Yesterday I went on the stop the war march in London. I joined the march at Westminster and shuffled along for hours afterwards. Actually was quite cathartic to do so -- I wanted to register my abhorrence of the current warmongering.
I've never seen so many people in my life. Estimates vary -- but some sources say there was up to two million people on the street in London -- and I could well believe it. Regardless of the figures this is the largest demonstration ever seen in Britain. What was impressive was that it was very peaceful, and good humoured too.
I felt quite strange marching. Made me feel like a student again. But one thing emerged for me: I am not a natural protester. The sheer weight of numbers was making me feel claustrophobic. It was also very cold, and the movement of the march was extremely slow. It took one hour to walk down Kingsway -- a short street in London that you could normally walk down in two minutes. And the fact I went to the march on my own meant that I had nobody close to share the experience with.
Interesting how may issues were shoehorned into the one march. Near where I walked near a group whose main agenda was clearly about freeing Palestine. Although these issues are completely linked. Having said that there were all kinds of people protesting. When I boarded my train at Kew Station I was pleased to see a group of whose average age was about 65. A middle-aged couple near me had portable folding stools, so they were able to sit down when the march grew stationary -- that's what I call forward planning.
The march seems to have tempered the tone that Blair is taking. I don't think it will change the world, but it was a good reminder to those in power in the UK that something like 4% of the country's entire population took to the street in London and elsewhere to oppose the slide into war.
Saw my brother Toby last night. Was great to see him. He said he watches a lot of CNN and other US stations in Canada, and that the propaganda there is incredible on the media. People are not getting both sides of the story.
It's all desperately sad. And I really like America and the Americans. My family is partly American, and it is terrible to see such a marvellous country -- that has for so many people around the world has been a beacon of democracy and personal aspiration -- being led in this way.
I've never seen so many people in my life. Estimates vary -- but some sources say there was up to two million people on the street in London -- and I could well believe it. Regardless of the figures this is the largest demonstration ever seen in Britain. What was impressive was that it was very peaceful, and good humoured too.
I felt quite strange marching. Made me feel like a student again. But one thing emerged for me: I am not a natural protester. The sheer weight of numbers was making me feel claustrophobic. It was also very cold, and the movement of the march was extremely slow. It took one hour to walk down Kingsway -- a short street in London that you could normally walk down in two minutes. And the fact I went to the march on my own meant that I had nobody close to share the experience with.
Interesting how may issues were shoehorned into the one march. Near where I walked near a group whose main agenda was clearly about freeing Palestine. Although these issues are completely linked. Having said that there were all kinds of people protesting. When I boarded my train at Kew Station I was pleased to see a group of whose average age was about 65. A middle-aged couple near me had portable folding stools, so they were able to sit down when the march grew stationary -- that's what I call forward planning.
The march seems to have tempered the tone that Blair is taking. I don't think it will change the world, but it was a good reminder to those in power in the UK that something like 4% of the country's entire population took to the street in London and elsewhere to oppose the slide into war.
Saw my brother Toby last night. Was great to see him. He said he watches a lot of CNN and other US stations in Canada, and that the propaganda there is incredible on the media. People are not getting both sides of the story.
It's all desperately sad. And I really like America and the Americans. My family is partly American, and it is terrible to see such a marvellous country -- that has for so many people around the world has been a beacon of democracy and personal aspiration -- being led in this way.
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