Sat 26 June protest against Army Show Room: withdraw troops from Afghanistan

SHUT DOWN THE ARMY SHOWROOM

BRING THE TROOPS HOME FROM AFGHANISTAN

PROTEST

1.30pm SATURDAY 26 JUNE

KINGSLAND SHOPPING CENTRE, KINGSLAND HIGH ST, DALSTON E8

(opposite Dalston Kingsland station)

********************************************

Ten Nato soldiers, including seven Americans, were killed on 7 June 2010, the day Afghanistan overtook Vietnam to become the longest war in US history.

The US has spent over $300 billion on the war in Afghanistan, where it currently has over 100,000 troops, at a cost of a million a year for each one.

Britain is spending £6 billion on close on 10,000 troops, who, at an escalating rate of deaths and injuries, have no other purpose than to bolster failed US war policies and to save the face of the politicians who took this country into an unjustified and unwinnable war.

Most people in Britain, according to the opinion polls, want the troops withdrawn. President Karzai's government is thoroughly corrupt. The continuing occupation only makes terrorist outrages more likely.

26 June is Armed Forces Day. We don't want any more soldiers being recruited or being sent to kill and to die. Young people should not feel forced to join up to escape rotting on the dole. Instead of cuts in public services, end the spending on the war in Afghanistan and on nuclear missiles. Put the money into education and jobs.

**************************************************

Please join us at our protest outside the Army Show Room in Dalston and tell the Con Dem government to bring the troops home.

If you can help publicise the protest please contact me for leaflets.

**************************************************

There will be similar protests outside army contact points in Hounslow and Bromley.

Justice Not Vengeance is organising other activities, including a peace walk between 25 June and 1 July from London to Colchester in support of soldier Joe Glenton, who is being held in military prison in Colchester for refusing to return to Afghanistan to fight in a war he longer believes in. For details of this, and other activities, go to http://unarmedforcesday.wordpress.com or ring Maya on 01424 431088.

**************************************************

Gareth Jenkins
Sec. Hackney Stop The War

07764 616960

Demonstration Against Israeli brutality, Saturday

Israel’s unprecedented massacre of peace activists on the Gaza flotilla has produced an outrage around the world.



On Monday London saw a magnificent protest called at just a few hours’ notice, as did many other towns and cities across the country.



This Saturday there is another emergency demonstration, which we need to make a big as possible.



Attached to this email is a flyer. Please print or photocopy some copies and spread them around your workmates, your trade union and community groups and your streets.



Hackney Stop the War activists will be leafleting stations and shopping centres between now and Saturday, but everyone can play apart in making this the demonstration a big as possible.



GAZA FLOTILLA NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION

ASSEMBLE 1.30PM DOWNING STREET LONDON



Stop the war is also holding a conference on Islamophobia on Saturday. This was to have been an all-day event, but has now been shortened so that people can go on the demonstration.



Although only half a day now, the conference is important. The intensification of the EDL racist marches have highlighted the extent to which Muslims are demonised in our society and the Stop Islamophobia conference will bring together an impressive list of speakers to lead the discussion on how this can be countered.

Anyone who wishes to attend can still do so.

STOP ISLAMOPHOBIA CONFERENCE 9.30AM - 1.00PM

CAMDEN CENTRE LONDON WC1H 9JE

When the enemy vanishes -- kill civilians‏

STOP THE WAR COALITION 
NEWSLETTER No. 1141  
15 February 2010  
Email office@stopwar.org.uk  
Tel: 020 7801 2768  
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk  
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk


IN THIS NEWSLETTER:  
1) WHEN THE ENEMY VANISHES - KILL CIVILIANS  
2) YOUR CHANCE TO MEET DAVID MILIBAND ON TOUR 
3) VIDEO: THE DAY THE WORLD SAID NO TO WAR  
4) PROTEST AT JOE GLENTON'S COURT MARTIAL  
5) IF YOU LIVE IN CENTRAL LONDON OR… 
6) SONG OF THE WEEK WITH VIDEO

****************************** 
1) WHEN THE ENEMY VANISHES - KILL CIVILIANS

Nato's current offensive in the town of Marjah is being  
portrayed as a low casualty mission in the "good war" to get  
rid of the Taliban.

If you were to believe the news broadcasts, it's already a  
success.

Since the assault was always intended to be as much a 
publicity stunt as serving any military objective, Barack  
Obama and Gordon Brown will certainly be pleased at how the  
media has snapped into line and acted as stenographers for  
Nato press releases.

The truth is, most of the few hundred Taliban fighters in  
Marjah vanished well before the much touted offensive began,  
not being stupid enough to face up to 15,000 of the most  
heavily armed troops on the planet.

Much of what we've seen on the TV screens looks like random  
firing into empty space to give the cameras footage for the  
evening news bulletins.

But with very few enemy to engage it wasn't long -- two days  
in fact-- before tragedy struck when a missile attack looking 
for Taliban to kill managed to slaughter 12 civilians, five of 
them children -- the very people this war was supposedly  
tailored to keep out of harm's way.

The attack on Marjah is no different from the numerous other  
Nato "clear, hold and build" missions -- except in the amount 
of media ballyhoo.

And there's no reason why this should be different in the  
outcome, with the Taliban withdrawing tactically and biding  
its time, before infiltrating back into the town, once the  
overblown Operation Moshtarak, and its accompanying media  
circus, has moved on to some other flashpoint of resistance to 
foreign occupation.

The only reason the invading armies continue fighting a war  
that cannot be won is in the hope that some escape route can  
be found, from Obama and Brown's "war of necessity", which  
will leave in tact the credibility of the Western powers'  
ability to invade other countries with impunity.

