STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 0707 16 March 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS BULLETIN: 1) PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY REPRESENTS ANTI-WAR MAJORITY 2) WHERE WERE YOU ON 15 FEBRUARY 2003?

************************************** 1) PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY REPRESENTS ANTI-WAR MAJORITY The People's Assembly on Tuesday 20 March, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, will be "The Debate that Parliament Will Not Have". Delegations from over 120 organisations and hundreds of individuals have already registered and will make the Assembly representative of the full breadth of the anti-war majority in this country. We will be discussing how to bring the troops home, why an attack on Iran should be opposed and British foreign policy after Tony Blair. (FULL DETAILS HERE: http://www.stopwar.org.uk/

All the main parties in Parliament will be represented by 15 MPs. Speakers include US Congressman Dennis Kucinich, candidate for the Democratic nomination for President in 2008, Tony Benn, John McDonnell MP and Michael Meacher MP, candidates for the Labour Party leadership, former Conservative Party shadow foreign secretary Michael Ancram MP, human rights campaigner Bianca Jagger, musician Brian Eno and comedian Mark Thomas. (FULL LIST OF SPEAKERS HERE: http://tinyurl.com/2ut7jh

There are still places available for delegations and individuals, by phone on 020 7278 6694 or online at http://tinyurl.com/2dx29u. Tickets will be available on the door but pre-booking is advisable.

Tony Blair insisted this week that the Iraq War was "the right thing to do", despite the consequences, which have turned the country into the most shattered nation on earth, with hundreds of thousands killed, the collapse of most public services and creating the biggest refugee crisis in the world, with 4 million people having fled their homes. The anti-war movement is as significant as ever in ensuring maximum pressure to end the nightmare in Iraq and the increasing levels of death and destruction in Afghanistan and to oppose the threat of an attack on Iran.

PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2PM-8PM CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER SW1 Organised by Stop the War Coalition Details and how to register: http://tinyurl.com/2kgcou

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: * US Congressman Dennis Kucinich will be the first speaker at 2pm. * This is going to be a very large event. Please arrive as early as you can to help us get delegations and individuals into the hall as quickly as we can. Doors will open at 1pm. Early arrival is particularly advisable if you have not pre-booked and will be buying a ticket on the door.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: Tel: 020 7278 6694 Email: office@stopwar.org.uk

************************************** 2) WHERE WERE YOU ON 15 FEBRUARY 2003? Stop the War's demonstration on 15 February 2003 was the biggest protest in British history, with up to two million people on London's streets to say Don't Attack Iraq. On Tuesday 20 March, the fourth anniversary of the war, Stop the War is bringing together people for whom 15 February 2003 was their first experience of political protest. TV news companies and the press will be there for interviews, specifically to ask the impact of demonstrating for the first time and how these first time participants feel now about the Iraq war.

If this was your first experience of political protest and you are able to join us please contact the Stop the War office on 020 7278 6694. -- To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank e-mail to stwc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net

STOP THE WAR COALITION NEWSLETTER No. 0607 08 March 2007 Email office@stopwar.org.uk Telephone 020 7278 6694 Web: www.stopwar.org.uk

IN THIS BULLETIN: 1) US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AT PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY 2) SAY NO TO TRIDENT ON 14 MARCH 3) THE POLICE AND DEMONSTRATION NUMBERS � PART TWO 4) SPOOF 'BLAIR' SINGLE MAKES HISTORY

************************************** 1) US PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE AT PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY

PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2007 2PM - 8PM THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER LONDON SW1 Full details: http://tinyurl.com/2kgcou

Congressman Dennis Kucinich, one of the leading opponents of the Iraq war in the US Congress and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for US president in 2008, has been added as a keynote speaker to Stop the War's People's Assembly on Tuesday 20 March. (SEE: http://kucinich.us/bio.php)

Dennis Kucinich has consistently opposed the war in Iraq, insisting as early as February 2002 that there was no proof of any "weapons of mass destruction", warning the US about the dangers of an unprovoked attack on another country and predicting countless lives lost and hundreds of billions of dollars wasted. He calls for an immediate end to the occupation, the withdrawal of all US troops and the closure of all US military bases in Iraq. (SEE: http://kucinich.us/iraqplan)

The People's Assembly is open to all but delegations are particularly encouraged from political parties, trade union branches, campaign organisations, community and faith groups -- the aim being to make the assembly as diverse and as widely representative as possible. There is no limit to the number of delegates that organisations can send.

