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4,000 march in London for peace talks to end Ukraine war

by Ben Chacko at Trafalgar Square

PEACE activists marched through London on Saturday to demand immediate peace talks a year into the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The Stop the War and Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament national demonstration mobilised about 4,000 demonstrators who marched from the BBC headquarters at Portland Place to a rally in Trafalgar Square declaring: No to the Russian invasion, no to Nato and no to nuclear war.

The march was one of scores worldwide — including a rally of 50,000 at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate demanding an end to the flood of arms to Ukraine.

Former Stop the War chair Andrew Murray told the crowd that they represented the views of the vast majority of countries worldwide. “China wants peace. India wants peace. South Africa wants peace. Lula in Brazil wants peace,” he said.

Stop the War president and musician Brian Eno said it was “disgusting” to see how gung ho some in politics and the media were about escalating the war.

Peace negotiations were the only way to end the stalemate but would “require courage. And understanding that this war didn’t start on February 24 2022. It has deeper roots.”

Former Labour MP for Kensington Emma Dent Coad slammed Britain’s channelling of billions into nuclear arms.

“Nuclear war is an obscenity we should never contemplate,” she stressed.

Transport union RMT speaker Carlos Barros said members of his union were facing “the biggest attack in generations. We’re facing that attack because we’ve been told there’s no money. 

“In other news, everyone saw Rishi Sunak last week in his massive helmet with his shiny new fighter jet. Well shiny new fighter jets won’t fund the NHS that is currently crumbling or pay the teachers and doctors and posties and nurses the wages they demand which we all know they deserve.”

Statements of solidarity were read out from Russian and Ukrainian peace activists.

The demo was also addressed by Lord John Hendy KC, Martin Cavanagh of the PCS union, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Leicester East MP Claudia Webbe — but sitting Labour MPs stayed away.

A small group demanding more arms for Ukraine, including campaigner Peter Tatchell, confronted peace activists at the start of the demo and then marched ahead of the main demonstration to Trafalgar Square, where they tried briefly to shout over the speakers.

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