81-555: The Palestine Solidarity Campaign ( PSC ) is an activist organisation in England and Wales . It was founded in the UK in 1982 and incorporated in 2004 as Palestine Solidarity Campaign Ltd. In 2023, The Guardian described it as "Europe’s largest Palestinian rights organisation". The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) is an activist organisation in England and Wales , based in London. It
162-455: A Wales criminal justice system . England and Wales are treated as a single unit for some purposes, because the two form the constitutional successor to the former Kingdom of England. The continuance of Scots law was guaranteed under the 1706 Treaty of Union that led to the Acts of Union 1707 , and as a consequence English law—and after 1801 , Irish law —continued to be separate. Following
243-598: A 30 March 2012 " Land Day " protest outside the Israeli Embassy in London. Launching a campaign against what it termed Israeli apartheid in 2019, the PSC announced that universities in the UK were investing almost £450 million in companies which were aiding in Israeli breaches of international law. It produced a database of these investments. Also in 2019 the PSC signed a letter alongside over 200 other groups calling on
324-642: A Lloegr ) is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom . It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 . The substantive law of the jurisdiction is English law . The devolved Senedd (Welsh Parliament; Welsh : Senedd Cymru ) – previously named the National Assembly for Wales – was created in 1999 under
405-531: A call was launched for an international demonstration on 18 March 2006. At the rally in London, Police estimating 15,000 marchers took part, but the groups organising the protest. which included CND and the Muslim Association of Britain as well as Stop the War, thought between 80,000 and 100,000 people had participated. According to Kate Hudson : "The government must listen to the voices of the people, which
486-402: A national demonstration on 11 November, at which police estimated 300,000 marchers and organisers estimated 800,000, local rallies and vigils on 2 December, 25 November in London, attended by tens of thousands, and a national demonstration called for 9 December. In late October, PSC Director Ben Jamal said Keir Starmer's statement that Israel had the right to cut off water and electricity to Gaza
567-672: A performance by the Israel Philharmonic at the Royal Albert Hall in February 2011. BBC Radio 3 , which was broadcasting the concert live, was forced to suspend the broadcast several times due to the protesters' shouting and heckling. On 28 May 2012, when Israel's Habima Theatre company performed at the London Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, the PSC and other BDS groups organised a protest outside
648-668: A platform with her because of accusations that she is a supporter of the Assad government. According to Amr Salahi, writing for the Left Foot Forward website, no Syrian was among the speakers at the event, but the former Guardian foreign correspondent Jonathan Steele said that he would have happily shared the platform with Mother Agnes. At the time of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation in 2014, according to journalist James Bloodworth , "Stop
729-508: A promise to formally hand over his position as StWC's chair to Andrew Murray. In his speech at the event, at a Turkish restaurant in Southwark, south London, Corbyn said the "anti-war movement has been a vital force at the heart of our democracy" and "I think we've been right on what we've done". Kurds who supported British airstrikes on ISIL targets also protested outside the dinner. Tariq Ali , in an article for The Independent , thought
810-664: Is calling on them to bring the troops home from Iraq". On 23 September 2006, a demonstration was held outside the venue for the Labour Party Conference in Manchester . Estimates of attendance varied from "around 20,000" by the police, "up to 50,000" from the Coalition, to "more than 50,000" by the Socialist Worker . The 2007 demo took place on 24 February 2007 in London, jointly organised with
891-615: Is distinct from those of Northern Ireland and Scotland , and from Commonwealth realms . The national parks of England and Wales have a distinctive legislative framework and history. Stop the War Coalition The Stop the War Coalition ( StWC ), informally known simply as Stop the War , is a British group that campaigns against the United Kingdom's involvement in military conflicts. It
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#1732775752336972-613: Is politically unaligned. There are also the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC) and the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC). The latter is a separate organisation set up in late 2001 by established Irish human rights and community activists. Jeremy Corbyn , Hugh Lanning and Tony Greenstein have all been involved with the group. In 2017, Jewish News reported that Lanning (then chair of PSC)
