Saturday 26 March 2011

Are marches out of date?

Do you remember...

In Feb 2003 hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of London to 'voice their opposition to military action against Iraq'.

We went to war

Police said at the time that "it was the UK's biggest ever demonstration with at least 750,000 taking part, although organisers put the figure closer to two million"
Despite the will of the people - despite the zeal - despite the fortitude - the government decided - and action was declared.

Today (Saturday 26th March 20011) around 400,000 people have joined a march in London to oppose the coalition government's spending cuts.

The Guardian today states..
'In what looks like being the largest mass protest since the anti-Iraq war march in 2003, teachers, nurses, midwives, NHS, council and other public sector workers were joined by students, pensioners and direct action supporters, bringing the centre of the capital to a standstill.

Tens of thousands of people streamed along Embankment and past police barriers in Whitehall. Feeder marches, including a protest by students which set off from the University of London in Bloomsbury, swelled the crowd, which stretched back as far as St Paul's Cathedral.
The biggest union-organised event for over 20 years saw more than 800 coaches and dozens of trains hired to bring people to London, with many unable to make the journey to the capital because of the massive demand for transport.

My question is this..

As even more people marched against the war in Iraq than they did today - What will make this government listen if marches no longer have an impact?
I think that the true success of these marches is the way in which they can bring people together. Marches - unify - and as they say... 'united we stand - divided we fall'.. I wasn't there today - in hindsight maybe I should have been..
I too am beginning to feel the need to be amongst my fellow man in times like these -marches move people - they educate - they motivate - they inspire - they instill a sense of purpose and belonging..
But... that's not the real purpose of the march... is it?

I am beginning to wonder however - if there isn't another way.
If the front door is closed - is there a side door entrance?

It's too early to know what the impact of today's marches will be but..
If this doesn't work
"Just what will make the government listen??

NB On the day of this great march a simple tweet perhaps summed up the feelings from the top..from our very own Mayor of London - Boris Johnson
His tweet??... "Well done Oxford!"
Who could forget the Oxford v Cambridge boat race eh...
:-)

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