UK Trip Post-Mortem, Part 4

[khaosworks]

The irony is, the last place I had planned to be on that day was a peace rally. I had even told playingpossum, who was planning to be there with her classmates, that I wanted to know when it started and where so I could avoid it.

That morning, 15 February, my plans are, even more ironically, to visit the Imperial War Museum to check out their exhibits on the Special Operations Executive and Special Forces during World War II and beyond. I pick up a copy of the Times at my local newsagents, though, to check up on the state of the Wannabe War, and spot Matthew Parris' column. Parris was my favorite columnist in the Times when I was an undergrad (he's stopped now, but still writes books and snarkily comments from the sidelines) - a former Conservative MP, his political commentaries were always witty and cogent. The first line of his column today reads, "If I were in Britain today, I would be in Hyde Park."

Then I think to myself, first of all what kind of a historian would I be if I passed up a chance to see history? I've watched peace rallies on television, I've seen the anti-Vietnam war demonstrations and admired the courage of these people to stand up for their convictions. I've been railing against the war often enough in private and on this journal. And here I was going to avoid the rally entirely because it was inconvenient? This wasn't just London, mind - this was an organized movement and there were demonstrations planned internationally. Where's the courage of my convictions now? At least get the goddamn T-shirt. At least be able to say you saw it happen, whatever it was.

Fuck this, I think. I'm going. I ride the Picadilly Line down to Hyde Park Corner, and discover there that they're shutting the station down in anticipation of the march, so it's exit only. Committed, I step through the Hyde Park gates as the first of the protestors start moving in en masse along the paved footpath, between barriers set up by wary looking police officers, some on horseback. I try to call playingpossum on my cel several times, to see if we can meet up (more importantly, to ask if she has her camera with her and to make sure she's okay in the crowd) but she doesn't answer. Set up along the path are also makeshift tables where various organizations - the Socialist Workers, are offering petitions and literature. Never quite one for socialist tendencies (except for an brief flirtation in Junior High), I head for the Stop The War Coalition stand, get the T-shirt, get the "Don't Attack Iraq" badge, and firmly join the line marching deeper into the park.

The mood is anticipatory, and there's a sense of potentiality in the air, like something momentous is about to happen. The crowd is still relatively thin, and we're moving along very orderly. I'm surrounded by students carrying placards, white-haired old women, middle-aged people who have obviously participated in peace marches of years and decades past. I see parents with kids and toddlers in tow or in strollers. I have the urge to walk up to one of the kids and say, "First rally? Mine too." I see a bunch of students dressed in clothes straight out of "Hair" singing along to one of their number playing "Come on, people now - smile on your brother - everybody get together - gotta love one another right now...".

The signs belong to various organizations. The MAB, obviously some Muslim group, signs say "FREE PALESTINE". The Socialists' accuse Bush and Blair of being war criminals. The Student CND have their own signs as well, and the Coalition's proclaim, "NOT IN MY NAME", as the Daily Mirror has its own signs coupled with advertising - a bit tacky. There are the home-made ones, of course. There're the Palestinian flags waving, the keffiyehs - the traditional Palestinian scarf - being worn. There's the marker-pen scrawled "No Blood For Oil", and my personal favorite, spotted several times over, a picture of Blair with a teapcup on his head holding an assault rifle with the legend, "MAKE TEA, NOT WAR". People have dressed up for the occasion, there are a few in wheelchairs pushed along by caregivers, there're others who ride on improvised vehicles, some which look like a Rube Goldberg skateboard nightmare, blaring music as they roll along.

Everybody's here! I feel a swell of emotion and pride. As we near the center of the park, and the crowd starts really to pack up, until I'm one in a sea of faces, and so short I sometimes can't even see the screens they've put up broadcasting what's happening from a stage they set up for speakers. Everybody's here! As speaker after speaker takes up the mike to say how proud they are to be here, the trade unionists threatening industrial action to shut down the war machine if Blair decides to go to war, the Muslim activists praising Allah and greeting comrades in the same breath, the Christian bishop saying that Bush's militant brand of Christianity is not one he subscribes to, the anti-war Labour MPs, the Welsh national party, the old CND veterans. Everybody's here!

