This site is affiliated to the Greater Manchester Against War In The Balkans coalition, supporting the UK's Committee for Peace in the Balkans
This site is affiliated to the Greater
Manchester Against War In The Balkans coalition, supporting the UK's Committee
for Peace in the Balkans
Add your support to the Anti-war movement - AFFILIATE
NOW!
Demo Listings...
Organisations affiliated to Greater Manchester
Against War in the Balkans :
Greater Manchester CND,
Manchester District Socialist Workers Party,
Greater Manchester Socialist Alliance,
Manchester Community Health UNISON,
MSF Greater Manchester Community (0245) Branch,
Manchester Socialist Campaign Group,
MSF ICL Manchester,
Manchester City Council UNISON,
Greater Manchester FBU,
North West Region NATFHE,
Chorlton Against War,
Salford Against War,
Stockport Committee for Peace in the Balkans...
Is your organisation opposed to the war? Affiliate now and add your voice to the growing cry for peace.
Background News:
Appeal for funds for the anti war movement
Billions have been spent on bombs and missiles by Blair and Clinton to further Nato's war in the Balkans. Speculation that NATO will send in ground troops equipped with fighting vehicles and helicopters has helped buoy share values in most of the major arms manufacturing companies. Shares in British Aerospace and Smiths Industries climbed 10% in the first months of the war.
Almost every newspaper and TV station repeats the pro-bombing pro-war line. In contrast, although over a third of people polled in Britain are against the war, our anti-war opinions and protests receive little coverage in the media. We need to build a bigger anti war movement so we can not be ignored.
Greater Manchester Against War in the Balkans has been organising protests, meetings and anti- war events all over the region since the first day of the bombing. We support the national demonstrations and initiatives from the Committee for Peace in the Balkans chaired by Alice Mahon, MP for Halifax. We have no media barons, arms profiteers or wealthy politicians behind us.
The anti war movement needs funding. We need money for printing, posters and placards. We need to subsidise transport for students, youth and those without income. We ask you and your organisation to affiliate to us. Please make a donation. Invest in a war free future.
Make cheques payable to GMAWITB. Send to:
GMAWITB
c/o CND
6 Mount St.
M2 5NS
Tel John Nicholson, GMAWITB Treasurer on 0161 224 4197
Please include contact details so we can provide you with further updates of the campaign in your area.
Manchester Evening News
Postbag, Tuesday May 11, 1999.
email: postbag@mcr-evening-news.co.uk
How you voted on bombing Serbia
" We asked yesterday if you thought the bombing of Serbia following the
strike on the Chinese embassy was proving to be a shambles. A large majority
of readers thought that it was."
YES 85%
NO 15%
Chorlton Against The War - 60 people heard Frank Allaun (former Salford MP), John Nicholson (Socialist Alliance), Colin Barker (Socialist Workers Party) call for an end to war and no ground troops on May 19. A coach has been organised from Chorlton to go to the national demonstration on June 5th in london.
Salford Against The War - On Thursday May 20 over 60 people heard Frank Allaun, John Nicholson, Basic Landau (CND) and Chris Bambery (SWP) call for an end to spending on war (£2 million a day) when Labour won't even pay for disability benefits (cuts of £700 milion over the next 10 years - equal to half the cost of one stealth bomber); and the meeting heard a Greek student explain how 95% of Greece is against the war and holding hundreds of demonstrations every day. A Salford coach to national demonstration has also been organised.
Debate: Kosovo in Crisis - New Just War or Old Imperialism? Was held on Tue 18 May 5.30pm, Sudents Union, Oxford Road. Speakers against the war were Dick Withecombe and Pat Stack (SWP). Despite the fact that none of the invited pro-war speakers were willing to turn up and put their view across, the debate was nevertheless lively and infomative. About 130 people turned up to air their views or simply listen to other people's. Organised by Manchester University Students Against War in the Balkans
|
PROTESTORS held a rally outside
Manchester's Chinese consulate last night, calling for an end
to the Nato bombing. Members of Greater Manchester Against War in the
Balkans handed a letter of condolence to Mr Li Yong Chuan, the Chinese
consul in Manchester, who joined the protesters in calling for a halt
to Nato's bombing. Taken from the Manchester Evening News, Tuesday 12 May 1999 |
 |
15-20,000 people demonstrated in London against the war on Saturday 8th May. This was the third – and biggest – demonstration organised nationally.
Four Manchester coaches joined the protest and heard MPs Tony Benn and Alice Mahon, Mark Steel (formerly of the Guardian), Bruce Kent (CND), Germaine Greer (writer) and many others indicate their opposition to the war.
All speakers made clear that the Labour Government has no business backing NATO and the USA war-mongering:
-
The bombing has only made things worse for the Kosovan people;
- The Asylum Bill is
only making things worse for all refugees;
- And the escalation
of the conflict will only makes things worse for everyone in Europe.