1053-514: The 2004 European Social Forum . Estimates of the number of marchers vary from 45,000 by the police to over 100,000 by StWC to 200,000 by some observers. The protest was the first occasion on which a march had passed the US embassy in London since the protests over the Vietnam War . John Rees has written: "Socialists should unconditionally stand with the oppressed against the oppressor, even if
1134-708: The 2011 military intervention in Libya and opposed UK involvement in the War against the Islamic State , arguing that airstrikes would only fuel extremism. It opposed sending military aid to Ukraine during the Russian invasion , claiming it risks starting a war between NATO and Russia – a position which drew criticism from Andrew Fisher . It has called for ceasefires in the Russo-Ukrainian War and in
1215-628: The Geneva conventions . A march past parliament was organised climaxing in a rally in Trafalgar Square . A papier-mâché statue of Bush was toppled in an action reminiscent of the much televised pulling down of a statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad by American soldiers. Speakers included politician George Galloway , then SNP leader Alex Salmond and Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic . The coalition estimated that 300,000 people were present at
1296-701: The Government of Wales Act 1998 and provides a degree of self-government in Wales. The powers of the legislature were expanded by the Government of Wales Act 2006 , which allows it to pass its own laws , and the Act also formally separated the Welsh Government from the Senedd. There is no equivalent body for England , which is directly governed by the parliament and government of the United Kingdom . During
1377-592: The International Brigades than Cameron's bombing campaign." A few days later, Andrew Murray commented that he thought the piece was "wholly absurd. It doesn't reflect Stop the War's view in the slightest. It was taken down as soon as I saw it was up there. I'd apologise to any Stop the War supporters who were upset by it." The editor of the website resigned. Caroline Lucas cited her concerns that Syrians had not been allowed to speak at an StWC parliamentary meeting by its chair, Diane Abbott , as one of
1458-640: The International Criminal Court to begin investigating war crimes committed by Israeli in the Palestinian territories . In 2021, the PSC organised a march in support of Palestine in London which was attended by over 180,000 people. Other events took place in Bristol, Nottingham and Peterborough. The group was protesting against an Israeli bombing offensive which had killed over 230 people in eleven days. Black Lives Matter supported
1539-720: The Israel–Gaza war . The impetus to form the Stop the War Coalition came following the September 11 attacks in the United States. The Coalition was launched at a public meeting of 2,000 people at Friends House on Euston Road in London, on 21 September which was chaired by Lindsey German , then active in the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). "The Stop the War Coalition has been formed to encourage and mobilise
1620-537: The Muslim Association of Britain in organising its demonstrations. Andrew Murray was its first chair from 2001, and its vice-presidents have included Kamal Majid (who, according to Independent columnist Andy McSmith , helped found the Stalin Society ) and George Galloway . Salma Yaqoob is a patron. Chris Nineham is a vice-chair. The largest demonstration organised by the Coalition
1701-623: The Roman occupation of Britain , the area of present-day England and Wales was administered as a single unit, except for the land to the north of Hadrian's Wall – though the Roman-occupied area varied in extent, and for a time extended to the Antonine/Severan Wall . At that time, most of the native inhabitants of Roman Britain spoke Brythonic languages , and were all regarded as Britons , divided into numerous tribes. After
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#17327757523361782-614: The death penalty for homosexuality and apostasy . Following the 7 July 2005 London bombings , StWC in association with CND and the Muslim Association of Britain held a vigil for the victims at the Peace Garden in Euston, London on 9 July 2005 and a further solidarity gathering at Russell Square, close to one of the Underground stations targeted, on 17 July 2005. At the latter StWC national convener Lindsey German condemned
1863-652: The red dragon of Wales was dropped and replaced with the unicorn of Scotland with the succession of King James I who demoted Wales' status on the coat of arms and on the first adaptation of the Flag of Great Britain . Prior to 1746, it was not clear whether a reference to "England" in legislation included Wales, and so in 1746, Parliament passed the Wales and Berwick Act 1746 . This specified that in all prior and future laws, references to "England" would by default include Wales (and Berwick-upon-Tweed ). The Wales and Berwick Act
1944-635: The 20th century. Examples are the Welsh Language Acts 1967 and 1993 and the Government of Wales Act 1998 . Measures and Acts of the Senedd apply in Wales, but not in England. Following the Government of Wales Act, effective since May 2007, the Senedd can legislate on matters devolved to it. Following a referendum on 3 March 2011 , the Senedd gained direct law-making powers, without
