that half would not support an invasion under any circumstances. It was part of a series of protests and political events that had begun in 2002 and continued as the war took place. [24] According to the World Socialist Web Site, protests took place in 225 different communities. Physical description. The coalition has opposed the various wars that have claimed to be part of the ongoing war on terrorism. The protest started with a rally at Ma-ron-i-ea Park after which there was a demonstration that ended in Jong-Myo Park were the size of the protest increased in size to 3,000 people (WSWS estimate). [25][26] According to the Green Left Weekly (GLW), the demonstration contained people from across Italian society; "Catholic nuns and priests marched alongside young people with dreadlocks, nose rings and Palestinian scarves. The Stop the War Coalition (StWC) (informally just Stop the War) is a United Kingdom group set up on 21 September 2001 that campaigns against what it believes are unjust wars.. "[30], Spain saw demonstrations in around 55 cities and towns across the country;[18] the largest was probably in the capital city Madrid, where between 660,000 (Government source's estimate) and 2,000,000 (GLW estimate) took part in what was probably the biggest demonstration since the death of the fascist dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. The London demonstration was organised by Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Great Britain… Spain also had demonstrations of approximately 500,000 in Valencia (GLW estimate), 250,000 in Seville (GLW estimate) (200,000 Government sources estimate), 100,000 in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (GLW estimate) and 100,000 in Cadiz' (GLW estimate) as well as over fifty other towns and cities across the country (WSWS estimate). Unlike the vast majority of protests across the world the protest in Baghdad was also in support of the Baathist regime; it was called by Saddam Hussein as "World Anger Day". The Daily Mirror gave large coverage in the lead up to the march and provided thousands of placards on the day. It may be winter but all of you together are generating some serious street heat," he said. No To Bush And Blair's War. [29], In Russia, which had several demonstrations, the largest occurred in Moscow, with 400 people (WSWS estimate) in attendance. Nearly 3,000 buses and thirty trains were specially chartered to bring people to the demonstration,[17] which was organised under the slogan "Stop the war; no ifs or buts". This is no example," he told the rally. Scotland Yard is unable to confirm exact figures at present, but said the numbers ran into hundreds of thousands. Protesters at the back end of the march did not reach Hyde Park until hours after the speakers and performers had finished. [78] There were also protests in at least 18 other centres, including Dunedin, Thames, Opotiki, Whakatane, Whangarei, Timaru and Rotorua, and Picnic for Peace in Christchurch. Nein zum Krieg gegen Irak – Kein Blut für Öl! Police estimated attendance as well in excess of 750,000 people[39] and the BBC estimated that around a million attended.[40]. The organisers were shocked at the size of the turn out and the unexpected number of people forced the demonstration to set off two hours early. "[8], Immanuel Wallerstein has spoken of the international protests as being organised by the forces of "the Porto Alegre camp in reference to the emergence of global social movements who had been organising around international events such as the 2001 World Social Forum in Porto Alegre. [73], A number of prominent ANC politicians attended marches. [14], In Denmark 20,000 to 30,000 protesters (WSWS estimate) took part in a march in the capital city, Copenhagen. The Tokyo protesters contained Japanese veterans of World War II and survivors of the 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. [34], As the date for the march approached the BBC was predicting that around 500,000 people would attend, while the StWC was hoping for numbers to top the symbolically significant million mark. The Stop the War coalition is betraying Syrians by failing to actively campaign against the war crimes of Assad and Putin. The march started at the Arts College at 14:30 and moved through that Royal Avenue towards Belfast City Hall. Prominent politicians from Sinn Féin, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) and the centrist Alliance Party joined the protest. Protesters handed floral Valentine's Day messages to the representatives of the US, British and Australian governments urging them to avoid the war. On the day roughly 40,000 people joined the protest in front of the Bundeshaus, the seat of the Swiss federal government and parliament. [18], Protests took place across South America including Uruguay, where their protest took place on the day before 15 February, Friday. Another protest, organized by the local Wrocław Anti-War Coalition (WKA), was held in the city of Wrocław in the market square by the town hall, with 400–500 people participating. Ken Livingstone is up at the front of the march.". London today became the scene for what appears to be the biggest public rally in British history. [14][18], In the Czech Republic, over 1,000 people joined a rally at Jan Palach Square in Prague. They toyi-toyied and marched, stopping at the U.S. Consulate General where riot police formed a protective chain around the entrance. "This is an American president who uses the death penalty with complete abandon and disregard for any respect for life. 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