A paranoid police force; a Prime Minister who didn't mention the word "Iraq" once publicly; a huge effigy of the Bliar heaved through the streets of Manchester by 2000 anti-war demonstrators - that was the Labour Party's spring conference in Manchester. Behind one million pounds of security, Tony Blair demonstrated his state of denial. Not once did he mention Iraq in his whole speech. The biggest crisis of 50 years, he does a Basil Fawlty: "Don't mention the war".
Following the horrific bombings in Madrid it was vital that the anti-war voice was seen and heard. Our argument that Bush and Blair's war on terror would bring more terrorism had been brutally confirmed. The response of Blair, Blunkett and Straw? To ratchet up the attacks on civil liberties which will only further increase the cycle of violence and put our Muslim communities under further fear and subject them to even greater harassment.
However, the Spanish electorate demonstrated that our arguments, those of the global anti-war movement, whether here or abroad are those of the majority. A wholesale rejection of the warmongers. Anzar gone, Blair and Bush to follow. Spanish troops to be withdrawn from Iraq. Our responsibility is to achieve the same.
Many other "fringe" events went on including the publication and distribution of 10,000 copies of a spoof newsletter (and http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/
manchester/2004/03/286792.html) announcing an Anti-Social Behaviour Order placed on Tony Blair banning him from the city centre for threatening behaviour and actual bodily harm and satirising the government's increasingly desperate attempts to manipulate the media, highlighting the hysteria that has been whipped up over issues like asylum seekers, the war in Iraq and tuition fees. Elsewhere, three "dunces" (see photo on right) held a stunt which echoed Mao's persecution and humiliation of dissidents during China's cultural revolution, a tongue-in-cheek "March For Capitalism", anti-climate change street theatre complete with Ark, and the superheros from Fathers 4 Justice also made an appearance.
All in all a noisy conference...
well outside GMEX anyhow!
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