2025-421: The Assad family has "a long history of resisting imperialism", and should be supported "because their defeat will pave the way for a pro-Western and pro-US regime". In November 2013, it was announced that Mother Superior Agnes Mariam de la Croix had withdrawn from a forthcoming Anti-war conference organised by Stop the War for 30 November, after journalists Owen Jones and Jeremy Scahill had refused to share
2106-678: The CND. The themes of this march were No Trident and Troops Out of Iraq. On 15 March 2008 another international demonstration was held to mark the 5-year anniversary of the invasion of Iraq; although numbers did not match the original demonstrations, around 40,000 people were on the march in London. In Parliament Square, banners were placed in sight of the House of Commons. About the rally in Trafalgar Square, Tony Benn noted in his diary that he "spoke for four minutes and ten seconds. Two minutes
2187-533: The Coalition and a meeting on 28 October settled the Coalition's official aims. This meeting also elected a steering committee which consisted of representatives of Labour Left Briefing and the Communist Party of Britain . Representatives of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Provisional Central Committee) and the Alliance for Workers' Liberty failed to get elected, although both became members of
2268-543: The Coalition and participated in its activities. At this time, it was alleged that the SWP dominated the organisation, although German, John Rees and Chris Nineham would leave the SWP in 2009. The Conservative MP Julian Lewis ,in a letter to The Daily Telegraph in 2003, referring to Andrew Murray's involvement in the Communist Party of Britain, wrote that he "had thought" his "days of unearthing totalitarians at
2349-756: The Great in his Legal Code , c. 893 . However, after the Norman invasion of Wales in the 11th century, English law came to apply in the parts of Wales conquered by the Normans (the Welsh Marches ). In 1283, the English, led by Edward I , with the biggest army brought together in England since the 11th century, conquered the remainder of Wales , then organised as the Principality of Wales . This
2430-953: The Muslim Community". The protest coincided with protests in Washington, D.C. , and occurred just before the Labour Party Conference began in Brighton. On 10 December 2005 the StWC held an International Peace Conference attended by around 1,500 people. Speakers from across the world included Cindy Sheehan , the American mother whose son died in Iraq; and Hassan Juma, president of the Iraqi Southern Oil Workers Union . At this conference
2511-573: The Paris attacks and the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2249 , the UK parliament voted on air strikes against ISIL in Syria . Stop the War lobbied MPs against supporting the proposal, along with members of Momentum. Both groups were accused of intimidation. The constituency office of local Labour MP Stella Creasy was protested by Waltham Forest StW and other groups, and Creasy and other MPs reported receiving heavy lobbying, leading to
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2592-539: The Stop the War Coalition had claimed that the Benghazi rebellion, as part of the Arab Spring was a "popular rising" and Gaddafi the head of a "brutal dictatorship." The CPGB-ML claimed that the Stop the War Coalition was taking a pro-imperialist line, that the Benghazi rebels were CIA / MI6 backed and that this pro-imperialist line was influenced by the "various Trotskyite, revisionist and left-Labour luminaries in
2673-523: The War "has consistently shown far more mature judgment on these great issues of war and peace than Downing Street, the White House or the CIA. More surprising still ... [it] has often proved better informed than these centres of Western power, coolly warning against the diet of propaganda masquerading as bona fide intelligence." The vote was "a vindication of the mass anti-war movement in this country over
2754-486: The War claimed up to 500,000, whilst fellow organisers CND claimed between 200,000 and 300,000 – it was noted that this was the largest anti-war demonstration held during wartime and had been organised with but a week's notice. According to journalist James Bloodworth , in early 2003 Stop the War released a statement signed by officers of the Coalition appearing to support the Iraqi insurgency , recognising "the legitimacy of
2835-602: The War courted controversy by appearing to back the Russian annexation". From 2011, Jeremy Corbyn was the chair of the Stop the War Coalition. When he stood as a candidate for the Labour Party leadership , the organisation's national convenor, Lindsey German, advocated that he should be supported. A week after his election as Labour leader in September 2015, it became known that he was stepping down as Chair of Stop