The deaths of the 12 civilians this weekend is a brutal  
reminder of the heavy price many Afghans will pay in the  
months and years to come to save the face of those responsible 
for prosecuting a futile and unjustifiable war.

****************************** 
2) YOUR CHANCE TO MEET DAVID MILIBAND ON TOUR

Foreign Secretary David Miliband will be touring Britain in  
the coming weeks, holding Labour Party meetings to discuss  
Britain's foreign policy.

He has been much in the news recently, having failed in his  
protracted attempt to cover up British involvement in 
kidnapping and torturing -- a defining feature of the "war on 
terror".

Britain is long past that era when a minister caught deceiving 
the British public on this scale, would have had to resign.  
All the more reason why everywhere he goes to speak he is met 
by protests over his collusion with torture and his continuing 
advocacy of a war which in the past week alone has seen seven 
British soldiers killed.

Stop the War is asking its local groups to organise protests  
in towns and cities where Miliband is speaking. His first  
meeting is in London this Friday.

DAVID MILIBAND PROTEST 
TROOPS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN  
FRIDAY 19 FEBRUARY 6.00PM  
ST PAUL'S CHURCH  
HAMMERSMITH BROADWAY  
LONDON W6

****************************** 
3) VIDEO: THE DAY THE WORLD SAID NO TO WAR

Today is the seventh anniversary of the biggest demonstration 
in history  that took place on 15 February 2003.

A must watch trailer for a feature length documentary, which  
will be both a historical record and a celebration of an  
unforgettable day, is now available on the Stop the War  
website (see http://bit.ly/FeWuS). The film is titled WE ARE  
MANY and the brilliantly directed trailer certainly whets the 
appetite for the film to come.

The filmmaker, Amir Amirani, writing with playwright Caryl  
Churchill in the Guardian, sums up the central theme of the  
film: "The legacy of 2003 is that today many feel that it  
would be impossible for any government, even one convinced of 
a case for a just war, to carry the nation with it. Wars  
corrode our political system. But protest is the engine of  
democracy." (Read here: http://bit.ly/bGRHpA)

It's a lesson drawn by Lindsey German, national convenor of  
Stop the War, who says, "It's still hard to believe how many  
marched, and looking at the pictures now it brings back  
memories which will be with me forever.

"If we had succeeded on that day, the world would have been a 
better and safer place. But that demonstration was not the end 
of the story. We have kept campaigning over Iraq and over  
Afghanistan, Palestine and Iran.

"The warmongers have been disgraced in the public mind but  
still need to be held to account. Most importantly we must  
keep organising to end the existing wars and occupations and  
to stop future ones."

VIDEO: WE ARE MANY: http://bit.ly/FeWuS  
SEE ALSO: http://www.wearemany.tv

****************************** 
4) PROTEST AT JOE GLENTON'S COURT MARTIAL

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, the British Soldier who refused to 
return to Afghanistan, faces court martial on Friday 5 March. 
As a result of his brave public campaigning against the war  
and the support he has received from the anti-war movement,  
the Ministry of Defence has dropped the most serious charge of 
desertion.

However, Joe still faces the possibility of a prison term of  
up to two years and Stop the War is calling a protest at the  
court martial when he appears.

The court martial will be held in Colchester and Stop the War 
is asking its supporters to publicise the protest as widely as 
possible.

Anyone wishing to join us and who requires transport from  
outside London should contact our national office: Call 020  
7801 2768 or email office@stopwar.org.uk.

Protest To Defend Joe Glenton 
9.30am Friday 5 March 
The Military Court Centre  
Merville Barracks  
Off Butt Rd  
Colchester CO2 7UT

FOR UPDATES ON JOE'S CASE SEE: http://bit.ly/2vHCKR

****************************** 
5) IF YOU LIVE IN CENTRAL LONDON OR…

Stop the War has numerous local groups across the country and 
covering most areas of London. A Stop the War supporter in  
central London is planning to set up a group and urges anyone 
who lives there and would like to get involved to contact her 
through our national office.

If there is no local Stop the War group where you live, or in 
the college where you study, and you would like to set one up 
, the national office can provide advice, resources, speakers 
for meetings etc.

STOP THE WAR NATIONAL OFFICE: 
Call 020 7801 2768 or email office@stopwar.org.uk.

****************************** 
6) SONG OF THE WEEK WITH VIDEO

This week's anti-war song of the week is a new version of 19  
by Paul Hardcastle, an anti-war track selling in its millions 
in the 1980's. Paul says: "The similarities between Vietnam  
and Afghanistan are quite alarming." Here the song with video 
here: http://bit.ly/bXD59p

The people's voice on Blair's judgement day‏

STOP THE WAR COALITION 
NEWSLETTER  
No. 1135 24 January 2010  
Email office@stopwar.org.uk  
Tel: 020 7801 2768  
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk  
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER  
1) THE PEOPLE'S VOICE ON BLAIR'S JUDGEMENT DAY 
2) NEW PAMPHLET - IRAQ: A PEOPLE'S DOSSIER  
3) PUBLIC MEETING: FROM IRAQ TO AFGHANISTAN  
4) GORDON BROWN'S WAR CONFERENCE  
5) L/CPL JOE GLENTON'S COURT MARTIAL HEARING  
6) FUNDING A WEEK OF ANTI-WAR PROTEST

*******************************  
1) THE PEOPLE'S VOICE ON BLAIR'S JUDGEMENT DAY

Writers, musicians, relatives of the dead, Iraqi refugees,  
poets, human rights  
lawyers, comedians, well known actors, MPs and ordinary  
citizens are joining a day of protest, performance and 
politics outside the Iraq Inquiry on Friday 29 January, as  
Tony Blair faces his judgement day.

