Don’t Vote to Bomb Syria protest in Parliament Square, London, 1 December 2015. Featuring Salma Yaqoob, Jonathan Steele, Caroline Lucas MP, Imran Hussain MP, Richard Burgon MP and George Galloway.
In London, thousands gathered in Parliament Square for an emergency protest on Tuesday, 2 December. The crowd filled Parliament Square, chanting: “Don’t Bomb Syria – No More War.”
Lindsey German, convener of Stop the War, opened the rally with a clear message, “We’re here to say one very very simple thing: Don’t Bomb Syria.”
Salma Yaqoob, chair of Birmingham Stop the War addressed protestors: “This call to war is Not in Our Name. You bomb other people’s countries, we will not be more safe at home.”
Caroline Lucas MP, leader of the Green Party, stressed: “Bombing doesn’t work,” but complete inaction is not a solution. “We want action, alright. We want to end British arms sales to the Middle East, for a starter.”
Kate Hudson, general secretary of CND, brought crucial perspective to the situation: “No more war lies from our government. We had war lies from the Blair government and Blair was proved to be a war criminal.”
Richard Burgon MP urged MPs thinking of voting for the bombing, to: “Think again, think again.”
Andrew Murray, chair of Stop the War, expressed solidarity with British Muslims facing Islamophobia. Murray cited the recent arson attempt on the Finsbury Park Mosque in London and attacks on the Muslim community across Britain.
And George Galloway rallied the crowd as he pointed to Parliament behind him: “We have been right all along and the people in that building have been wrong in their majority. And they’re wrong, wrong, wrong again now. This war must be opposed we’re opposing it and we need those people over there to oppose it too.”
Following the speeches, protestors marched to Labour Party and Tory Party headquarters, demanding MPs vote no to bombing Syria.
Source: Stop the War Coalition
