On the 31 October 2002 a series of
anti-war
An anti-war movement (also ''antiwar'') is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term anti-war can also refer to pa ...
and
anti-capitalist
Anti-capitalism is a political ideology and Political movement, movement encompassing a variety of attitudes and ideas that oppose capitalism. In this sense, anti-capitalists are those who wish to replace capitalism with another type of economi ...
protests, generally focusing on the
planned war on Iraq took place across the
UK and the
United States.
There is some dispute over who called and built the
UK protests, the
Stop the War Coalition attempted to co-opt the protests which were actually the results of work by various activists from differing socialist and anarchist strains and not just one campaign.
United Kingdom
The first of the protests took place during the morning rush hour at the
Menai Suspension Bridge
The Menai Suspension Bridge ( cy, Pont y Borth, Pont Grog y Borth) is a suspension bridge spanning the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and the mainland of Wales. Designed by Thomas Telford and completed in 1826, it was the world's f ...
between
Anglesey and
Wales blocking the traffic.
In London people dressed as ghosts marched on the
Parliament of the United Kingdom and succeeded in projecting "No war on Iraq" on the
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parli ...
, and took part in ''
direct action
Direct action originated as a political activist term for economic and political acts in which the actors use their power (e.g. economic or physical) to directly reach certain goals of interest, in contrast to those actions that appeal to oth ...
'' against those
corporations whom they perceived as likely to benefit from the
war in Iraq.
According to the UK
Independent Media Centre
The Independent Media Center, better known as Indymedia, is an open publishing network of activist journalist collectives that report on political and social issues. Following beginnings during the 1999 Carnival Against Capital and 1999 Seattle ...
, "
ound 150 different events included
critical mass bike rides, occupations, and mass demonstrations in
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
,
Manchester,
Glasgow and
London"London Students Anti-War March"
IMC'ista, Indymedia UK
The Independent Media Center, better known as Indymedia, is an open publishing network of activist journalist collectives that report on political and social issues. Following beginnings during the 1999 Carnival Against Capital and 1999 Seattle ...
, 1 November, 2002 and many other places." and " University occupations also took place at Manchester, Sheffield, Cambridge, Colchester Sixth Form
Colchester ( ) is a city in Essex, in the East of England. It had a population of 122,000 in 2011. The demonym is Colcestrian.
Colchester occupies the site of Camulodunum, the first major city in Roman Britain and its first capital. Colchest ...
, Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
, SOAS
SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury are ...
and UCL and the LSE in London."
United States
Protests in the US were against both the planned invasion of Iraq issue and the Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement then under negotiation.
Disobedients
Disobedients was a network set up to protest the upcoming War on Iraq
{{Infobox military conflict
, conflict = Iraq War {{Nobold, {{lang, ar, حرب العراق (Arabic) {{Nobold, {{lang, ku, شەڕی عێراق (Kurdish languages, Kurdish)
, partof = the Iraq conflict (2003–present), I ...
during 2002 and early 2003. It was a loose knit group of grass roots activists adopting the PGA PGA is an acronym or initialism that may stand for:
Aviation
* IATA code for Page Municipal Airport, Coconino County, Arizona
* ICAO designator for Portugália, regional airline based in Lisbon, Portugal
* Abbreviation for Prince George Airport ...
hallmarks.
Protests it organised included the Halloween 2002 anti-war protest in London, and the Old Street Roundabout
Old Street Roundabout is a road junction in Central London, England. Historically a square roundabout, it is now a three-way junction. It is among access points of the London Inner Ring Road, Inner Ring Road for the adjoining St Luke's, Islingt ...
protest that occurred the day after the War in Iraq started.
See also
* Protests against the Iraq War
Beginning in late 2002, and continuing after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, large-scale protests against the Iraq War were held in many cities worldwide, often coordinated to occur simultaneously around the world. After the biggest series of demon ...
Notes
References
Anti-war protests under way
BBC news, Thursday, 31 October, 2002
Disobedients' Callout
Indymedia report
StWC reports on the day
* Stop the War: the story of Britain's biggest mass movement, Andrew Murray and Lindsey German,
{{Protests against the Iraq War
Protest marches
Protests against the Iraq War
2002 protests