GLOBAL DAY FOR EGYPT: SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY

STOP THE WAR COALITION
Newsletter No.1188
08 February 2011
Email office@stopwar.org.uk
Tel: 020 7801 2768
Web: http://stopwar.org.uk
Twitter: http://twitter.com/STWuk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/stopthewarcoalition

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
1) GLOBAL DAY FOR EGYPT: SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY
2) WHY STOP THE WAR SUPPORTS THE EGYPTIAN UPRISING
3) PACKED MEETING TO DEFEND WIKILEAKS
4) AFGHANISTAN: HIDDEN FROM VIEW BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
5) DAVID CAMERON PLAYS THE ISLAMOPHOBIA CARD
6) STOP THE WAR: THE MOVIE AND THE BOOK

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1) GLOBAL DAY FOR EGYPT: SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY

Amnesty International and the TUC have called a demonstration
this Saturday 12 February in Trafalgar Square, 12noon to 2pm, as
part of the global day for Egypt.

Stop the War urges all its supporters to join this demonstration
and to do everything possible to publicise it as widely as
possible.

The situation in Egypt remains critical. The protests are
stronger than ever, not just in Cairo, but across the country.
It's estimated that up to eight million may have joined the
protests. But there are reports of many leading activists being
arrested and Mubarak's strategy is clearly to slowly re-assert
the regime's authority.

An international show of support this Saturday can make a
difference. London is just one of the solidarity protests that
will be taking place worldwide. The need to mobilise the biggest
possible turnout cannot be over stated.

EGYPT: IN SOLIDARITY - IN DEFIANCE
DEMONSTRATE SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY 12-2PM
TRAFALGAR SQUARE, LONDON

FOR UPDATES SEE:
Stop the War: http://bit.ly/4E1s)
Amnesty International: http://bit.ly/1L1pwn
TUC: http://bit.ly/hkJPSB

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2) WHY STOP THE WAR SUPPORTS THE EGYPTIAN UPRISING

Introducing Tariq Ali at Stop the War's emergency demonstration
for Egypt on 5 February, Andrew Murray, the national chair of
Stop the War Coalition, said:

"A few people are asking why Stop the War is organising in
support of the Egyptian people. One of the reasons is because we
were founded to oppose the "war on terror". And without the
corrupt puppet regime of Mubarak and those like him in the Middle
East, there could have been no 'war on terror'. And when they are
overthrown, there will be no 'war on terror'". (VIDEO of speeches
by Tariq Ali, John Rees and others, here: http://bit.ly/dTMlgK )

The uprising in Egypt is such an inspirational movement against
dictatorship, that it was hardly surprising that it was standing
room only at Stop the War's solidarity rally at Conway Hall last
Wednesday. Over 400 people came to hear eyewitness reports from
Cairo, Egyptian speakers, and others explain the significance of
the movement to topple Hosni Mubarak. (VIDEO of speeches by
George Galloway, Lowkey and others, here: http://bit.ly/dTMlgK)

Three days later around a thousand protestors marched from the US
embassy to join hundreds more at the Egyptian embassy in Mayfair
calling for Mubarak to go and an end to US and British support
for the regime.

Around the country, there have been local protests and meetings
organised by Stop the War groups, including in Manchester,
Newcastle, Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol and Edinburgh.

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3) PACKED MEETING TO DEFEND WIKILEAKS

On 7 February, the second packed Stop the War public meeting
within a week filled the Conway Hall to hear Tariq Ali, Tony
Benn, Jemima Khan and Lindsey German make the case for why we
should give our unqualified support to Wikileaks; to Julian
Assange, who is in court fighting against deportation; and to
Bradley Manning, who has been in solitary confinement in a US
military prison for nine months, without charge and under
inhumane conditions. (VIDEO of the speeches, here:
http://bit.ly/ftxPZX )

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4) AFGHANISTAN: HIDDEN FROM VIEW BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

Hardly mentioned in the mainstream media, two more British
soldiers were killed over the weekend in Afghanistan, bringing
the total to 352.

The US military is now engaged in the most brutal assault in
Southern Afghanistan, trying to overwhelm the resistance, but
according to the latest poll only serving to drive the local
people into supporting the Taliban.

The "we had to destroy the town to save it" strategy used by the
US in Vietnam has now quite literally been adopted in Afghanistan
(SEE The United States Wipes Afghan Town Off the Map:
http://bit.ly/fl6DSZ )

US and British politicians are now playing down the much heralded
troop withdrawals beginning this July, which will be little more
than cosmetics to try and disguise the lack of a military
breakthrough.

Stop the War is calling for a day of protest against the
continuing occupation on Saturday 12 March. We will also be
organising a one day conference in June on Afghanistan and the
"war on terror". More details on both events to follow soon.

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5) DAVID CAMERON PLAYS THE ISLAMOPHOBIA CARD

David Cameron's speech attacking Muslim organisations and the
very concept of multiculturalism could not have been more
provocatively timed, coming on the day that The English Defence
League (EDL) was mobilising with the intention of terrorising the
Luton Muslim community.

Fortunately, local Muslims, together with anti-racists from Unite
Against Fascism, the trade union movement and other
organisations, mobilised successfully to prevent the EDL going on
the rampage.

However, the issue of Islamophobia, so disgracefully inflamed by
Cameron's speech, is a major concern. Stop the War has always
seen the scapegoating of Muslims as integral to the "war on
terror", and it is alarming how prevalent anti-Muslim views have
become, both from politicians and within the media. (SEE David
Cameron Stoking the Fires of Islamophobia: http://bit.ly/ewkXe1 )

Last year, Stop the War held a successful conference on the issue
of Islamophobia and How to Fight It. In May we will be organising
what we hope will be an even bigger event. Details to follow very
soon.

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6) STOP THE WAR: THE MOVIE AND THE BOOK

Stop the War will be 10 years old this September. Since we were
founded to oppose the "war on terror", we have organised
thousands of demonstrations, meetings, rallies and other events,
nationally and locally, including on Iraq, Afghanistan,
Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, and now Egypt.

Stop the War will be producing a graphic history book of the work
of the Coalition and we are working with the Islam Channel in the
making of a new film documentary on our founding after 11
September 2001.

If you have any film footage, audio, photographs, images,
leaflets, posters, placards, scrapbooks -- we are interested in
anything you think should be included in the film or book
presentation of our history.

For the documentary we are particularly interested in materials
for the following events in 2001:

* The first Stop the War meetings held at Friends Meeting House
in Euston on 14 September, 21 September and 25 September 2001;
* The first Stop the War demonstration of 50,000 organised by CND
on Saturday 13 October 2001;
* The second Stop the War demonstration of 100,000 on Sunday 18
November;
* The huge public meetings and local protests held across the UK
in the autumn of 2001 e.g. in Birmingham, York, Portsmouth,
Sheffield, Glasgow, Leicester, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester,
Oxford and Liverpool to name but a few.

If you have any materials we might use for the book or the film,
please contact Andrew Burgin at Stopthewarbook@mail.com or call
07939 242229.