2916-597: The War opposed UK involvement in the Libyan Civil War . The Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist–Leninist) was initially a member of the Stop the War Coalition. However, it and other individuals were expelled from the project on 23 September 2011 after it explicitly supported Muammar Gaddafi 's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya in the Libyan Civil War against the NATO -backed rebels in Benghazi . The leadership of
2997-425: The War, but would continue to support the group. Following the November 2015 Paris attacks , STWC published an article on their website titled "Paris reaps whirlwind of western support for extremist violence in Middle East". According to commentator Mehdi Hasan , the article blamed the rise of ISIL and the Paris attacks on “deliberate policies and actions undertaken by the United States and its allies”. The piece
3078-404: The bombings but added that "The only way to end the bombings is to withdraw from Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine. When we have justice around the world we will have peace as well". The StWC also supported vigils across the country. The StWC organised the British demonstration on 24 September 2005 using the slogans "Stop the Bombings", "Bring the Troops Home", "Defend Civil Liberties" and "Defend
3159-417: The building. On 29 May 2012, BBC Radio 4 reported that Habima was "being criticised for performing to Jewish audiences in the Occupied Territories." A PSC press release corrected the report, saying that it was criticising Habima "for performing in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank." After six months of pressure by PSC, the BBC Trust upheld the PSC's complaint. The Trust report stated "the complaint
3240-402: The civil liberties of British citizens including the right to protest and a free trial (which they allege would result from the recent Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 and Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 ), and for a reduction in racism in the UK. The date was chosen as the it was the international day of anti-war demonstrations, as called by the Assembly of the Social Movements at
3321-421: The coalition, and the coalition's website listed 321 peace groups. At their initial meeting the Coalition also adopted the slogan "Against the racist backlash", stating that a war against Afghanistan would be perceived as an attack on Islam and that Muslims, or those perceived as being Muslim, would face racist attacks in the United Kingdom if the government joined the war. The Coalition worked closely with
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3402-408: The conquest, the Romans administered this region as a single unit, the province of Britain . Long after the departure of the Romans, the Britons in what became Wales developed their own system of law , first codified by Hywel Dda (Hywel the Good; reigned 942–950) when he was king of most of present-day Wales (compare King of Wales ); in England Anglo-Saxon law was initially codified by Alfred
3483-402: The country. Cohen criticised the relationship of the StWC with organisations he considers reactionary such as the Muslim Association of Britain. He accused the coalition of ignoring the requests of secular trade unions and Kurds in Iraq . Cohen stated that there is a contradiction between the StWC's call for respect for human rights and its links with organisations that Cohen said call for
3564-403: The demonstration, while the police put those attending at 100,000 people. On 19 March 2005, StWC organised a large demonstration in Westminster with supporters marching from Hyde Park to Parliament Square via the US embassy. The supporters were calling for the invading troops to move out of Iraq, for the US to not attack Iran and Syria , for the British government to halt reductions in
3645-425: The end of January that about 500,000 protesters would be on the march. As the military build-up continued, StWC urged its local groups and supporters to organise actions on the day the invasion of Iraq began. As this date was then unknown, it was dubbed " Day X ", which eventually fall on 20 March 2003. Despite having very little time to put plans into action, events took place up and down the country: in London there
3726-418: The grassroots. This makes for some very strange bedfellows, who include retired generals, old peaceniks, former ambassadors, anti-globalisation protesters, Labour activists, trade unions, [and] the Muslim community". By the time of the February 2003 march in London, Greenpeace , the Liberal Democrats , Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party (SNP) were among the 450 organisations which had affiliated to
3807-450: The group became a source of friction with other leading members of the Labour Party. The former Labour shadow cabinet minister for Education, Tristram Hunt , described the group as a "really disreputable organisation" on 6 December when Corbyn's intention to attend the group's fundraising Christmas dinner on 11 December was becoming an issue. Former shadow ministers Emma Reynolds and Caroline Flint also urged him to distance himself from
