Trump has claimed he will travel to Britain for an official state visit in October this year, and that he was invited by Prime Minister Theresa May twice. Tonight, February 15, it has meetings in London and Cardiff. Governments strain every sinew to dress their interventions up as humanitarian, as helping the poor and beleaguered of the world. Approximately one-fifth of the total demonstrators worldwide protested in Europe. As national convenor of the Stop the War Coalition, Lindsey was a key organiser of the largest demonstration, and one of the largest mass movements, in British history. But Tony Blair and his government were ultimately successful, with the motion being approved 412 to 149. An opinion poll carried in the Guardian showed that at least one person from one out of every 25 households in Britain marched on that day — that puts the number at 1.5 to two million. A YouGov poll in the Telegraph calculated that 4 per cent of the population had marched on that day — around two million people. Brits plan 'biggest protest in UK history' against Donald Trump's visit to London MetroMulti-issue LGBT protest targets Trump Hotel, DC City Hall Washington BladeDC Protesters Shut Down Streets — Have No Clue What They're Protesting The Daily CallerFull coverage from via price shall The Stop the War Coalition is organising a national tour of meetings on Why We Need an Anti-War Government. Below is a slightly edited version of what I wrote on the 10th anniversary. We explore a few of the major UK movements that have advanced the rights and quality of life for people living in the British … But it also makes us more determined to continue organising. https://www.theguardian.com/.../mar/28/demonstrations-protests-uk-list It led to those in poorer and smaller households – where there could be four or more adults living in a small home – see their collective rate go up considerably, while richer people living in large houses alone or as a couple enjoyed a reduction in the amount they paid. The riots weakened Mrs Thatcher’s position as leader and led to speculation as to whether she should step down. Many have made the connections between war, neoliberal economics and the system of imperialism which dominates the globe. Sorry, there was a problem with your subscription. Below is a slightly edited version of what I wrote on the 10th anniversary. The General Strike (1842) Nearly half a million people protested in the General Strike of 1842, which … Photo: Youtube. Andy Todd, assistant deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, said the crowd had been tolerant and patient and "the biggest I have experienced." Iraq has suffered devastating losses and destruction, wars have spread across the Middle East, terrorism has grown. The largest protest was organised for 31 March 1990, when crowds gathered in Kennington Park and marching to Trafalgar Square. 15th February 2003: The biggest protest in UK history 17 years on It is seventeen years this week since the biggest march in British history, against war in Iraq, on Saturday 15th February 2003. On 15 February 2003, two million people on the streets of London, in the biggest process ever in UK history, said not in our name to the Iraq war. It was a tragedy for the world that these calls were ignored. They are anything but, with these decades-long wars contributing to worsening the lives of the people they are supposed to help. It was done by a combination of mass grassroots campaigning through the Stop the War Coalition — involving, school students, trade unionists, community and faith groups and political organisations which managed to unite a wide-ranging movement. The march is not yet history and is some way from being so. Celebrities politicians and activists are among those urging people to join mass protests against a planned visit by the US President. Over 100 people were injured in the clashes and more than 300 were arrested. By using our website, you agree to our use of cookies. This movement was well under way from the summer of 2002, as it became clear that Bush and Blair were determined to use any excuse to overthrow Saddam Hussein and launch a war and invasion. They have contributed to the growth of freedom and democracy in Britain. The march is not yet history … © 2021 Associated Newspapers Limited. Whatever the exact numbers, it was unprecedented in British history. The Guinness World Records book of 2004 cites the Rome protest as the biggest anti-war rally in history. It was a remarkable achievement to mobilise such numbers when Labour was divided on this issue. For those who demonstrated, it was often a very strong personal statement of opposition to the war, coupled with a real belief that sufficient numbers on the streets would be enough to stop it. Campaigners made direct pleas to MPs to “listen to the British public” and represent their wishes in Parliament. Despite the motion being passed, it represented the greatest number of government MPs to rebel since the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The main justification for the planned attack was that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction which he was hiding from international weapons inspectors. Despite the influence of the movement it was not ultimately successful as the UK still has nuclear weapons. The new Community charge was, instead, a flat rate paid per adult and was introduced in the UK from 1989 to 1990. Of all the movements that stood against the neoliberal… The focus was the upcoming war against Iraq, enthusiastically demanded by president George W Bush, aided and abetted by his partner in crime, Tony Blair. The Government did not peddle back any cuts as a result of the protest and, in fact, the then home secretary Theresa May said she wanted to consult on giving police increased powers to deal with protesters. The tax was designed to replace the previous method of funding local government, in which a domestic rate was charged based on the value of a person’s property. The Conservative government’s plans to abolish the Human Rights Act in the UK will majorly impact our rights to protest. From rotten veggies chucked out of windows by