Home  Media Press Releases Anti-War Thousands to join 'Bring the troops home' demonstration over Afghanistan
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Thousands to join 'Bring the troops home' demonstration over Afghanistan |
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Friday, 23 October 2009 |
Campaigners from across the country will this
Saturday join with anti-war military families and serving soldiers to call for
an end to the war in Afghanistan.
The demonstration, organised by the
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament,
Stop the War Coalition and the British Muslim Initiative will express the view
of majority of the public who support the call to 'Bring the troops home'.
Marchers will assemble at Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park at 12 noon,
before marching at 1pm towards Trafalgar
Square,
where a rally will be held. This will include readings of the names of those who have died in the conflict. A press
call will be held at Speaker's
Corner at 11.30am on Saturday where serving soldiers, ex-soldiers and
military families will speak out against the war.
Eight years on from the invasion of Afghanistan the
death toll amongst British troops is higher than ever,
with an awful price being paid in the blood of Afghan civilians. The majority
of the British public know that the presence of foreign soldiers is no answer
to the complex problems of Afghanistan.
With two thirds of people wanting British forces to withdraw, now is the time for the Government to bring the
troops home.
Jeremy Corbyn MP,
Vice Chair of the Campaign for
Nuclear Disarmament, said "The war
in Afghanistan has no clear
war aims, is clearly escalating and
spinning out of control and can only impact on Pakistan
and the whole of South Asia. NATO forces
have been in Afghanistan
for 8 years and the result appears to be increased drug production, high levels of corruption
and terrible losses of life on all sides, civilian and military. Now is the time
to change policy and bring the troops home to prevent NATO involving itself in
a Vietnam
style quagmire."
Amongst those leading the march will be Lance
Corporal Joe Glenton, a serving
soldier facing court martial for refusing to return to Afghanistan; Paul
McGurk, who last month left the army
because he could no longer continue fighting in the unjustifiable war in Afghanistan
as well as relatives of current and former troops,
including Peter Brierley, who earlier
this month refused to shake Tony Blair's hand because it "has my
son's blood on it".
Timings and further details are contained in the notes below.
- ends -
- For further information and interviews please contact Ben Soffa, CND's Press Officer, on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
- The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is one of Europe's
biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 35,000 members in the
UK. CND campaigns for the abolition of all nuclear weapons everywhere. www.cnduk.org
- For
more information or to place interview bids with the military families
attending the demonstration contact Brendan Montague at
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or 07590 030 201
- Times on Saturday 24th October:
11:30 - Press call with soldiers, ex-soldiers and military families, Speaker's Corner,
Hyde Park
12:00 - Demonstration assembles Speaker's Corner, Hyde Park
13:00 - Demonstration moves off along the following
route: Speaker's Corner, Park Lane, Piccadilly,
Lower Regent Street, Charles II
Street, Haymarket, Cockspur Street,
Trafalgar Square
14:30 (approx) - Rally commences
in Trafalgar Square
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