3888-438: The group to "reassure the public that they have not lost their moral bearings." The Coalition held a series of protests during November 2003 climaxing in a march on the 20th protesting against what it claimed is the aggressive foreign policy of U.S. President George W. Bush , and against the continued U.S. detention of prisoners in Guantanamo Bay , which protesters have claimed is an illegal infringement of human rights and
3969-466: The group's work opposing the war on Iraq as "extraordinary and brilliant", but said that they had "completely lost the plot on Syria." On 10 December 2015 on the Coalition's website, John Rees wrote that Stop the War does not support the Assad regime. It "does believe that it is the people of Syria who are the only ones who should decide the fate of their country free of all great power and regional power interference". Corbyn's continued involvement in
4050-405: The group. Reynolds referred to the "abhorrent views" of Stop the War's leadership and described the group's positions as being "anti-West rather than anti-war", while Flint said they "are not Labour's friends". Attendance at the Stop the War event on 11 December cost £50 a head and included entertainment by musician Dmitri van Zwanenberg and comedian Francesca Martinez . Corbyn attended to keep
4131-405: The heart of 'peace movements ' " had ended when the Soviet Union collapsed, but Murray was now in a "key position, being quoted by the anti-war media as if he were a representative of democratic politics". In this early period, Stop the War had a broad base. Ann Treneman wrote in The Times in January 2003 that the "two most obvious strands" of StWC support consisted of "the Establishment and
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#17327757523364212-497: The largest possible movement against the war", said the founding statement. "Its aim is simple-to draw together everyone who wants to stop this madness, and to present the anti-war arguments which are squeezed out of the media." Among the sponsors of the Coalition were the former Labour Party MP Tony Benn , and the Labour MPs George Galloway , Tam Dalyell and Jeremy Corbyn , in addition to Tariq Ali , Harold Pinter , Suresh Grover and Andrew Murray . German became Convenor of
4293-410: The last decade", wrote Andrew Murray in The Guardian . "The possibility is now open for Britain playing a different role in the world, breaking with the policies and preoccupations of imperialism", but "that change is nothing like secured yet." The then chair of Stop the War, Jeremy Corbyn , thanked supporters for lobbying their MPs. "There still exists the danger of renewed conflict as the interests of
4374-463: The law applicable to that business entity. A registered office must be specified as "in Wales" if the company wishes to use a name ending cyfyngedig or cyf , rather than Limited or Ltd. or to avail itself of certain other privileges relating to the official use of the Welsh language. Outside the legal system, the position is mixed. Some organisations combine as "England and Wales", others are separate. The order of precedence in England and Wales
4455-465: The leadership." John Rees stated on the overthrow of Gaddafi "nobody is going to shed a tear for the fall of this brutal dictator." Stop the War has also campaigned against British involvement in the Syrian civil war , which began in March 2011, organising protests ahead of votes in the British Parliament in August 2013 and December 2015. Samir Dathi wrote for the Stop the War website in June 2013: "Whilst many of us want nothing more than to see
4536-429: The legal system of the Kingdom of England. This was in part to update outdated Welsh laws, but also to control Wales alongside England; through these acts, the Welsh could be seen as equals to the English. This was reflected on both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I 's coat of arms where the dragon represented Wales and the lion represented England. As soon as the Tudor dynasty ended with the death of Elizabeth I , however,
4617-472: The march. In October 2023, Apsana Begum posed with the PSC at their stand at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool . During the 2023 Hamas–Israel War , PSC was the main organiser of a series of demonstrations jointly with Friends of Al-Aqsa , the Stop the War Coalition , the Muslim Association of Britain , the Palestinian Forum in Britain and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament . These included on 21 October, with some 100,000 marchers in London ,
4698-425: The military, arms dealers, and others remains ever present and very powerful", he wrote. Stop the War has been accused of having pro-Assad links. According to the journalist Andrew Gilligan in The Daily Telegraph , many individuals associated with Stop the War openly favour the Assad government. StWC vice-president Kamal Majid said in a speech at a conference organised by the New Communist Party in 2012 that
4779-475: The need to consult Westminster. This was the first time in almost 500 years that Wales had its own powers to legislate. Each piece of Welsh legislation is known as an Act of Senedd Cymru . For a company to be incorporated in the United Kingdom, its application for registration with Companies House must state "whether the company's registered office is to be situated in England and Wales (or in Wales), in Scotland or in Northern Ireland", which will determine
