11 February 2005: For immediate release
Photo opportunity Mass Die-In Parliament Square
4pm, Tuesday 15 February
Peace and anti-war activists and students will be taking part in a mass die-in in Parliament Square at 4pm on Tuesday 15 February, as part of a day of action across the country. They will draw attention to the estimated 100,000 Iraqi civilians and 1,300 troops who have died in the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament will be supporting this day of action.
February 15th 2005 is the 2nd anniversary of the February 15 global day of action against war on Iraq. 2 million people marched through the streets of London and thousands of others took part in demonstrations across the country.
Kate Hudson, Chair of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
“It is the second anniversary of the February 15 demonstrations when millions of people across the globe came out on the street to stop war on Iraq. This day of action will remind us of the horror people were trying to prevent and the continued opposition to the occupation. Over the last two years the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq has created massive suffering. No weapons of mass destruction have been found, and the hunt for them has been called off by the US. Reports indicate over 100,000 Iraqi fatalities and more than 1,400 US-led Coalition troops have been killed.”
This is a student-led event, Peter Leary, convenor of Student CND said,
“’The war and occupation of Iraq has unleashed a cycle of violence and resulted in the deaths of over 100,000 people, a figure that is rising by the day. Many of those killed have been young people and students, overwhelmingly Iraqi civilians but also British and American forces.
Students have called this die-in to highlight these ongoing deaths and to demand our government sets an early date for troops to withdraw from Iraq.”
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Stop the War and the Muslim Association of Britain organised the demonstration on February 15th 2003 which saw 2 million people marching through the streets of London.
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Notes to Editor:
1. For further information please contact Ruth Tanner CND’s Press & Communications Officer on 0207 7002350 or 07968 420859
2. For interviews will people who marched on February 15 2003 and will be taking part in the day of action please contact Ruth Tanner on 07968 420859
3. The protest will take place on Tuesday 15 February, from 4pm, Parliament Square, Central London, (the nearest tubes are Westminster & Charing Cross)
4. For information on actions across the UK
5. To mark the 2nd anniversary of the war on Iraq and to call for an end to the occupation there will be a demonstration in central London on the 19 March 2005.
6. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is one of Europe’s biggest single-issue peace campaigns, with over 32,000 members in the UK.