Anti-war coalition leaders, emboldened by the massive turnout at peace rallies in London and around the world, are planning to try to shut Britain down should Tony Blair defy public opinion and go to war without a UN resolution.
"We want people to walk out of their offices, strike, sit down, occupy buildings, demonstrate, take direct action and do whatever they think fit the moment war starts," said Lindsey German of the Stop the War Coalition yesterday.
"We want to completely close down Whitehall and prevent the Ministry of Defence going to work. At 6pm on the first evening after the bombing starts, there will be demonstrations and vigils all over the country, to be followed by another march with CND on the first weekend after war starts."
The coalition will decide over the next few days whether or not to call for a local "day of action" which would be an invitation for younger, militant groups around Britain to take direct action.
Last year, with considerably smaller support, a similar call led to more than 300 demonstrations, including university occupations and wildcat strikes.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,12809,897155,00.html
In my comments on SWP (UK's) improved united front style of work I may have given the impression of some reformism. However in their article on "After Saturday's March - What you can do to stop the war" in the latest Socialist Worker they say
"It means making opposition to war visible, with leaflets, stickers, badges, posters, meetings and protests in your area and workplace.
If Blair does go to war we need to make it as hard as possible to prosecute that war.
We need to act immediately to create a wave of mass civil resistance across Britain.
We need to seriously discuss college occupation, mass protests, and walkouts and strikes to stop the war machine.
One small example of what can be done was the magnificent action of the train drivers in Motherwell who refused to drive ammunition trains.
We want to see that kind of example magnified a thousandfold to stop the warmongers."
http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/1838/sw183803.htm
I do not know what part the SWP plays in the Stop the War coalition. But the above is not a posturing call for a General Strike to bring down New Labour and introduce Socialism. It appears close to the mood of the most militant of the anti-war movement, but sensitive to the need to be able to bring in more behind it, if the mood turns considerably more serious.
Chris Burford
London
