PARIS — Despite intense pressure from the US government, French President Jacques Chirac continues to maintain that France will veto a United Nations Security Council resolution authorising a war in Iraq. On February 15, I witnessed firsthand why Chirac maintains his firm anti-war stance.

I joined with hundreds of thousands of people who poured into the streets of Paris to protest against a war in Iraq. A veritable rainbow coalition of peace partisans — Africans, Arabs, whites and Asians — marched from a square on the right bank of the Seine River and converged on the Place de la Bastille (Plaza of the Bastille) on the left bank, chanting, “Non a la guerre! Oui, a la paix!” (No to war! Yes to peace!). Thousands more lined the march route, clapping and chanting as the peace procession passed by.

The demonstration was the third protest against a war in Iraq to be organised in Paris in the last four months, and by far the largest. Anti-war rallies were also organised in 72 other cities and towns in France.

At the front of the march, national and local politicians of all political stripes registered the consensus of the French government — that stepped-up inspections, not war, is the best way to disarm Iraq. Behind them, a group of US citizens living in Paris walked under the banner of “Americans against the war”.

“I am here because I'm against this stupid war. There is no reason at all for Bush to go war”, said Alain Valma, a demonstrator from Paris. “In Europe, most of the people don't want this war. All these peace demonstrations are going to help the anti-war coalition in Europe to resist Bush.”

Recent polls reveal that more than 75% of the French people oppose a war with Iraq, even a war supported by the UN. Similar percentages appear in polls throughout Europe.

The massive demonstration was coordinated by Mouvement de la Paix (Peace Movement), a 54-year-old national anti-war organisation. Seventy-five other organisations were part of the coordinating committee, including nationaltrade unions, political parties, student organisations, Arab organisations and peace groups.

“The peace movement is very alive. The size of this demonstration is more than double the size of last month's march”, said Brigitte Loigerot, an organiser for Mouvement de la Paix. “We believe that it will have a great impact on Chirac. We expect that he will use his veto right at the UN.”

Arielle Denis, co-president of Mouvement de la Paix, said the organisation plans to keep up the pressure on Chirac. For International Women's Day on March 8, the anti-war coalition will sponsor events featuring prominent women who are against the war to highlight the impact a war would have on the women of Iraq.

“Despite the Bush administration's efforts to isolate France for daring to threaten to veto a war resolution, the anti-war demonstrations that occurred today in Europe, the US and throughout the world have underscored the growing isolation of the US government”, Denis said. “There now exists the possibility to stop a war in Iraq before it starts.”

[Gerald Lenoir is art director for War Times, a US-based anti-war newspaper. Visit <http://www.war-times.org>.]

From Green Left Weekly, February 26, 2003.
Visit the Green Left Weekly home page.

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