People who oppose Britain's foreign wars are coming from all  
corners of the country. The verdict on Blair will affect  
present and future wars. It needs to be made clear to the  
world that people here regard him as a man guilty of taking  
Britain into an illegal war.

The approximate timetable for Tony Blair's Judgement Day at  
the QE2 Conference Centre, is as follows:

8.00: PROTEST STARTS AS BLAIR ARRIVES 
A delegation including Iraqi citizens and grieving military  
families take the People's Dossier of questions for Tony Blair 
to Sir John Chilcot.

9.00-10.00: NAMING OF THE DEAD CEREMONY  
When Blair's testimony begins, names of Iraqis killed in the  
war will be read by novelist A.L Kennedy, Musician Brian Eno, 
actor and director Sam West, actor and director Simon 
McBurney, playwright David Edgar, Lancet editor Richard  
Horton, former UK ambassador Craig Murray, Iraqi author Haifa 
Zangana, comedian and author Alexei Sayle, actor Miriam  
Margoyles, and more.

10.00-11.00: SPEECHES, READINGS AND PERFORMANCES  
Including by many of those participating in the Naming the  
Dead ceremony.

12.00-13.00: PERFORMANCE FROM LOWKEY, KING BLUES AND  
OTHER MUSICIANS.

13.00-14.00: MILITARY FAMILIES NAMING OF THE DEAD  
Members of military families who lost loved ones in the Iraq  
war will read the names of all 179 British soldiers who died.

16.00: PROTEST AS TONY BLAIR LEAVES THE INQUIRY

Tony Blair's Judgement Day  
Friday 29 January from 8.00am 
Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre  
Broad Sanctuary, London, SW1P 3EE  
Nearest tube: Westminster

*******************************  
2) NEW PAMPHLET - IRAQ: A PEOPLE'S DOSSIER  
A new Stop the War pamphlet, IRAQ: A PEOPLE'S DOSSIER, will be 
available on Blair's Judgement Day. It is a compilation  
representing the voices that have been excluded from the Iraq 
Inquiry - that is, the majority of people in Britain who  
consistently opposed Tony Blair's war.

*******************************  
3) PUBLIC MEETING: FROM IRAQ TO AFGHANISTAN

WEDNESDAY 27 JANUARY 7PM  
CAMDEN CENTRE, BIDBOROUGH STREET  
LONDON WC1H 9DB

At this Stop the War/CND public meeting leading figures will  
focus on another war initiated war by Tony Blair, and expose  
the lies behind the "good war" in Afghanistan.

Speakers include  Tony Benn, Seumas Milne (The Guardian),  
George Galloway MP, a speaker from the German movement, Kate  
Hudson (CND) and Lindsey German (Stop the War) .

*******************************  
4) GORDON BROWN'S WAR CONFERENCE

The day before Blair appears at the Chilcot inquiry, on  
Thursday 28 January, Gordon Brown has called a war conference 
on Afghanistan, which will be attended by Hilary Clinton,  
President Karzai and representatives from all the Nato 
countries supporting the US-led occupation. Stop the War and  
CND are organising a protest demanding an end to a war which  
is every bit as immoral and devastating as the war in Iraq.

Protest on Thursday 28 January, 8.30am, Lancaster House,  
Stable Yard, St James's, London SW1A 1BB

*******************************  
5) L/CPL JOE GLENTON'S COURT MARTIAL HEARING

It is ironic that Tony Blair is facing an inquiry into his  
decision to send soldiers to an illegal war which has 
slaughtered hundreds of thousands on the same day that a  
soldier who refuses to fight what he regards as another  
unjustifiable war started by Blair is facing court martial.

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, faces the first hearing of his  
court martial on Friday 29 January at Bulford in Wiltshire.  
Stop the War has called a picket to support Joe. Supporters  
travelling from London will meet with anti-war activists in  
Wiltshire.

It is essential that the only soldier to stand up and say  
publicly what many soldiers privately admit - that the war in 
Afghanistan is both unwinnable and unjustifiable - gets the  
widest possible support from the anti-war movement. Messages  
of support can be sent to Joe at defendjoeglenton@gmail.com.

For more information and updates on his case, see:  
http://bit.ly/2vHCKR

*******************************  
6) FUNDING A WEEK OF ANTI-WAR PROTEST

Stop the War has had a hectic beginning to 2010, with three  
major events and the publication of a new pamphlet this week. 
We are now gearing up for the general election campaign, to  
ensure that the war in Afghanistan is not sidelined by the  
major political parties, all of which supported the recent  
troop surge that will inevitably lead to further escalation  
following eight years which have brought nothing but ever  
increasing levels of death and destruction.

We have had a tremendous response to our emergency appeal for 
funds this month, but we still urgently need financial support 
to help sustain our activities and events for peace. We rely  
entirely on the contributions of our members and supporters  
for funding. If you have not donated to the current appeal,  
please consider doing so now:

How to donate: 
   * Donate online: http://bit.ly/8g4iQ4  
   * By credit/debit card: Call 020 7801 2768 
   * By post: Send cheque made out to "Stop the War  
Coalition":  
     231 Vauxhall Bridge Road 
     London UK  
     SW1V 1EH

Protest days in January

23 January, 1.30pm: Protest outside Army Show Room at Kingsland Shopping Centre, opposite Dalston Kingsland Station. Come and give out leaflets to publicise the blocade of Brown's Afghanistan Conference on 28 January and Blair's judgement day on 29 January. Helping us will be a masked Tony Bliar (no, not the real one) to answer any questions you have. 27 January: Central London Public Meeting Why we should get out of Afghanistan

Speakers: Tony Benn, Seumas Milne, George Galloway MP, a speaker from the German movement, Kate Hudson (CND), Lindsey German (Stop the War) 7pm, Camden Centre, Bidborough Street, London WC1H9DB

