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City
Councillors in Cambridge are the first in the country to pass an anti-war
motion. Here, Councillor Amanda Taylor, who seconded the motion, says
the council is speaking on behalf of people in the city...
"We hope this will send a signal that we are standing up for
peace, and that we can join together with other nations, not just
shoulder to shoulder in war, but hand in hand in peace."
How do you feel about our city of peace and the possible war with
Iraq?
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Peace
marchers pass through Picadilly on Saturday 15th February
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"A
lot of people in Cambridge do care about the wider world,"
continues Cllr Taylor. "I was visiting Oakington Asylum Centre
earlier this week and it reminded me just how many refugees there
are going to be across the world if this war goes ahead.
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| Marchers
at Embankment in London on Saturday 15th February |
"If you
look at the local papers and if you hear what people are saying, there
is an overwhelming majority against war with Iraq. I haven’t heard
anybody who’s in favour of this war," says Cllr Taylor. "In
fact, recent polls taken by the local paper have shown that nearly
90% of the people are against it. We felt there was a need to articulate
those concerns.
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A
Cambridge resident makes their feelings clear
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"We
feel that [the City Council] is the natural forum for an international
issue - the House of Commons is letting people down very badly. There
isn’t going to be a vote on whether we go to war with Iraq in the
House of Commons - it’s all being done on Newsnight and television
programmes. There won’t be a vote by the MPs of Cambridge who people
voted for - or didn’t vote for - the decision will be taken by the
PM and the Cabinet alone.
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| London
marchers flanked by police (in yellow) on Saturday 15th February |
"We’re
not MPs, but I believe as Councillors we have a right to articulate
what people are saying. Nearly all of the Liberal Democrats supported
the motion, most of the Labour Party did, the Conservatives didn’t
support the motion - there’s just two of them - so we ended up with
a very strong majority in favour of the motion, I’m pleased to say."
London's march against war
Just two days after Cambridge became a city of peace, more than
a million people from all over the UK gathered in London to march
against the war with Iraq.
BBC
Cambridgeshire followed a group of friends from Cambridge as
they marched at the demonstration in London. Find out why
they decided to march and take a look at some amazing pictures!
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The
Stop the War Coalition organised the protest in the capital in a
bid to prevent an invasion of Iraq. A group of Muslims from Peterborough
were among the marchers, with Zia Ul-Hassan, the head of Peterborough's
Inter Faith forum, claiming that it will highlight the plight of
the Iraqi people:
"I think this war will not solve any problems. It will create
more problems. I am concerned about the people of Iraq - the children
of Iraq - who have been suffering for the last 10 or 12 years, and
they don't deserve any more misery."
Members of the Green Party in the Eastern region and Liberal Democrat
Councillors from East Cambridgeshire say they will also be joining
the anti-war protesters in London on 15th February.
Over 1,000 people booked themselves onto coaches bound for London
organised by the Cambridge Stop the War Coalition, with hundreds
more city residents expected to make their own way to the capital.
Did you march for peace? Send
us your thoughts and your photographs and we'll print them here.
How
do you feel about our city of peace and the possible war with Iraq?
This is your chance to have your say and respond to others:
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