Airstrip One

Marching Season

150 000 may be less than half than the countryside alliance could muster, but it's one hell of a lot of people.

Think about it. The Stop the War coalition is an unruly mixture of CND, hard left groups and whichever foreigners are being bombed (in this case Muslims). Since the fall of the Berlin Wall they are not the types who usually get large numbers on to the street (with the exceptions of the Muslims). This demonstration succeeded despite the organisers.

One can look at just why the anti-war message is handicapped by its messengers:

"Whatever you think of rural issues, I think it's fair to say that the issues at stake on this march are rather more serious," said Lindsey German, the Stop the War Coalition convenor.

Well, no Ms German. Many of us invasion-sceptics actually think that rural issues, taxation, the domestic economy, whatever, are more important than what goes on beyond our borders. That's why we don't think our government should be involved there - or anywhere it doesn't have to be.

One gets the feeling that most of the organisers and many of the marchers were not protesting at British involvement but America itself. Some of us, I think it is fair to say, think issues at home are more important.