28 January: Blockade Gordon Brown's Afghanistan conference

Gordon Brown's international conference on Afghanistan is part of a concerted effort to revive the brand Afghanistan as "the good war". In reality the warmongers are gathering for a war council masquerading as a peace conference, which is why Stop the War has called for a blockade. Blockade Gordon Brown's War Conference Thursday 28 January 8.30am Lancaster House, Stable Yard, St James's London SW1A 1BB

29 January: Tony Blair's Judgement Day

Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre, Westminster, London SW1P 3EE On Friday 29 January, Tony Blair try to explain to the Iraq Inquiry the lies he used to take Britain into an illegal war. Stop the War will hold an all-day protest outside the inquiry, which will include a naming the dead ceremony, street theatre, poetry readings, music and other performances. Many military families will be there for the appearance of the man responsible for the deaths of their loved ones.It is time for the voice of the majority to be heard. Over 60% of the British public opposed the invasion in 2003. Today 52% say Blair deliberately misled parliament and the country. One in four say he should face trial for war crimes. On 29 January we will demand no whitewash by the Iraq Inquiry. Join us from 8.00am onwards

Message to all Stop the War Coalition supporters‏

STOP THE WAR COALITION 
NEWSLETTER  
No. 1132 23 December 2009  
Email office@stopwar.org.uk  
Tel: 020 7801 2768  
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk  
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:  
1) A MESSAGE TO ALL STOP THE WAR SUPPORTERS  
2) REMEMBER GAZA: ISRAELI EMBASSY 27 DECEMBER 
3) VIVA PALESTINA CONVOY GAZA 27 DECEMBER  
4) STOP THE WAR'S SONGS FOR CHRISTMAS WEEK

*********************************  
1) A MESSAGE TO ALL STOP THE WAR SUPPORTERS

Dear Friends,

We are writing to thank you for all your work and support over 
the past year.

The Stop the War Coalition began 2009 by mobilising to stop  
the attack on Gaza, which included the biggest demonstration  
for Palestine ever held in Britain, when over 100,000 
protested on 10 January.

We have ended it campaigning to get the troops out of 
Afghanistan and remembering Gaza on the anniversary of 
Israel's attack.

Over this week alone we organised a protest by military  
families at Downing St, where we handed in our petition  
calling for British troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan;  
we held a successful Beats Beat Bullets gig for Gaza, and --  
together with PSC, CND and BMI -- we will be holding a vigil  
at the Israeli Embassy in London on 27 December (see below).

Over the year we have organised -- both nationally and locally 
around the country --  a series of demonstrations, vigils,  
meetings, rallies, cultural and fundraising events. We will  
begin the new year with two important initiatives.

In London on 28 January, Gordon Brown has convened an 
international conference to discuss further escalation of the 
war in Afghanistan. Stop the War will be organising a protest, 
details of which will be available at the beginning of 
January.

Also in January or possibly February, it is expected that Tony 
Blair will appear at the Chilcot inquiry on Iraq. We want to  
mobilise the biggest possible protest against the man now  
widely regarded as having broken international law in taking  
Britain to war.

There is likely to be a major national demonstration in March 
as part of an international day of action, calling for all  
foreign troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan.

A general election will be called in the first half of 2010  
and Stop the war will be organising a campaign to ensure that 
the war in Afghanistan is a prominent issue.

Our priority for 2010 will be to intensify the pressure on the 
government to bring the troops home, reflecting the view of an 
ever increasing majority of people in Britain. The recent US  
and British troop surge, the extension of the Afghan war into 
Pakistan and Yemen, and the threats against Iran, make our  
campaign more important than ever.

The coming year is clearly going to be as busy for Stop the  
War as any in our eight year history. Please continue to  
support our work and our activities.

We rely entirely on contributions by our supporters to fund  
our small office and all of our campaigns. If you are not  
already a member of Stop the War, we urge you to consider  
becoming one now, or make a donation to help us sustain our  
anti-war work as effectively as we can. You can join or donate 
online, here: http://bit.ly/APlKX

We wish you a happy holiday and new year, and we hope that by 
active opposition to our government's war policies, together  
we can help make 2010 more peaceful than the year just ending.

Best wishes,

Lindsey German 
National Convenor, Stop the War Coalition

Andrew Murray 
National Chair, Stop the War Coalition

*********************************  
2) REMEMBER GAZA: ISRAELI EMBASSY 27 DECEMBER

To mark that anniversary of Israel's attach and to protest at 
the continuing siege of Gaza,  there will be a vigil outside  
the Israeli Embassy, 3.00 - 5.00pm 5pm, High Street  
Kensington, London W8, called by Palestine Solidarity 
Campaign, Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative  
and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

REMEMBER GAZA: END THE SIEGE  
SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER 2009 3-5PM 
HIGH STREET KENSINGTON LONDON W8  
(High St Kensington tube station)

*********************************  
3) VIVA PALESTINA CONVOY GAZA 27 DECEMBER

The Viva Palestina convoy taking 100 vehicles full of aid from 
Britain to break the siege plans enter Gaza on 27 December,  
when it will be joined by convoys from Turkey and the United  
States. For updates on the convoy,  
http://www.vivapalestina.org or Twitter: viva_palestina

*********************************  
4) STOP THE WAR'S SONGS FOR XMAS WEEK

We've chosen two songs for Christmas week.

Christmas in the Trenches by John McCutcheon, which is about  
Christmas Day 1914 when all sides in World War I laid down  
their weapons and made peace by playing a game of soccer.

Barra Barra by Rachid Taha is the soundtrack to a video called 
Israel - An Apartheid State, which powerfully captures life  
for Palestinians under Israeli occupation and siege. Plus  
we've included a bonus video of Rachid Taha and Brian Eno  
performing Barra Barra live at the great benefit concert they 
did for Stop the War in 2005.

