13.03.2003

Speed and scale

The High Peak branch of the Stop the War Coalition met in the Pennines town of New Mills on March 7. There were around 50 people present. For many it must have been their first political meeting - certainly the first leftwing one. The two speakers were an ex-US navy officer and an ex-British army officer. The Socialist Workers Party secretary began by telling the meeting that the local STWC had small beginnings. Only a few people were involved. But the group's activities built up the numbers so that, when the two-million-strong march took place, High Peak sent five coaches and could have sent more, such was the demand. In nearby Buxton just two people had organised 80 to travel to London for the great anti-war demonstration. This was an example of the speed and scale of the growing opposition to the war against Iraq. The aim, according to this comrade, was to bring together every group, every political party bar the BNP and the Tories to oppose the war. Tom Levitt, the local MP, was a nice bloke but he had walked through the lobby to vote with Blair. If MPs like Levitt supported the war against the majority, then the People's Assembly in London would provide a democratic outlet for the opposition. The first speaker was a former member of the US navy back in the 1960s and 70s, Ron Senchack. Ron, obviously a veteran revolutionary socialist, spoke about the similarities between the days when he became radicalised as a young opponent of the Vietnam war and the current situation. He gave a number of telling examples of how the White House back then told lies in an attempt to fool the American people to support the war. Nothing had changed. He talked about the horrendous weapons of war employed against the Vietnamese people - over a million were killed - and described the barbaric use of napalm and Agent Orange. Donald Rumsfeld had sold Saddam chemical weapons in the past and the British government had made no criticism. Saddam had been useful - he kept the workers in their place and the oil flowing. At this point in the meeting, there was a break for music and wine bottles were opened up. There was no clear separation between the entertainment and the political discussion. Focus and concentration began to be lost. The next speaker, after the music interlude, was James Thorne, an ex-British army officer. He could not have been more different. James appealed to the audience's patriotic gut feeling - I love my country, don't you? Why should we fight this war, which was in the interests of a foreign power, the USA? There followed more music and entertainment. By now the bottles of wine had been consumed and the politics was all but lost. The meeting was very loud and noisy. There was an attempt by the SWP organisers to recommence the discussion and elect delegates to the People's Assembly, but it was too late. David Green