Halloween 2002 anti-war protest

On the 31 October 2002 a series of anti-war and anti-capitalist protests, generally focussing on the planned war on Iraq took place across the UK and the United States.

There is some dispute over who called and built the UK protests, the Stop the War Coalition (StWC) claim they organised the protests but this claim is also made by Disobedients [http://www.wombles.org.uk/actions/oct3102leaflet.php] and other anarchist and socialist groups, who were not part of the StWC. According to the BBC it was StWC groups who mobilised nationwide and planned the large protest in London. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2378843.stm]

United Kingdom

The first of the protests took place during the morning rush hour at the Menai Suspension Bridge between Anglesey and Wales blocking the traffic.

In London people dressed as ghosts marched on the Parliament of the United Kingdom and succeeded in projecting "No war on Iraq" on the Palace of Westminster, and took part in "direct action" against those corporations whom they perceived as likely to benefit from the war in Iraq.

According to the UK Independent Media Centre, " [a] round 150 different events included critical mass bike rides, occupations, and mass demonstrations in Brighton, [ [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45193.html "Brighton War Resistance 31/10"] , lotek, Indymedia UK, 1 November, 2002] [ [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45482.html "No Bombing Iraq Demo"] , Alec Smart, Indymedia UK, 3 November, 2002] Manchester, [ [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45292.html "Manchester Anti war protests 31st Oct"] , Richard, Indymedia UK, 1 November, 2002] Glasgow and London [ [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45264.html "Stop The War + Disobedients + Riot Horses"] , IMC'ista, Indymedia UK, 1 November, 2002] [ [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45260.html "London Students Anti-War March"] , IMC'ista, Indymedia UK, 1 November, 2002] and many other places." and " University occupations also took place at Manchester, Sheffield, Cambridge, Colchester Sixth Form, Brighton, SOAS and UCL and the LSE in London."

United States

Protests in the US were against both the planned invasion of Iraq issue and the Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement then under negotiation.

Disobedients

Disobedients was a network set up to protest the upcoming War on Iraq during 2002 and early 2003. It was a loose knit group of grass roots activists adopting the PGA hallmarks.

Protests it organised included the Halloween 2002 anti-war protest in London, and the Old Street Roundabout protest that occurred the day after the War in Iraq started.

See also

* Protests against the 2003 Iraq war

References

* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/2378843.stm Anti-war protests under way] , BBC news, Thursday, 31 October, 2002
* [http://www.wombles.org.uk/article20060334.php Disobedients' Callout]
* [http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/09/277888.html Don't Attack Iraq Actions Across Country] , Indymedia report
* [http://www.stopwar.org.uk/doa.asp StWC reports on the day]
* Stop the War: the story of Britain's biggest mass movement, Andrew Murray and Lindsey German, ISBN 1-905192-00-2

Notes