FOR BOTH SONGS, GO TO: http://bit.ly/6vnfKN

Mon 21 Dec: join military families handing in petition to Downing Street

Please come to these two protests, next Monday and the Sunday after Xmas.

** Join Military Families against the war when they hand in petition to bring troops home from Afghanistan at Downing St at 5pm Mon 21 Dec. (Details below.)

** Gaza protest one year on outside Israeli embassy, 3-5pm Sun 28 Dec. (Details below.)

1) DECEMBER 21 MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER
2) GAZA PROTEST AT THE ISRAELI EMBASSY 27 DECEMBER

3) Thanks to everyone who supported the protest outside Kingsland Shopping Centre 12 Dec.

4) Activity in the New Year

***************************
1) DECEMBER 21 MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

With another two soldiers killed, bringing the total in 2009
to 102, the delivering of our Bring the Troops Home petition
to Downing Street on Monday 21 December, 5pm, could not be
more timely.

Military families are coming from around the country, with
their supporters, to take the petition to Gordon Brown's door.
They will be joined by former soldiers.

The families have asked for as much support as possible.

Hackney Stop the War banner will be present.

Stop the War thanks everyone for their efforts in collecting signatures for the
petition. It doesn't yet have a total figure because petition
sheets are still coming into the office, but tens of thousands
of signatures have been collected.

MILITARY FAMILIES DELIVER PETITION TO GORDON BROWN
BRING THE TROOPS HOME
MONDAY 21 DECEMBER, 5PM
DOWNING STREET, WHITEHALL, SW1A 2AA
PLEASE SUPPORT IF YOU CAN
For more information see: http://bit.ly/4Z3eCR

***************************
2) GAZA PROTEST AT THE ISRAELI EMBASSY 27 DECEMBER

Sunday 28 December will be exactly one year since the start of
Israel's attack on Gaza and there will be worldwide protest
marking the anniversary.

The UK protest will be at the Israeli Embassy in London from
3-5pm. It has been called by Palestine Solidarity Campaign,
Stop the War Coalition, British Muslim Initiative, Campaign
for Nuclear Disarmament and many other organisations and
campaigns (For full list here:and details of Remember Gaza
events around the UK, go to http://bit.ly/5bxUAn )

With a British Court having issued a summons for the arrest of
Tzipi Livni (see http://bit.ly/8b11ul) - one of the three
Israeli ministers who led the Gaza onslaught - the issue of
war crimes, the need for Israel to be brought to account for
war crimes now documented by the UN's Goldstone report, is as
urgent as ever.

The protest at the Israeli embassy will also be calling for an
end to the Gaza siege, through which Israel is strangling all
aspects of civil life for one million Palestinians.

Please publicise the protest as widely as possible.

REMEMBER GAZA: END THE SIEGE
SUNDAY 27 DECEMBER 2009 3-5PM
HIGH STREET KENSINGTON LONDON W8
(High St Kensington tube station)

***************************

3) Thanks to everyone who came to the 40 strong protest outside the Army Show Room at the Kingsland Shopping Centre on Sat 12 Dec.

We collected signatures to bring the troops home and got people to sign a xmas card for Joe Glenton, the soldier who courageously refuses to fight in Afghanistan and who faces the prospect of up to 10 years in prison.

We also remembered the 100 British soldiers killed this year, together with the many Afghan civilians who have lost their lives in this pointless war, and demanded the Army Show Room be shut down.

We got a very good response.

****************************

Finally....

4) Tony Blair is likely to appear at the Iraq Inquiry in January
and Stop the War's officers are discussing plans for how best
to give him a warm reception.

On 28 January, Gordon Brown's international conference on
Afghanistan, which will be attended by Hamid Karzai, president
of Afghanistan in name but not legitimacy. Stop the War will
of course be organising protests and other events, details of
which will be published soon.

It may not have been called, but the general election campaign
has effectively started, with suggestions the date may be as
early as March. Stop the War intends to ensure that the wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq are central issues in the election.

*********************************

Hackney Stop The War sends best wishes to all our members and supporters for the New Year.

Free Joe Glenton Bring the troops home from Afghanistan Close down the Army showroom

Free Joe Glenton

Bring the troops home from Afghanistan

Close down the Army showroom

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton has refused to serve in Afghanistan and led the national Stop the War demonstration in October. He has now been imprisoned for speaking out against the war.

He needs our support for his brave stand.

What better place to protest at his imprisonment than at the Kingsland Shopping Centre where the Army showroom is attempting to disguise the reality of the war.

Come along and help campaign to end the occupation of Afghanistan. Thousands of civilians have been killed and hundreds of British soldiers have lost their lives in a pointless war to defend a corrupt regime. Sending more troops will do nothing but increase the threat of terrorism.

Come and protest. We shall be leafletting, petitioning and asking for support for Joe Glenton.

1.30pm

Saturday 12 December

Kingsland Shopping Centre

Kingsland High Street

(opposite Dalston Kingsland Station)

The only serious exit strategy for Afghanistan‏

STOP THE WAR COALITION 
NEWSLETTER  
No. 1128 30 November 2009  
Email office@stopwar.org.uk  
Tel: 020 7801 2768  
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk  
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

**********************************  
IN THIS NEWSLETTER  
1) THE ONLY SERIOUS EXIT STRATEGY FOR AFGHANISTAN  
2) THE IRAQ INQUIRY CATCH PHRASE: "NOT ME, GUV'"  
3) VIVA PALESTINA CONVOY TO GAZA: 5 DECEMBER  
4) SUPPORT GROWING FOR MILITARY FAMILIES PROTEST  
5) THURSDAY 28 JANUARY: DATE FOR YOUR DIARY  
6) DON'T FORGET JOE GLENTON  
7) XMAS PARTY: FROM BLIAR TO STOP BUSH 
8) STOP THE WAR SONG OF THE WEEK

**********************************  
1) THE ONLY SERIOUS EXIT STRATEGY FOR AFGHANISTAN

Inevitably the news of yet another British soldier dying in  
Afghanistan coincided with Gordon Brown's announcement that he 
is sending 500 more British troops to fight in a war which in 
the latest poll 71 per cent of the British public opposes.

