Thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square in London to take
part in the ‘Hands off Syria’ rally, protesting against the US-led military
intervention in the Middle Eastern country.
The demonstrators carried banners, saying “War solves
nothing,” “Cut war not welfare,” and “Stop the war coalition” as polls show
that opposition against the use of British missiles in Syria stands at two to
one among UK citizens.
One of the speakers on stage – Labour Party MP, Diane Abbott
– said that an “illegal” war in Syria “wouldn’t solve anything,” adding that
“if the answer is an American military intervention, then you have asked the
wrong questions.”
British Pakistani writer, Tariq Ali, stressed that this time
the anti-war protest has “the support of an overwhelming majority of the
British and the American people,” warning that military intervention will only
prolong the Syrian civil war, which started in earnest in March 2011.
The Stop the War Coalition said they expected around 5,000
people to take part in the action, which would also include a march in central
London through the Houses of Parliament and Downing Street.
It’s the second ‘Hands off Syria’ rally to take place in the
British capital this week after around a 1,000 gathered in front of the UK
government’s headquarters on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the UK parliament voted against British
involvement in a military campaign in Syria, leaving the US without the support
of its usual ally.
Pro-Syria rallies hit US
Rallies to support Syria were also staged in Washington D.C.
The shouts of the protestors: "Obama, hands off Syria" were clearly
audible on the coverage from the White House as the US president was about to
address the nation on the Syrian issue from the Rose Garden. Obama announced
that he would seek approval from the Congress before proceeding with a
"limited" strike on Syrian government targets.
While right across the street, Syrians and Syrian Americans,
who support US military intervention, waved Syrian flags and shouted that Assad
must go.
Another protest took place in Iowa City, with a larger rally
scheduled for Saturday.
"Not only is it wrong, in terms of the reason why we're
doing it, the way in which we are doing it is also illegal," the rally's
organizer, Ed Flaherty, director of the Iowa chapter of Veterans for Peace,
told NBC.
On Friday, anti-war demonstrations took place in different
cities and towns across the US, with hundreds protesting Obama’s plans to strike
Syria in the Times Square in New York.
The Australian capital, Sydney, also saw a rally on Friday
as hundreds of protestors demanded: "Obama hear us now and hear us loud,
hands off Syria."
The wave of international protests was sparked by US President,
Barack Obama, announcing that Washington was weighing a “limited and narrow”
military action against Syria, which wouldn’t involve “boots on the ground.”
The US intelligence report, released on Friday, assessed
with “high confidence” that Syrian government of Bashar Assad is behind an
alleged chemical attack in the suburbs of Damascus last week, killing hundreds
of civilians.
Earlier, French president, Francois Hollande, said that the
Western coalition may strike Syria before September 4.
On Saturday, Vladimir Putin urged Washington to present its
evidence to the UN Security Council before beginning the attack, with the
Russian labelling as “utter nonsense” the idea that the Syrian government used
chemical weapons on its own people.
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