LONDON, April 17
Hundreds of antiwar activists on Monday evening gathered outside the Parliament Square to protest against Britain’s military strikes on Syria, chanting “Stop bombing Syria”, as Prime Minister Theresa May was facing the British House of Commons for not consulting the Parliament before she ordered the April 7 strikes.
May refused to give lawmakers a guarantee that she would seek parliamentary approval ahead of any further strikes in Syria. She was attacked by opposition politicians as well as at least one of her own Conservatives as she gave a report on the weekend air strikes by Britain, the United States and France.
Organized by campaign group Stop the War Coalition, the London demonstration was the latest in a string of events protesting Saturday’s military action taking place across Britain recently.
The group said in a statement posted on its Facebook account that the “overwhelming majority” of British people oppose the illegal “gesture bombing” targeting Syria, which will have further impeded the development of peaceful international relations.
John Rees, co-founder of the coalition, told Xinhua that the U.S.-led strikes on Syria would destabilize the region and further the conflict between Russia and West.
“We think our government is making it more dangerous and more unstable. That’s why we come here today to oppose a military action,” he said.
Protests were also held in Bristol, Exeter, Swansea and Milton Keynes on Monday. Rees said if British government carry on further military strikes, they would definitely call national demonstration like they did to protest the Iraq war in 2003, which was the biggest demonstration in British history. “If this government continues this route, I think they will see our position on that scale,” he said.
London citizen Dick Wingfield said he is angry about what his country is doing as there is no evidence to support the Western powers-alleged use of chemical weapons by the Syrian government.
“Like the Prime Minister today on the radio say about Syria is conducting chemical weapons, but there is no evidence to that at all. I don’t think the UK should involve in this issue, it is not our place to cut hands in,” he said. Enditem