4860-434: The organisation's views on Paris, and I think it was ... well, the best one could say is, extremely insensitive." Jon Lansman , of the Corbynite Momentum pressure group, commented later about the material concerning the Paris attacks: "I think even Stop the War themselves have accepted they were stupid for publishing those articles. There were some very silly things published, and wrong things." These statements were among
4941-462: The people who run the oppressed country are undemocratic and persecute minorities, like Saddam Hussein." Commentators such as Observer columnist Nick Cohen and Independent columinst John Rentoul accused Stop the War of being pro-Hussein. StWC was criticised by journalists such as Cohen for its refusal to condemn attacks on US and other foreign troops occupying Iraq, and refusal to condemn foreign insurgent fighters who have entered parts of
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#17327757523365022-495: The popularity of the hashtag "I Stand with Stella". George Galloway dismissed the significance of the threats and Lindsey German defended the rights of protesters on the StW website: she wrote that she was "against bullying and intimidation. I condemn people who send abusive texts or messages" having received them herself. The Labour Party gave its MPs a free vote in the debate, a decision condemned as "deplorable" by StWC. The parliamentary debate took place on 2 December, and
5103-486: The reasons for her resignation. These concerns were shared by the human rights activist Peter Tatchell , who told The Independent that Stop the War's "opposition to US imperialism... sometimes mean[s] they will ignore the horrendous crimes of despotic anti-American regimes like Russia and Iran." In a letter to The Guardian , Tatchell and other "previous strong supporters" accused StWC of having "lost its moral compass and authority". On Channel 4 , Tatchell described
5184-565: The reasons given by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas for her resignation from StWC on 8 December. Her spokesperson said: Caroline was specifically troubled by some Stop the War Coalition statements after the Paris atrocities. Though the pieces were subsequently taken down she felt unable to associate herself with them. In early November 2015, Corbyn's shadow Foreign Office Minister, Catherine West , said Labour would consult StWC before deciding whether to back airstrikes in Syria, prompting Labour MP Tom Harris to threaten resignation. Following
5265-410: The recent attacks on Stop the War were motivated by the "nasty and unpleasant war being waged in England, targeting Jeremy Corbyn " and wondered if the distancing of leading Green activists from Stop the War was because Corbyn "is attracting the electoral support of large numbers of hitherto Green supporters". At the same time, Jewish News wrote that several controversial articles were deleted from
5346-495: The ruthless dictator Assad go, we cannot support the further militarisation of the conflict, which will only perpetuate the horrific violence and refugee crisis in the region. If there is to be hope for the Syrian people, the first step is for all foreign interference to cease." On the morning of the House of Commons vote on 29 August 2013 against military intervention in Syria, the conservative commentator Peter Oborne wrote in an article for The Daily Telegraph newspaper that Stop
5427-485: The struggle of Iraqis, by whatever means they find necessary, to secure such ends", which led to the resignation of former ASLEF union leader Mick Rix from the StWC executive, saying: "If you think I am going to sit back and agree with beheadings, kidnappings, torture and brutality, and outright terrorization of ordinary Iraqis and others, then you can forget it." An Early Day Motion was proposed by Labour MPs including Harry Barnes condemning their position and asking
5508-407: The two Acts of Union, Parliament can restrict the effect of its laws to part of the realm, and generally the effect of laws, where restricted, was originally applied to one or more of the former kingdoms. Thus, most laws applicable to England also applied to Wales. However, Parliament now passes laws applicable to Wales and not to England (and vice versa), a practice which was rare before the middle of
5589-433: Was "grotesque". Also in October, four members in Manchester were suspended for describing attack by Hamas gunmen as a "heroic move" in which "Palestinian freedom fighters from besieged Gaza broke Zionist colonial barriers and entered settlements built on stolen Palestinian land". The 11 November London demonstration was controversial as it coincided with Armistice Day ; after complaints from Conservative politicians that this
5670-471: Was "provocative and disrespectful", far right counterprotesters announced they would defend the Cenotaph from marchers, although the march was not planned to go near it. At the 25 November demonstration, one protester was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred, for carrying a placard with Nazi symbols on it. The chant " From the river to the sea , Palestine will be free" was widely used. England and Wales England and Wales ( Welsh : Cymru
