A growing number of cultural figures have expressed support for Saturday’s major Stop Trident demonstration.
Hip hop group Young Fathers and trip hop legends Massive Attack called on their followers to support the demo.
Fashion designer Katharine Hamnett recently produced a new Stop Trident t-shirt range and Portishead’s Geoff Barrow is currently mixing a single in support of the campaign.
On why he supports the demo, comedian Jeremy Hardy, said “I’m opposed to Trident because it’s based on this idea of mutually assured destruction.
Sarcastically he commented: “In order to keep us safe you’ve got to be insane enough to use a nuclear weapon, and the other person’s got to be insane enough as well. But neither of you have got to be so insane that you actually use it. So you’ve only got to be insane enough to be prepared to use it but not quite insane enough to actually use it.
“And so long as we just keep that balance of insanity absolutely perfect and equal on all sides we’ll be fine. Sounds like a good gamble to me.”
In support of the demo, artist Peter Kennard, whose anti-war art is currently being displayed at the Imperial War Museum, set up the Stop Trident placard competition in January.
He said: “It’s vital that we create images for the streets that represent the global struggle against the madness of nuclear weapons. One humble handmade placard voicing the need for nuclear disarmament can have more power than a thousand corporate billboards trying to sell us what we don’t need.”
Peter selected two designs from the competition which have been mass produced for use by protesters on Saturday.
Actress Vanessa Redgrave, Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds, and comedienne Francesca Martinez will address the Trafalgar Square rally. And political singer songwriter Robb Johnson is set to perform at the beginning of the march in Marble Arch.
Notes
Stop Trident national demonstration
27th Feb 12 noon Marble Arch, LondonFollowed by rally at Trafalgar Square after 2pm
Speakers: Jeremy Corbyn MP, Labour Leader; Nicola Sturgeon, First Minister of Scotland; Leanne Wood, Plaid Cymru Leader; Caroline Lucas MP, Green Party; Christine Blower, NUT general secretary; Mark Serwotka, PCS general secretary; Roger McKenzie, Unison assistant general secretary; Tariq Ali; Bruce Kent, CND vice president; Lindsey German, Stop the War Coalition convenor; Giles Fraser; Shakira Martin, NUS; Vanessa Redgrave; Reiner Braun, International Peace Bureau; Francesca Martinez; Danielle Tiplady (student nurse); Sharon Dolev, Israeli Disarmament Movement; Bishop Stephen Cottrell (faith bloc representative); John Boulton (Veteran for Peace); Sam Fairbairn, People’s Assembly Against Austerity