We are witnessing a very dangerous escalation of the war. With 
Barack Obama likely to announce a surge of around 30,000  
troops, and other Nato allies adding a further five thousand, 
the total number of foreign troops occupying Afghanistan will 
equal that deployed by the Soviet Union in the 1979-89 Afghan 
war, which ended in its catastrophic defeat.

Gordon Brown's troop surge is a response to failure after  
eight years of war. All the various war aims have been shown  
to be false. The war has not made Britain safer from  
terrorism, but has made it more dangerous. The war is not  
being fought for democracy, but to protect one of the most  
corrupt governments in the world. The troops are not engaged  
in a humanitarian mission, but in a war of occupation opposed 
by the majority of Afghans.

Brown and Obama both claim that this dramatic increase in the 
number of troops is the  beginning of an exit strategy. It is 
nothing of the sort. It is the signal that the major powers  
are planning to continue a war -- which after Vietnam is the  
second longest in American history -- for years to come.

Just as in Vietnam the US claimed that sending more troops was 
the key to bringing peace, Obama and Brown are proposing more 
war as necessary for their "exit strategy".

There is only one serious exit strategy: that is to recognise 
that Britain and the other Nato powers have no right to be in 
Afghanistan, and -- far from escalating the numbers -- Gordon 
Brown should be withdrawing all British troops now.

**********************************  
2) THE IRAQ INQUIRY CATCH PHRASE: "NOT ME, GUV'"

The evidence given to the Iraq Inquiry in its first week saw a 
series of establishment figures trying to absolve themselves  
of any blame for their part in the build up to war, implying  
all responsibility lay with Tony Blair.

It appears that Lord Goldsmith, the Attorney General who  
notoriously changed his advice about the legality of the war  
just days before the invasion, is getting his "not me, guv'"  
in early -- even before he appears at the inquiry. The details 
of a letter he wrote to Blair eight months before the 
invasion, in which he stated categorically that the war was  
illegal, were revealed over the weekend. You can read the  
details here: http://bit.ly/6Tk6w7

Apparently Gordon Brown is worried that in the run up to the  
general election all these revelations about Iraq will remind 
people of why they opposed  the war in the first place.

Stop the War is taking every opportunity to ensure that the  
issues remain in the public eye -- not least the key question 
of holding the war criminals to account.

Stop the War held a protest on the first day of the Chilcot  
inquiry, which received worldwide media coverage. (See 
http://bit.ly/5IYYCK). We will announce soon a major public  
meeting on the issue.

And we await with much anticipation the appearance of Tony  
Blair before the Iraq Inquiry -- likely to be in January or  
February -- when we will organise a large scale protest to  
ensure he is warmly welcomed.

**********************************  
3) VIVA PALESTINA THIS WEEKEND

On 27 December, the anniversary of Israel's barbaric invasion 
at the turn of 2009, convoys from Britain, the United States  
and Turkey, packed with aid donated by the people of those  
countries, will converge on Gaza to break the inhuman siege  
which prevents essential resources reaching Palestinians in  
the world's most densely populated area.

The British convoy leaves London this weekend. Details of the 
departure place and time will be available shortly on the Viva 
Palestina website: http://www.vivapalestina.org/

**********************************  
4) SUPPORT GROWING FOR MILITARY FAMILIES PROTEST

Support is continuing to build for the Military Families  
Against the War protest at Downing Street at 5pm on Monday 21 
December.

As well as many families who have lost loved ones in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, or have relatives serving in the Afghan war,  
there will be a number of former soldiers joining the protest, 
when the Bring the Troops Home petition will be handed in to  
Downing Street.

The military families also plan to demand to see Gordon Brown.

All the local Stop the War groups across the country have been 
asked to sponsor military families in their area to come down 
to the Downing Street protest and to send delegations in  
support.

The families are asking for the widest support possible.  
Please help publicise the event as widely as you can.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: http://bit.ly/4Z3eCR

**********************************  
5) THURSDAY 28 JANUARY: DATE FOR YOUR DIARY

Gordon Brown has announced that he is organising an  
international conference on Afghanistan in London on Thursday 
28 January 2010.

As well as organising a protest at Brown's conference, Stop  
the War will in response hold its own alternative meetings and 
conference. Please note the date now. We will publicise  
further details soon.

**********************************  
6) DON'T FORGET JOE GLENTON

Send messages of support to Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, in  
prison for speaking out against the Afghan war and facing  
court martial for refusing to return to Afghanistan.

* Email messages of support to: defendjoeglenton@gmail.com

* Write letters, cards to:  
Lance Corporal Joe Glenton  
Military Corrective Training Centre  
Berechurch Hall Camp  
Colchester CO2 9NU

**********************************  
7) XMAS PARTY: FROM BLIAR TO STOP BUSH 
If you live in London, Stop the War's Xmas party on Friday 11 
December is not to be missed. As well as food, drinks and  
music, the party takes place surrounded by a showcase of Stop 
the War's history, drawn from our archive which is now housed 
at the Bishopsgate Institute.

The displays will include many of the posters and placards  
going back to our earliest demonstrations, including the now  
iconic designs by artist David Gentleman, leaflets, pamphlets, 
press cutting, photographs etc.