outraged homemakers to a big pink boat glued to the city's biggest shopping street, London has a rich and varied history of protest. Bush, Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar and the Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi were all determined to press ahead with the war, despite the misgivings of other European governments including France and Germany, and the opposition of the UN. Blair’s government issued a dossier in September 2002 which was lapped up by the right-wing press but did nothing to sway the growing numbers of opponents of the war. The focus was the upcoming war against Iraq, enthusiastically demanded by president George W Bush, aided and … But afterwards it was shown that, despite the huge numbers of people who turned out in protest of the war, they had not managed to achieve their political aim. The second point is that the movement has had long-term consequences in terms of British politics. First, the movement was massive but to stop an imperialist war machine would have required even higher forms of action, particularly strike action to hit the government where it hurt. Tibetan Uprising (Tibet, 1959) Death Toll: 86,000. The largest protest was organised for 31 March 1990, when crowds gathered in Kennington Park and marching to Trafalgar Square. Her books include ‘Material Girls: Women, Men and Work’, ‘Sex, Class and Socialism’, ‘A People’s History of London’ (with John Rees) and ‘How a Century of War Changed the Lives of Women’. History of Hong Kong protests: riots, ... Public protests in Hong Kong date back to British colonial rule and have evolved from the bloody riots of the 1960s into the recent protests of up to two million people marching. While many of us argued for this sort of action — and while there were many instances of strikes and walkouts on the day war broke out, as well as the courageous stand of the school students — we were not capable of winning this on the mass scale which would have been required. This angered protesters and the rioting escalated. The different sections of the movement all managed to mobilise constituencies some of which had never worked with one another before. It comprised the left and the trade unions, the traditional peace movement around CND, and the Muslim community. Activists, MPs and trade unions have vowed to hold the biggest demonstrations in UK history, outstripping the Iraq war protests, when Donald Trump makes his … While the movement failed to stop the war, to the bitter regret of millions, it did change public opinion in this country, with growing numbers of people opposing interventions, culminating in David Cameron being defeated in Parliament in August 2013 over the proposed bombing of Syria. But it was seen as a particularly damaging move for the Liberal Democrat leader and deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, who had previously pledged not to raise fees. Local business, stores and eateries were vandalised by a small portion of the crowds. Going to war in Iraq is, however, now considered to be the biggest political mistake made by Mr Blair suggesting that the swell of public opinion against the move was not irrelevant. In 2003, six million people took to the streets around the world, not to bring … The movement against the Iraq war was a unique phenomenon. Donald Trump’s special relationship with Theresa May has come under some strain in recent months, but never forget this is a desperately close military and political alliance which is a threat to the world. In one of the most famous speeches in American history, Martin Luther King Jr., backed by 200,000 supporters that turned out to the Lincoln Memorial, protested An urban geographer calculated that well over two million marched. While Labour was divided, its left figures, notably Tony Benn, George Galloway MP and Jeremy Corbyn MP did everything that they could to oppose war. It comes as politicians, celebrities and campaigners vowed to stage the 'biggest protest in British history' on London's streets against Donald Trump's UK visit But Blair was determined to go to invade Iraq. The movement was also a major contributing factor to the election of one of its major figures, Jeremy Corbyn, as leader of the opposition. There were reports of between 100,000 and 400,000 people at the march, which concluded with a rally in Trafalgar Square. A selection of Lindsey German's briefings from the 2017 to the 2019 general elections which present an analysis of Corbynism and the state of British... As the left prepares for the possibility of taking power, Chris Nineham's timely new book analyses the British state and what the left can expect, In this new timely book, John Rees analyses the Corbyn project from the moment Corbyn became Leader of the Labour Party in 2015 till today, 15 years on from the biggest protest in British history, Labour: how to make a drama out of a crisis - weekly briefing, The perpetual failure of Keir Starmer – weekly briefing, Privatisation is the engine of cronyism and corruption – weekly briefing, The price we pay for the prince – weekly briefing, The Individual and Collective in Women's Liberation - video, Police bill: the protestors aren’t for turning – weekly briefing, Vaccine bounce or Starmer slump? There had never been a moment like it in protest history. In this incisive and accessible analysis, Dominic Alexander shows how Trotsky’s theory of combined and uneven development illuminates how technology and society interact, Elaine Graham-Leigh shows how Marx's analysis of capitalism explains the climate breakdown and how we fight for system change to protect people and the planet. This one act of July 14, 1789, has come to symbolize the entire French … More than half a million people marched through central London over the weekend, demanding that the Government gives the public another vote on Brexit. ‘Biggest protest in UK history’ groupuel Eric , u1604090 March 20, 2018 March 22, 2018 2 Minutes A meeting between Theresa May and Donald Trump at the World Economics Forum in Davos ended up with May inviting Trump to London in the second half of 2018. 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