I’m not much for making loud noises (apart from musical ones), I hate crowds, and I have some serious ideological differences with some of the other participating protest groups. But I am sufficiently opposed to the way in which the movement towards war with Iraq is progressing that I’m seriously considering adding my presence to the thousands upon thousands that are likely to be marching in London this Saturday. (I’ve heard attendance estimates suggesting that this weekend’s march might top the Countryside Alliance march, and possibly the VE crowds in London. Mindboggling.)
And since I’ll be there anyway, why not make a day of it? So if any Dopers are also planning on marching, or even just coming by to gawp, perhaps we could have an unofficial Londope and meet up at some point for lunch/a pint/throwing trash bins at the police. I am, of course, joking about that last one.
Well, it sounds like it’ll be a truly internaitonal day of protest after all; this is where I’ll be:
International Day of Protest Against the War on Iraq
Feb 15, Saturday, 12 PM
Devon & Leavitt (2200 W. Devon), Chicago
In the heart of Chicago’s Pakistani Community
Co-sponsored by numerous organizations including Iraq Peace Pledge
I’ll be at work too, though may consider wondering down to Hyde Park (or wherever) in the afternoon. To Gawp mainly, though I don’t approve of the way we’re heading into war. I wonder what would be happening if all the oil had already dried up…
Could make it. Don’t know about marching - my feet hurt at the moment - but I could certainly turn up and gawp. And there’s nothing wrong with my drinking muscles.
I’ll be there, for all the sodding difference it’s likely to make. Like I was at the Countryside March, the previous countryside march, the Sportsman’s Alliance march. None of it makes the blindest bit of difference but I suppose it’s the only means of expressing an opinion that our absurd electoral system allows.
Not sure about me, irons in the fire … man about a dog … fish to fry …’least I’ll have updates from this thread, now.
Are they still talking of up to 500,000 ? … that’s a *lot * of people
Oh, there’s nothing wrong with socialist workers - I’m one myself, in that I’m a socialist who works for a living. My experience of the SWP, though, is that it’s full of ranting idiots and upper-class mummy’s boys with double-barrelled names, and I do not need these people telling me I’m not revolutionary enough.
Right. Enough politics, let’s talk about something important, like where are the best (Doper-friendly) pubs near Hyde Park?
One branch of the march is starting on the Embankment, so we might try the pub where the last Londope was (the Silver Moon? something like that). It’s far enough away from the crowds that it mightn’t be too packed, and if we’re enjoying ourselves we could wait and pick up the march as it comes up Whitehall.
And the ones in Cardiff, Oxford, London, in fact they’ve been a big pain in the arse wherever I’ve encountered them.
"Soo’list waaakaaa? Soo’list waaakaaa? ring ring Oh hi Tristan, no, Mumsie’s with the geegees at the mo’. Yah, me and Crispin are going to a sit-in later, it’ll be sotch fon. Ciao!
Soo’list waaakaaa?"
Anyway, I’m not a socialist, so I’ve even more right to be annoyed with an association with them.