Admission is free.

STOP THE WAR'S XMAS PARTY  
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER 7-10 PM  
BISHOPSGATE INSTITUTE 
230 BISHOPSGATE LONDON EC2M 4QH  
(Opposite Liverpool Street Station)

**********************************  
8) STOP THE WAR SONG OF THE WEEK

Our song of the week is I Come And Stand At Every Door by This 
Mortal Coil. The song puts to music the English translation of 
a poem by Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, which is a plea for peace 
from a seven-year-old girl who has perished in the atomic bomb 
attack at Hiroshima.

HEAR SONG OF THE WEEK: http://bit.ly/6gufI1

Anti-war soldier arrested: Protest now‏

STOP THE WAR COALITION 
NEWSLETTER  
No. 1125 11 November 2009  
Email office@stopwar.org.uk  
Tel: 020 7801 2768  
Web: http://.stopwar.org.uk  
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

IN THIS NEWSLETTER  
1) ANTI-WAR SOLDIER ARRESTED: PROTEST NOW  
2) MILITARY FAMILIES DELIVER PETITION TO GORDON BROWN

*******************************  
EMERGENCY PROTEST AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE  
DEFEND LANCE CORPORAL JOE GLENTON  
THURSDAY 12 NOVEMBER, 5PM  
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, WHITEHALL 
(OPPOSITE DOWNING STREET)  
Facebook Event - Please circulate: http://bit.ly/2h9IOf

*******************************

1) ANTI-WAR SOLDIER ARRESTED: PROTEST NOW

Lance Corporal Joe Glenton, the soldier who faces desertion  
charges for refusing to return to Afghanistan, has been  
arrested and charged with five further offences for leading  
Stop the War's demonstration in London on 24 October and for  
expressing his opposition to the media in defiance of orders.

The new charges carry a maximum of ten years imprisonment in  
addition to the sentence of three to four years that Joe could 
get if the desertion charge is upheld.

Joe's mother, Sue Glenton, has spoken out against his arrest: 
"You've got government ministers, army commanders and MPs  
speaking every day in support of the war. What's so scary  
about a Lance Corporal having his say? My son is only speaking 
out for what he thinks is right."

Joe's arrest and imprisonment are signs of panic by the  
government and military commanders, faced with an ever growing 
majority of the British public opposing the war and an 
increasing number of prominent voices in the media calling for 
the withdrawal of British troops.

A poll published in the Independent shows that only one in  
five voters believes that Britain's military presence in  
Afghanistan is helping to protect the country from terrorism, 
as Gordon Brown insists. The same poll shows that 48 percent  
of voters think the war in Afghanistan increases the risk of  
domestic terrorist attack.

Stop the War has launched a campaign to defend Joe Glenton and 
his right to freedom of speech. (For updates see  
http://www.stopwar.org.uk.)

A protest has been called outside the Ministry of Defence in  
Whitehall on Thursday 12 November at 5pm and we list below  
what you can do to support the only serving soldier who has so 
far had the courage to stand up for what many in the army  
believe; that this is a futile and unwinnable war.

WHAT YOU CAN DO:

* EMERGENCY PROTEST AT THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE 
If you live in London, please try to join the protest on  
Thursday 12 November, 5pm, at the Ministry of Defence, 
Whitehall (opposite Downing Street)  
FACEBOOK EVENT (Please circulate): http://bit.ly/2h9IOf

* WRITE TO DEFENCE SECRETARY BOB AINSWORTH  
EMAIL: defencesecretary@mod.uk or ainsworthr@parliament.uk  
WRITE: Secretary of State for Defence, Floor 5, Main Building, 
Whitehall, London, SW1A 2HB  
FAX: 020 7218 6538

* COLLECT PETITION SIGNATURES 
The Defend Joe Glenton petition can be downloaded here:  
http://bit.ly/10gDKb

* WRITE LETTERS OF SUPPORT TO JOE GLENTON  
Lance Corporal Joe Glenton  
Military Corrective Training Centre (MCTC)  
Berechurch Hall Camp  
Colchester  
Essex CO2 9NU

* EMAIL SUPPORT  
defendjoeglenton@gmail.com

*******************************  
2) MILITARY FAMILIES DELIVER PETITION TO GORDON BROWN

On 21 December, Stop the War's Bring the Troops Home Now  
petition will be delivered to Gordon Brown at Downing Street  
by soldiers, ex-soldiers and military families.

More than 15,000 have already signed,  but we want to get many 
more signatures  
before 21 December. You can sign online but we are also  
encouraging our supporters to download the petition and  
collect signatures among friends, work colleagues, fellow  
students, neighbours etc.

If you live in London, make a note of 21 December, as the  
soldiers, ex-soldiers and military families would welcome the 
widest support from the anti-war movement when they deliver  
the petition to Gordon Brown. (More details to follow soon.)

Protest Israeli PM Netanyahu meeting Gordon Brown‏

STOP THE WAR COALITION   
Email office@stopwar.org.uk  
Tel: 020 7801 2768  
Web: http://www.stopwar.org.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk

Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to meet British prime minister
Gordon Brown tomorrow in Downing Street.

PROTEST 1.30-3pm TOMORROW, Tuesday 25 August opposite Downing Street (nearest
tube Westminster)

Please come to send a clear message to Gordon Brown:
# Israeli settlements block peace – they must be dismantled, not just frozen
# End Israel’s siege on Gaza
# End Israel’s ethnic cleansing in East Jerusalem

If you are unable to come to the protest, write to Gordon Brown to insist that
real peace means delivering justice for the Palestinians. The British
government must act to ensure Israel ends its numerous violations of
international law.