John Nicholson one of the organisers of the Greater Manchester Against War in the Balkans said:
“This shows that there is a huge current of opinion which wants to see an immediate end to bombing and war and an immediate beginning of media coverage of the protest movement, especially in the regions outside London.
“The momentum for peace is growing, not the momentum for war. NATO wants us to believe that we who protest are isolated individuals. But NATO knows there is no wide support for escalating the war – that is why it is blocking media coverage of protest and why it talks about needing to “prepare” public opinion for use of troops.
“We are here to say that this is unacceptable. We are here to say “no” to NATO’s war. And we are here to stay until there is peace.”
Last Thursday (May 6th) 200 people demonstrated against the BBC, at Oxford Road in Manchester. The media have made themselves into a legitimate target; they have failed to cover the protest movement and they continue to back up Clinton and Blair. The first casualty of war is truth. The collateral damage is the collapse of the liberal media in the face of war. No wonder in America they call it the “Liberals’ War”.
Rally on Albert Bridge Thursday
3rd June 6pm NATO bombs have destroyed every bridge joining the two sides
of the Serbian cities of Belgrade and Novi Sad. We were told that the war was
to help the Kosovar refugees, but how has bombing factories, hospitals, buses,
trains, marketplaces, and bridges helped ? This war is really about demonstrating
the "credibility of NATO".
Since the bombing began there have been more refugees and their situation has
worsened. While Blair's government has been quick to provide bombs and missiles,
aid and help for the refugees has been slow and provision poor. Refugees are
to receive disgusting treatment under the new Asylum Bill being pushed through
parliament by new Labour.
Join our rally on Albert Bridge, on Bridge St. off Deansgate. Albert Bridge
is the bridge between Manchester and Salford. Bring your banners.
Bridge Occupation... We plan to occupy a bridge in Manchester during the day on June 6. As promised, we will tell you how to find out about this - head down to Albert Bridge (see above) and you will find out from there where the occupation is at (look to the right as you approach from Manchester). By the way, hello to Bootle Street Police Station officers - I'm glad to know you find our site of interest. Pop down and show your support for the anti-war movement by joining in the cry for peace.
Gorton Against The War
Launch meeting Wednesday 2nd June, 8pm. Community Room, Gorton North
Neighbourhood Office, Garratt Way.
Invited speakers include: CND, SWP, Greater Manchester
Against War in the Balkans
Launch statement: We demand Tony Blair withdraws support for NATO's
bombing of the Balkans which has worsened the plight of the Kosovan refugees,
and strengthened support for the Milosevic regime. Continuation of the bombing
threatens to spark a wider conflict in the region. We extend a warm welcome
to the Kosovan refugees and their families. We demand that the Labour government
reduces the expenditure on weapons, and increases spending on aid and welfare
to benefit the people of Britain and the Balkans.
Contact Gorton Against the War: Ian on 0161 231 5827
Stockport Committee for Peace in the Balkans: composed of representatives of CND, members of the SWP, officers of the Labour Party (in a personal capacity), and the Labour Party Campaign Group. Full details of acitivities planned below:
Public
Meeting, Friday 21st May, Speaker: Audrey Wise MP. Stop the bombing. End
the War. Stockport Friends Meeting House, Cooper Street
Weekly petitioning
and mass leaflet, 11am-1pm each Saturday, Stockport Precinct (near Sainsbury's)
Lobby of Anne Coffey
MP Surgery, Friday May 4th, Brinnington Labour Club (time to be confirmed)
Stockport Coach June
5th (in conjunction with GMAWITB) for National Demonstration organised by
Committee for Peace in the Balkans
For more details contact the Secretary: John Cutts 494 8468
Petitions Against the War (download your own...), 2.00 every Sat, Market St Manchester
(and, p.s., to the BBC … we will be back.)
National Anti-war Acivities:
Weekly pickets of Downing Street 6pm - 7pm every Thursday Whitehall - opposite 10 Downing Street (Westminster Tube) Bring your banners
Call for Truth from the Ministry of Lies Thursday 20 May 6.30pm Ministry of Defence, Whitehall, London SW1 (Westminster Tube)
Benefit Night at the Hackney Empire - Say no to Nato Bombs With: Jeremy Hardy, Linda Smith, John Hegley, Mark Steel, Germaine Greer, Seddik Sebiri, and other special guests Sunday 23 May Tickets £8/£6 concessions Box office: 0181 985 2424
National Demonstration against the
bombing Saturday 5th June London: Assemble 1.30pm, Victoria Embankment
(Embankment tube).
Central Manchester coaches leave Chorlton st Bus Station at 7am
TICKETS: £15 solidarity / £10 waged / £5 unwaged.
Make cheques to "GMAWITB" and send to: CND c/o Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount
Street, Manchester M2 5NS Disabled access coach.
Further details from CND 834 8301
Further information on national activities: Committee
for Peace in the Balkans.
Contacts: Mark 0161 881 7352,
CND 0161 834 8301,
John 0161 224 4197
email: webmaster@mawitb.freeserve.co.uk