Like I said, I'm not a CND member, and have never been. Not because I don't sympathise, just that I think that the Americans did the right thing in dropping atom bombs on Japan in 1945. Such a viewpoint is tantamount to blasphemy in CND circles. Peace activists can be surprisingly intolerant at times.
I arrived at Marble Arch at noon, and made my way to Park Lane to join what appeared to be the head of the march. As contingents from the north and Scotland were still arriving, we had a long wait before the start of the march, and we were entertained by the incomparable Robb Johnson, a veteran folk singer, activist and Brentford FC supporter.
Besides the lady above, there was a large Scots contingent which included some SNP branches. Their chant was "Bairns not Burns". Quite what the Robert Burns societies will make of that, I have no idea. There was even a dancing leprechaun who attracted attention from the marchers.
Well, it takes all sorts to make a demo. I was relieved to see that the violent anarchist fringe, who I have seen in action before, did not attend in force on this occasion, although I did spot a couple of suspects in Trafalgar Square. When we arrived there, the sight was amazing. I have never seen Trafalgar Square fill up like it did. It was announced from the stage that the rear of the march had not even begun to leave Piccadilly yet. All speakers commented favourably on the numbers they saw before them, and it must have been gratifying to see such a good attendance.
As for the speakers, the most impressive for me were Nicola Sturgeon (who joined Scottish CND before she became a Scotnat), Leanne Woods, Plaid Cymru leader and Caroline Lucas of the Green Party. It was definitely a day for the ladies, including a young woman from Israel who represented the Israeli anti-nuclear lobby. There were many cogent and emotional points raised, but the most telling point for me was made by Nicola Sturgeon, who said that if Jeremy Corbyn swings the Labour Party against Trident, then the majority of political parties in the UK will be opposed to a UK nuclear deterrent. The CND dream might well be approaching reality.
As Rednev and the Merseysiders (not a group) had to be on the coach home by 5pm, we left at about 3.45, which meant I did not get to hear Jeremy Corbyn, but, thankfully, missed Tariq Ali. After a couple of pints, Nev found his coach and I found another pub and one for the road (or Tube in my case). Yesterday's Guardian reported the march as Britain's largest anti-nuclear march for a generation. All in all, it was a worthwhile experience for me and it should be a wake-up call for the Establishment - the sands could be starting to slip beneath their feet, and the world may be changing...well, maybe.
It was an excellent day, brilliant turn out, and the sun shone upon the righteous! I was glad I took the trouble to get up at 4.15am to get there.
ReplyDeleteNot sure about your point concerning peace zealots. I've not come across many, despite having been a CND member since the early 1980s. Most CND members would welcome your support for the demo, whatever your views on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. CND is campaigning for the future, not about events from 70 years ago that we (obviously) cannot change.
My own view is that, while I disagree with you about the atomic bombing of Japan, I believe that, rather than debate the rights and wrongs of that historical event, it is better to learn its lessons. The main one is that, despite the incredible destructiveness of those two bombs, they are like pea shooters compared to Trident. A modern nuclear war would destroy civilisation, probably most of the human race, the environment and most of the wildlife that shares the planet with us. If anyone thinks that is an exaggeration, just remember that because a single nuclear power station blew up in the Soviet Union, farmers in Wales couldn't sell their sheep for decades. Radiation respects no boundaries.
Still, a great day, despite the horror of paying £4.40 a pint for beer!