Stop The War Coalition in overdrive

London - The Stop The War Coalition has sent out no less than 4 mailings in the past few days, and big names are rallying to the cause.

Stop The War is agitating as though there was no tomorrow, and if our governments don't change tack, there may not be. Last Thursday there was a London activists meeting in Gower Street. There were also reports from Yeovil in Somerset, Manchester, Kings Lynn and Birmingham. Somebody has coined the phrase “Don't Iraq Iran”, the meaning of which is fairly obvious, but an attack on Iran would be far, far more ominous for the entire world than the invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, because there was real opposition to his régime, the same cannot be said for Iran, which is minding its own business and attempting to develop its economy the way it sees fit. Whatever one thinks of nuclear power and indeed nuclear weapons, there is absolutely no justification or excuse for an attack on the country, by a Western or any other power. Stop The War's latest mailing confirms that “Leading figures from the arts will perform in protest against plans to attack Iran on Friday 25th May, 7.30pm at St James's Piccadilly, London.” These include playwright Mark Rylance and Brian Eno who “will perform a brief mystery musical interlude”. If the name Eno is not too familiar to younger readers, he was a member of Roxy Music during the 1970s, but is now one of the backroom boys; his many talents include record producer. In addition to people from the world of arts, political activists are piling on the pressure, and many will be at Saturday's demonstration in Central London. This show of defiance is to be welcomed, but if a lacrosse match can degenerate into a brawl, and if a man can be shot dead in an argument over skateboarding, of all things, it remains to be seen what even massive protests can do against a government and an alliance that seems determined to set the world on fire for no better reason.