# Fax a letter to 10 Downing Street : 020 7925 0918.
# Email David Miliband at the Foreign Office reaquesting his office convey your
message to the Prime Minister: msu.correspondence@fco.gov.uk

Solidarity needed with Ibrahim Avcil, arrested and assaulted by the police for protesting against the Dalston army showroom

Solidarity needed with the army showroom protestors arrested and charged by the police. Further to last week's peaceful protestor's arrest, please read below the circumstances of Ibrahim's arrest in June:

Please find below a text that I have written explaining the circumstance of my arrest by the Police. We will be having a vigil on the day I return for my bail which is Wednesday the 05th of August at 10.30am. The vigil will be hold in front of the Stoke Newington Police station. It has happened to me today, it could be anyone else tomorrow, so I beleive we shall not stay silent, and get organised against the attacks on our right to protest and organise.

I am writing this e-mail to make you aware of my arrest and what happened.

On Monday the 8^th of June 2009 at around 15.35, I was walking through the shopping centre coming from the Natwest Bank, together with my brother in Law. As I passed Sainsbury, I was approached by a member of the security personal, who pushed me from the chest and told me “You cant enter this building” when I asked why he said that I was banned from the building, I made my way again towards the exit, the security personal hold on to my arm, I refused he hold me from the back and tried to put me on to the floor, whilst calling the police, by the time the police came I saved my self from the security personal and asked him to “please call his manager”. The police came without a single question put a handcuff on my arm (A cross handcuff) and 2 other officers came as well, and they drag me inside the shopping centre to the police booth in the Ridley Road Market. While dragging me officer PC 284 (Lewington) and officer PC 485 who refused to give me his details I had to write it down myself used words such as “Bend down you wanker”, You Fucking Bustard” and as we entered the police booth the officer PC485 intentionally hit my head on the edge of the glass door. When we went in side officer PC485 made racist comments about my looks, and clearly said “Fuck of back to your country”, I said I am a British citizen and he said “He does not give a Fuck”.

Before letting me go they said they want to take me to Stoke Newington Police station but because apparently there was no space there they released on Bail and on the bail paper they wrote down the offence as “Burglary”. The officer asked me to sign the bail paper with cuffs on my hand I refused he took them of. Although I told them 10 x that my hands were about to brake they were laughing. They released me on Bail told me I am not allowed into the shopping centre, they gave me nothing in writing to confirm this. As I left the office on bail Ali Aksoy chair of HRF was there to pick me up, while officer PC 485 was going past us all he clearly said “Come to Stoke Newington police Station we will show you”.

I went to the hospital straight after the release report has been given to me after x rays and state, That” He has minor head injuries, he has been examined and is being treated for biletaral soft tissue injuriesof the wrists and a possible fracture of the bone, he has been given a wrist sprint and we will review the x rays on 12 June2009”.

I am an active person within the community and the chair of a well respected organisation within the community. These acts of the police are unacceptable, I am not able to work now until the doctors agree that I am safe to work.

I demand an investigation in to this matter as soon as possible, and I will do all I can to make it as public as I can.

Ibrahim Avcil

RWCA- Refugee Workers' Cultural Association
GIK-DER- Gocmen Isciler Kultur Dernegi

Protest: 6.15pm on Tuesday 14 July at the Petchey Academy Shacklewell Lane E8 2EY

The Army Presentation Team is holding an evening for invitees only at 6.15pm on Tuesday 14 July at the Petchey Academy Shacklewell Lane E8 2EY. This seems to be part of the attempt we have seen in respect of the Showroom in the Kingsland Shopping Centre to promote the Army but conceal the reality what is happening to soldiers and civilians in places like Afghanistan.

Hackney Stop the War will gather outside the Academy at 5.45pm to distribute material to those going to the meeting, urging the shut down of the Army Showroom in the Kingsland Shopping Centre, Dalston.
Please join us. Contact me for further details.

Gareth JenkinsSec.

Hackney Stop The War

IRAQ INQUIRY: PROTEST PARLIAMENT WED 24 JUNE

The scandal over Gordon Brown's decision to hold the Iraq war
inquiry in private has united in condemnation the most
unlikely people, including MPs, peers in the House of Lords,
military leaders, former civil servants, bereaved families and
even Sir Christopher Meyer, Britain's US ambassador at the
time the decision was taken to go to war.

The anger over this appalling decision has intensified with
the revelation that Tony Blair was behind Brown's decision to
have a completely secret inquiry (SEE http://bit.ly/oun55).

A motion calling for a public inquiry is to be debated in
parliament on Wednesday 24 June. Stop the War has called a
protest for 2pm at parliament to insist that there is a full
public inquiry, and not the whitewash Brown has planned,
prompted by Blair.

Stop the War is also asking all its local groups and
supporters to contact their MPs as a matter of urgency, by
letter, telephone, email or fax, and urge them to support the
call for a full public inquiry. A letter from Stop the War to
MPs can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/GqK1P

There is every chance that Brown will have to make at least a
partial U-turn, but -- as Sir Christopher Meyer says -- there
is no reason why the whole inquiry should not be held in
public. We also need an inquiry with the power to subpoena
witnesses under oath and it needs to be broadly based, rather
than comprising the five establishment toadies appointed by
Brown to produce a cover-up.

Time is short but we need to do all we can to maximise the
pressure on Brown to reverse his scandalous decision. The need
for a full public inquiry has been highlighted yet again by
the leaked government memo from January 2003, which reports on
a meeting between George Bush and Blair, at which they plotted
in secret to commit the supreme crime of an unprovoked act of
aggression. (SEE http://bit.ly/SvSFd)

PROTEST: PARLIAMENT
WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE 2PM
Please publicise as widely as possible.

CONTACT YOUR MP AND URGE HIM/HER TO PRESS
FOR A FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY