Posted 12:58 PM by Paul
Memories of a Reluctant Peace Activist

Sunday 23 February 2003

We had an old friend of mine around for lunch yesterday. Leg of spring lamb, roast potatoes, glazed carrots and green beans. Icecream for dessert. After a few glasses of wine the talk turned to the largest protest march in British history. I started talking about my impressions and the fact that it was not the "usual suspects" on the big anti-war march. My friend's wife interrupted,

"Yeah, I know I was there." She could see that I was slightly taken aback. I had never taken her for a political activist.

" I just felt I had to be there really. Even though I am bit agro-phobic, hate crowds and don't do marches".

Here lies a major problem for Blair who is now the UK Government personified. If a 49 year old swing voter who hates crowd and runs a PR company for her day job was on the march something is happening out there that he clearly does not understand. It has come straight out of Leftfield. Middle England, Blair's England, disagrees deeply with what is going on, and instead of staying home it is on the move.

The lowest estimate of the attendance was 1.5 million. It could have been as high as 2 million. But when the figures yet that huge, who is going to quibble over the odd hundred thousand. It took 5 hours to move through some of the widest streets in London. Hundreds of thousands of people who had never been on a political demonstration in their lives were there. The most smartly dressed demonstration in history.

You could tell that by the clothes and the number of women who were wearing nice jewelry and high maintenance hair. I saw at least three fur coats. I made my stand against hippy clothing by wearing the kind of pin stripe suit; shirt and silk tie normally seem on Wall Street. The police were very friendly giving directions and helping people through the barriers. I guess a few of them would prefer that Blair spend a little more money on their fight with crack dealers armed with Uzis that Bush's war on Saddam

You have got to hand it to Bush - Blair they certainly know how to pull together a huge co-alition….against them.

As the crowds passed No. 10 Downing Street the booing was deafening. A middle aged women stood opposite the security gates with a hand painted sign. "Tony - I voted you in. I can vote you out." Popular democracy.

I would say that Blair is hated now as much as Thatcher was. I suppose it is because the voters feel let down. There was so much promise when he walked into Downing Street on that sunny May morning in 1997. I was in the crowd that day with my wife and young daughters, but that's another story. It all seems a distant memory now. There is just hardly anyone outside his close political allies who has a good word to say about him in the UK. He is seen as a liar who is making it all up as he goes along. His story changes on a daily basis. Listening to his speeches is like being lectured by the school prefect. It is like being back at school. But on the march people broke free of his hectoring. School's out Tony and the pupils are making their voices heard.

Banners at the march included

- Make Tea Not War
- Give Bush a Pretzel
- Tony Blair - Muppet on a String (my favourite)
- I'd rather Jack than bomb Iraq
- Texas the Nexus of Evil
- London Jews Against the War (Loud applause for the young couple carrying it)
- Tony Blair is Very Annoying


And strangely a man carrying a Turkish carpet as a placard.

Heather (who went for three hours and then came home to take over looking after the kids) said that she saw a group of about 15 people carrying the French Tricolour who were getting a lot of cheering. But then again maybe they were headed for the England - France rugby match at Twickenham.

Amusing stunt of the day was a group of students who were hanging out of the window of their hall of residence (dorm / frat house for US readers) mooning with the following written across their naked buttocks

"George Bush Can Kiss My Ass"

No jerks burning the Stars and Stripes. No anti-globalization cliches. In fact McDonalds and Starbucks were doing a roaring trade. Even GAP was open. So if anyone tells you that the UK was gone anti-American tell them from me that is quite simply nonsense.

It is just those scary guys in the West Wing we don't like. Bring back Carter... Bring back the Ronny & Nancy Show...get Bill out of bed...elect Will Smith. Anyone but George W.

Paul Bower