5751-425: Was a large protest in Parliament Square ; in Nottingham traffic outside an army recruitment centre was blocked for a while; and large numbers of school students walked out of lessons. Following the beginning of the war and the events of Day X, the Coalition organised another national demonstration on the next Saturday, 22 March. While the turnout for this march did not match the demonstration of 15 February – Stop
5832-558: Was barred from entering Israel; the Israeli embassy in the UK said this was in part due to his connections with Hamas , which the EU had declared a terrorist organisation. Its director from 2016 has been former social worker Ben Jamal , the son of a Palestinian Anglican vicar and English mother. In 2010, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) agreed to boycott produce grown on Israeli settlements . The PSC organised disruptions of
5913-466: Was criticised by Labour MPs, including Hilary Benn , then shadow foreign secretary, who said it was "wholly wrong". He said that the attacks were not the fault of the French, rather it was the "fault of the attackers." By this time, the article had already been removed from the Stop the War website. StWC issued an apology. Murray told John Harris in an interview for The Guardian : "It didn't represent
5994-593: Was established on 21 September 2001 to campaign against the impending war in Afghanistan . It then campaigned against the impending invasion of Iraq ; the 15 February 2003 protest organised by the Coalition along with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), was the largest public demonstration in British history. Since then, the Coalition has campaigned against
6075-485: Was repealed by the Welsh Language Act 1967 , although the statutory definition of "England" created by that Act still applies for laws passed before 1967. In new legislation since then, what was referred to as "England" is now "England and Wales", while subsequent references to "England" and "Wales" refer to those political divisions. There have been multiple calls from both Welsh academics and politicians for
6156-643: Was taken out of context. A march from the American embassy in Grosvenor Square to Trafalgar Square on 1 April 2009 brought together protesters from the Stop the War Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, The British Muslim Initiative , and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament . On 2 April 200 people protested outside the ExCeL Centre in London where the G20 summit was being held. Stop
6237-585: Was the mass protest on 15 February 2003 in London against the imminent invasion of Iraq. It is claimed to have been the largest ever such event in the UK with estimates of attendance ranging between 750,000 and 2,000,000 people. The march was begun by police earlier than planned because of the number of people who had arrived at the two starting points. Speakers at the rally in Hyde Park included Tony Benn , Jesse Jackson , Charles Kennedy , Ken Livingstone , Mo Mowlam and Harold Pinter . StWC had forecast at
6318-708: Was the limit, but I got away with it: they liked the phrase 'Parliament belongs to the past; the streets belong to the future'. They really liked that." In March 2009, at a StWC meeting John Rees said he was a "supporter" of Hezbollah and Hamas , saying that such “resistance” groups are “a legitimate part of [our] movement”, likening them to French and Italian partisans fighting the Nazis in World War II . The Spectator and The Times have alleged that Jeremy Corbyn also described Hezbollah and Hamas as "friends" at an StWC event that year, although he later said this
6399-580: Was then united with the English crown by the Statute of Rhuddlan of 1284. This aimed to replace Welsh criminal law with English law. Welsh law continued to be used for civil cases until the annexation of Wales to England in the 16th century by the Welsh House of Tudor . The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 then consolidated the administration of all the Welsh territories and incorporated them fully into
6480-680: Was upheld with regard to Accuracy, not upheld with regard to Impartiality and Fairness." The PSC waged a two-year campaign to block an EU trade agreement, the ACAA , that recognised Israeli pharmaceutical standards as equal to those in Europe. The agreement was passed in October 2012. Sarah Colborne (then director of the PSC) was on board the Mavi Marmara during the 2010 flotilla raid . The PSC arranged
6561-435: Was won by the government with the support of some Labour MPs. Hilary Benn gave the closing speech advocating air strikes, evoking the history of anti-fascism . In response, an article appeared on the StWC website. The article, soon taken down, read in part: "Benn does not even seem to realise that the jihadist movement that ultimately spawned Daesh [Isis] is far closer to the spirit of internationalism and solidarity that drove
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