The New Dark Age

15 March, 2010

IN THIS NEWSLETTER
1) THE ANTI-WAR MAJORITY IGNORED BY POLITICIANS
2) ANTI-WAR ELECTION RESOURCES
3) JOE GLENTON DAY OF ACTION 27 MARCH
4) DEFEND THE GAZA PROTESTORS
5) DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE
6) LONDON DEBATE ON THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

1) THE ANTI-WAR MAJORITY IGNORED BY POLITICIANS

As Seumas Milne reported last week in The Guardian, “the gulf between people and politicians could scarcely be wider” on the issue of the war in Afghanistan. (SEE http://bit.ly/cNtRi2 )

The British Army is taking casualties at a level not seen since the 1950s, with six British soldiers killed in as many days earlier this month. The United Nations reported recently that Afghan civilian deaths doubled in 2009.

The UK costs of the war are spiralling: the current estimate for 2009/2010 is £3.7 billion, up from £2.5 billion last year.

Two thirds of the British public believe the war is unwinnable and all the troops should be brought home by Christmas.

And yet, despite the imminent general election, as Seumas Milne points out, “the political class seems determined to cling to Nato and its US patron, rather than represent the now settled will of the voters”. And it does so supported by much of the media.

In the coming weeks, Stop the War aims to campaign as widely as possible to make the war in Afghanistan a central issue in the election, reflecting the view of the vast majority of electors.

We are encouraging local Stop the War groups to organise debates, meetings, days of action, lobbying of MPs in their constituencies, hustings etc. We need to take every opportunity to raise the profile of the anti-war voice in an election in which all three main political parties are united in supporting the government’s war policies.

2) ANTI-WAR ELECTION RESOURCES

The national office will be producing a range of campaigning resources for its election activities in the coming weeks:

* A new pamphlet on the war in Afghanistan. * A leaflet on the cost of government war policies compared to how the money could be used to fund public services, now facing severe cuts. * A questionnaire to put to every candidate in the election, on Afghanistan, the “war on terror”, Islamophobia, civil liberties etc.

In edition the latest Stop the War printed newsletter is now available from the office.

3) JOE GLENTON DAY OF ACTION 27 MARCH

Stop the War has called a protest on Saturday 27 March at the prison where Lance Corporal Joe Glenton is being held after being court martialled and sentenced to nine months imprisonment for refusing to fight in Afghanistan.

We are asking all local Stop the War groups to make this a solidarity day for Joe, with a Troops Home day of action — street stalls, petitioning, local protests etc — in support of the only British soldier to refuse to fight in the Afghan war.

A petition to Gordon Brown calling for Joe to be pardoned and his sentence to be quashed is available to sign online at the Downing Street website: http://bit.ly/aQVY1C

For the background to Joe’s case and updates, go to: http://bit.ly/bUHW8D

4) DEFEND THE GAZA PROTESTORS

At last the outrageous treatment by the police and courts of protestors at the Gaza demonstrations in January 2009 is getting some media coverage (SEE http://bit.ly/bJeQMr ).

Virtually all of those accused of minor disturbances at the demonstrations are young Muslims and the judge has been handing down what he calls “deterrent” jail sentences — some for as long as two and a half years, which is unprecedented for such offences.

Following a packed meeting in Parliament, a Gaza Protestors Defence Campaign has been set up to get the charges dropped. (SEE http://bit.ly/d1FqIA )

PETITION
The Gaza Protestors’ Campaign page includes a downloadable petition which will be delivered to the Home Office at a protest to be called in the near future. Please circulate the petition as widely as possible and return filled in petitions as soon as possible. Download here: http://bit.ly/b1KAxH )

DOSSIERS ON POLICE BEHAVIOUR
What has not been reported is the violent and intimidatory police behaviour on the Gaza demonstration, causing serious injuries which could have resulted in fatalities, as it did in the case of Ian Tomlinson when similar tactics were used at the G20 protests in April 2009. Stop the War has collated eye witness reports of the police attacks on the Gaza demonstrations into two dossiers now available online:

* Dossier on Police Behaviour; Gaza Demonstration 03 January 2009: http://bit.ly/9MwyUw
* Dossier on Police Behaviour; Gaza Demonstration 10 January 2009: http://bit.ly/9YrFAB

5) DEMONSTRATE AGAINST THE ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE

Stop the War Coalition is supporting the call by MPs, trade union leaders, Unite Against Fascism and many organisations for a demonstration in Bolton on Saturday 20 March against a march by the racist English Defence League, which aims to spread fear and terror within Muslim communities. (SEE http://bit.ly/dcSYb2 )

Coaches are travelling to the demonstration from across the country.

6) LONDON DEBATE ON THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN

Stop the War is organising a debate on the war in Afghanistan in London on April 14. The participants will include Mehdi Hasan from the New Statesman, Professor Christopher Coker from the London School of Economics, Martin Cakebread from the National Defence league, and Lindsey German Convenor of Stop the War.

AFGHANISTAN: CASE FOR AND AGAINST THE WAR   
WEDNESDAY 14 APRIL 7PM
Hong Kong Theatre, London School of Economics
Clement House, 99 Aldwych, London WC2B 4JF

Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7801 2768   
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk