Stop the War welcomes the acknowledgement by the Metropolitan Police that it has no power or right to ban Saturday’s demonstration. Any other decision would have represented a capitulation to political pressure by the government and would not have been accepted by the movement of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
This has been an entirely confected row. There was never any suggestion of marching on Remembrance Sunday, nor of demonstrating anywhere near the Cenotaph on Saturday. The vast protests in solidarity with the people of Gaza have been almost entirely peaceful. The demand to prohibit the march rested on nothing other than the fact that a far-right Home Secretary does not like our message. Down that route lies the demise of democracy.
Saturday’s march too will be peaceful and will restore the focus to where it should be – the suffering in Gaza and the urgent need for the British government to support a ceasefire. We urge the largest possible turnout for Gaza on Saturday.
We would thank those tens of thousands who have made it clear that, like Stop the War, they were determined to march for peace on Saturday come what may. We must remain vigilant since the right-wing media and politicians will doubtless continue to seek to disrupt or suppress our movement.