It's what one of the speakers, I can't remember who, says, to cheers: "If it was just the Socialists who turned up, they'd say it was just the loony left. If it was just the Muslims, they'd say it was just the fundamentalists. If just CND had shown up, they'd say it was the liberals. But everyone's here." And I cheer.

That, Mr Bush, Mr Blair, and the rest of you war party supporters, that says something. This isn't a fringe movement. This isn't a few disgruntled peaceniks. This is the people you're listening to here. The Times says we're 750,000 people. Sky Television would estimate 1.5 million. Other sources say 2 million. I'd say a million looks just about right from where I'm standing. A million people - from all walks, all races, all creeds, all political affiliations, who have seen past the rhetoric. They may not all agree politically, or even ideologically, but they all agree on one thing - No War. Not In My Name.

On my right is a man of either Indian or Arab descent with an MAB placard and a cup of coffee. On my left is a businesswoman in a power suit who takes the occasional call on her cel phone. In front of me is a white-haired lady in a windbreaker. Next to her is a man with his dog sitting obdiently on the muddy grass while we listen to the speakers. He drinks a bottle of what appears to be Coke, and I do a double take when I see the Arabic lettering on the bottle - turns out one of the sponsors of the rally is Mecca Cola. Behind me there are a bunch of students, and next to them are a couple with kids. One, a girl asks, "When are we going to start singing?" And it's all peaceful here, all orderly, some high spirited chanting, but even the cops don't look tense anymore and some are talking to the protestors, even.

I don't know how it'll look in the clear light of day, but from what I see right now, in Hyde Park, Blair is in real trouble for the next election. Ironically, he has united the country - against him. As Tariq Ali says in a speech, it is time for a regime change: Blair. The man hasn't even bothered to show up. As I later find out, he wasn't even in town, but in Glasgow. The word "pussy" doesn't even being to describe it.

"We know who gave Iraq the weapons!" shouts one speaker, "Donald Rumsfeld gave Iraq those weapons!"

Ultimately, I was there. Tony Benn is quoted later as saying, "50 years from now, people will ask, were you really there?" And yeah, I was. And it was glorious. I find out later 6 million across the world will march for peace. It feels good to be able to say I at least showed up to show my support, and that I was a witness to, and a part of, the largest peace demonstrations in history. Hey, I have the T-shirt to prove it.

After a couple of hours, with the speeches still going on and people still spilling in to Hyde Park, I head out towards Marble Arch, where the streets are packed with more people going to and leaving the demonstration. With the Central Line out, I take the bus down to Tottenham Court Road station where I pick up an faux Arsenal scarf, with the proprietor of the stand telling me eagerly that Arsenal have beaten Manchester United in the 5th Round FA Cup match 2-0. As if the day weren't perfect enough already.

Yes, in the end, I did pop by the Imperial War Museum. No, there's no contradiction - the IWM doesn't glorify war - it's pretty objective as a display of the horrors of it. You need to remind yourself what it is you're trying to avoid. Anyway, I had to see the exhibits - I leave in two days.

Next: Last rites.

Comments

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Wow.

A.
wowed

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

If only I could believe that all this would make any difference, that the Shrub and Blair would pay any attention...

Because I don't think they're listening. Or they're simply not hearing.

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

To be ignored is sad, and frustrating.

But to not have tried to get them to listen at all would have been a tragedy.

Happy to have been there

[mdlbear]

Being part of a large, peaceful demonstration is inspiring. Being part of one of hundreds across the globe, with millions of people participating, was awe-inspiring.

I wish I could believe that it will do much good, but it's one of those things you just have to do regardless.

Right place, right time

[(Anonymous)]

Good for you. It's fortunate that you happened to be in London at the time. I don't suppose that there was any such demonstration in Singapore.

Re: Right place, right time

[khaosworks.livejournal.com]

Actually...

http://www.singapore-window.org/sw03/030215a1.htm