Stop the War Coalition on South African Delegates at Sunday’s Trade Union Conference and News of March Tomorrow

‘Newsletter – 07/06/24

THIS SUNDAY! Why War, Peace & Palestine Are Trade Union Issues

We’re delighted to announce that Irvin Jim, General Secretary of National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa, will be speaking at our TU Conference on Sunday! Irvin and his union, SA’s biggest union, has repeatedly condemned and marched against apartheid Israel’s atrocities. If you want to hear what he’s got to say make sure you join us on Sunday.

Our opening plenary The World at War – A Trade Union Issue features some fantastic international speakers including Chris Smalls from the Amazon Labour Union who touched down in London today and Susan Abdul Salam from the New Union of Jerusalem who is joining us online. It promises to be one of a number of excellent discussions over the course of the day.

We’ve also added two more important speakers to the line-up with Palestinian author and activist Ghada Karmi coming to address the conference as well as Muslim Association of Britain President, Raghad Altikriti.

At the heart of the trade union movement lies international solidarity, which the Palestinians so desperately need. So it’s vital that we continue to work with the trade unions in recognition that war and peace are class issues and Palestine is very much a trade union issue.

So this Sunday (9 June), our Trade Union Conference will ask the key question: with the world at war, how do we stop the warmongers? Be part of it.

Click Here to Register

Tomorrow’s National Demonstration for Palestine

As Israel’s murderous attacks on Rafah and other parts of the Gaza strip continue we need to ensure that tomorrow’s demonstration is another huge mobilisation for a ceasefire and against our government’s continuing support and arming of Israel.

The demonstration will assemble at Russell Sq at the slightly amended time of 12.30pm and marching to Parliament Square. See you on the streets!

Click Here for Details inc Route etc‘

Stop the War Coalition on the Government’s Extremism Bill and Attacks on Diane Abbott

Newsletter – 15/03/24

Defy this Rotten Rotten Government – Free Palestine 🗣️🇵🇸

“There is a form of extremism in the centre of the main party that is accusing everybody else.” Michael Mansfield KC

This week the government has, once again, been exposed as the extremists we know them to be. As Michael Gove attempted to create a shadowy confusion around the definition of extremism, in the process targeting our Muslim sisters and brothers, the government were found to be receiving millions of pounds from a racist who thinks Diane Abbott MP “should be shot”.

Abbott, who was due to speak at our public meeting on the right to protest on the same evening the vile comments came to light, received a vote of confidence from the meeting and sent an excellent statement on the issues. She said:

“All of us who have gone on all the Gaza demos calling for peace, should wear the attacks on us as a badge of honour. We are standing in a long line of brave campaigners who stood up for what is right.”

Following Gove’s speech in Parliament, we released a joint statement with the other groups responsible for organising the recent, unprecedented series of demonstrations for Palestine which concluded:

“We call upon all political parties to condemn Gove’s statement and resist the government’s plans. We are united as a coalition and will not allow Gove’s intervention to distract us from standing in solidarity with a people confronting genocide, ethnic cleansing, occupation and apartheid. We call upon all of those who support us in these aims, and uphold the right to protest, to join us in our next national march in London on 30 March.”

In particular we’d like to send our solidarity and support to the Muslim Association of Britain who were named by Gove and have been partners of ours for many years. We find these vindictive government attacks abhorrent.

The March Against Racism tomorrow is a very important opportunity to show that we won’t allow racism and hatred to divide us. Our Convenor, Lindsey German, will be speaking at the march – please join if you can.

Read & Share Our Statement

Last Saturday’s tremendous demonstration proved once again the phenomenal resilience of this movement. Nearly half a million people took to the streets in the tenth national demonstration calling for the ceasefire that our politicians still refuse to countenance.

We have to continue to resist the attacks from this rotten government and, more importantly, show our unrelenting commitment to the cause of a free Palestine. We urge all our groups and supporters to start building now for another massive march on Saturday 30 March – Palestine Land Day.

Click Here for More Details

Defend the Right to Protest: Palestine, Islamophobia & Civil Liberties

Watch or listen back via our new Spotify Podcast Channel to Tuesday’s meeting at the Human Rights Action Centre with Michael Mansfield KC, Jude Lanchin, Jan Nielsen, Raghad Altikriti, Ben Jamal, Chris Nineham, Jun Pang and Liz Fekete – discussing how to defend our rights at this dangerous moment.

Watch/Listen Back Now

Stop the War Trade Union Network – Important Dates

We’re launching a fresh wave of StWC Trade Union Network activity over the coming weeks and months. Here are some important dates for your diaries…

• Mon 15 April – Online Rally
• Weds 1 May – Workplace Day of Action for Palestine
• Early June Date TBC – Rescheduled StWC TU Conference