The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) has issued the following statement on last night’s vote in the House of Commons.
Last night we witnessed an historic vote against war in the House of Commons. For the first time in decades, the UK government listened to the anti-war majority in this country and refused to support a US-led war. Politicians from all parties voted against an attack on Syria, marking a break with the UK’s default setting of backing US wars. For once, a majority of our elected representatives were in step with the British public – who don’t believe that bombing Syria is the answer to the tragic and complex problems it is facing.
Had the anti-war protests against Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya not taken place – including the largest ever demonstration in British history on February 15 2003 – such a result would be unimaginable. And as MPs entered the Commons, the echoes of these anti-war demonstrations will have been ringing in their ears. From Afghanistan to Iraq to Libya, the peace movement has consistently made the case that war is not a solution to regional problems or humanitarian crises. The legacies of these wars and of the huge levels of vocal opposition to them has meant that British governments cannot expect unquestioning public support for engaging in illegal and bloody conflicts.
To the millions who have participated in protests, rallies, meetings, and pickets over the last decade: we pay tribute to the unflagging commitment of the anti-war movement, which has consistently and justly said ‘not in my name’.
But it’s not over yet. The UK has refused to go to war, but the US is still pushing for the attacks. Join us tomorrow for a national demonstration in London to say ‘Don’t Attack Syria’. If we are to truly help the people of Syria, we should be sending aid, medicine, food, and trying every diplomatic route possible – bringing in regional powers – to ensure a swift and just end to this awful conflict.
But dropping bombs is not the answer.
National Demo: Don’t Attack Syria
12 noon – Saturday 31 August
Assemble at Temple Place, off Embankment (nearest tube: Temple) (map)
March to Trafalgar Square (via Parliament and Downing Street)