Even before Dennis Kucinich was added to the already impressive list of speakers, registrations have been pouring into the Stop the War office, both from organisations wanting to send delegations and from individuals. All want to participate in THE DEBATE THAT PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE. At least 15 MPs have said they want to join the debate. Early registration is very advisable. This can be done online, by telephone or by post. (GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/2dx29u)

There will be three sessions at the assembly, each of which will debate and vote on a People's Assembly Declaration, aimed at giving direction to the further development of the campaign against the Bush-Blair wars: SESSION 1: The Iraq war and how to end it SESSION 2: British foreign policy after Tony Blair SESSION 3: Don't attack Iran

The last week has shown conclusively why we need THE DEBATE THAT PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE. Two British soldiers have been killed in Iraq, where mass slaughter and destruction are reaching new depths of horror in the wake of the US military's much proclaimed "surge" of troops, which was supposedly intended to bring stability to Baghdad. And in Afghanistan, five British soldiers have been killed in a war which has all the ingredients to become Britain's Vietnam. (SEE: Afghanistan � The Unwinnable War: http://tinyurl.com/2887r4)

Since the invasion in March 2003, the Bush-Blair wars have hardly been discussed in the House of Commons. Even when given the opportunity in October 2006 to have an inquiry into how Britain was taken into an illegal and unnecessary war, the majority of MPs voted against the proposal. (SEE: http://tinyurl.com/y95y6q)

This is the background to the People's Assembly on 20 March, the fourth anniversary of the Iraq invasion. The assembly will take place at Central Hall Westminster, just across the road from the Houses of Parliament. It will be an important day of debate. It will also be symbolic of how the views of the anti-war majority in this country have -- in Tony Benn words -- "rarely found expression in the democratic process".

REGISTER YOUR PLACE NOW FOR A DEBATE WHICH WILL REPRESENT THE MAJORITY VIEW HELD BY THE BRITISH PEOPLE, WHO HAVE CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED THE IRAQ WAR.

PEOPLE'S ASSEMBLY TUESDAY 20 MARCH 2007 2PM - 8PM THE DEBATE PARLIAMENT WON'T HAVE CENTRAL HALL WESTMINSTER LONDON SW1 Full details: http://tinyurl.com/2kgcou

TO REGISTER, GO TO: http://tinyurl.com/2dx29u

************************************** 2) SAY NO TO TRIDENT ON 14 MARCH EMERGENCY LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT WEDNESDAY 14 MARCH * LOBBY: Starts 1pm St Stephen's entrance * RALLY: from 6pm, Parliament Square The government is trying to force through a vote to replace Trident nuclear weapons. Join the protests at parliament against these weapons of mass destruction, which have a projected cost of 75 billion pounds. FOR FURTHER DETAILS, GO TO: http://www.cnduk.org/

WHY PARLIAMENT SHOULD SAY NO TO TRIDENT: http://tinyurl.com/y6y8os

************************************** 2) THE POLICE AND DEMONSTRATION NUMBERS � PART TWO Stop the War has held a high level meeting with the Metropolitan Police to discuss how it was possible for a figure of 2-3000 to be given out for the TROOPS OUT / NO TRIDENT demonstration on 24 February, which clearly numbered many tens of thousands. Discussions are continuing as to how such inaccuracies can be avoided in future.

The police, who on the day never gave out a figure for the demonstration higher than 10,000 -- and then only after the absurdity of the 2-3000 figure was pointed out -- have conceded that at least 20,000 people were in Trafalgar Square to hear the end of march rally. Since this crowd was continually changing through the afternoon and many thousands were unable to get into the square, this confirms Stop the War's assessment that the demonstration was one of the largest anti-war protests that it has held. ******************************* 3) SPOOF 'BLAIR' SINGLE MAKES HISTORY Many thanks to everyone who bought the spoof Tony Blair single WAR! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? The mid-week chart prediction of a number 6 placing in the Top 40 translated to number 21 when the Top 40 chart was published last Sunday. This was due to the outrageous decision by the chart compilers to invalidate thousands of sales because some people bought more than one copy by mobile phone text message, the first time this method had been used for sales.

So the Blair spoof was just outside the top 20. How convenient that this avoided the widespread media coverage that would have followed a top 20 placement. That said, over the previous week it was a featured item on most of the main TV news channels, and the record still made chart history by being the highest entry ever by an act unsigned to a record label.

Anyone who hasn't experienced the pleasure of hearing Tony Blair sing WAR! WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR? can still do so at http://www.uglyrumours.com/ -- To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank e-mail to stwc-unsubscribe@lists.riseup.net