Trump's State Visit to Britain
Opposition Gathers on a Massive Scale
Mass opposition to Trump's visit to Britain, July 2, 2018.
The organization Together Against Trump is mobilizing
for
the biggest possible protests against the official state visit of
Donald Trump to Britain, June 3-5. Together Against Trump has
called a national protest for June 4 from 11:00 am,
assembling in Trafalgar Square. There will be music and a rally
in the Square starting around noon and then a march to wherever
Trump is at the time. Trump's itinerary has not been announced so
the plan is flexible. There will also be other protests from
the day Trump arrives through to three days of his visit. Trump is also
to travel to France on
June 6 for the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. A visit to
Ireland is as yet unconfirmed. What is confirmed is that Trump has not
been invited to address the British House of Commons
due to the opposition of many MPs as well as members of the House of
Lords.
Workers' Weekly and other newspapers report that
the
opposition to Trump's visit is set to be even greater than in
July 2018, when the U.S. President avoided London altogether.
"The opposition is directed not only to the warmongering and
anti-human behaviour synonymous with Trump's Presidency. It is
also directed against the British government and the Queen as
head of state, which have issued the invitation. It is this that
people are declaring is Not In Our Name!"
"Stand Up to Trump" is the slogan the anti-war movement
is
organizing around. Workers' Weekly points out: "It is
being emphasized that it is the people's forces, the human power,
which must and will hold the U.S. imperialists and their cohorts
in check. Not only this, but the people have their own agenda.
This is to take a stand for those things which make for peace and
against aggression. It is to fight for an anti-war government,
with a democratic personality consistent with the human factor,
and to ensure an end to aggression and for the establishment of
relations of peace between peoples."[1]
"As the Trump presidency ramps up its aggressive
build-up
against Iran, and as it attempts to bring about regime change in
Venezuela, as it imposes illegal sanctions against progressive
regimes, the imperative to take a stand and build the movement
against crimes against the peace becomes ever stronger," Workers'
Weekly states. "The stand of the
peoples of
the world for peace will prevail, as the peoples fight for their
own empowerment. This is a focus of priority on the people's
agenda."
Another important demand of the people's movement in
this
context is to remove all U.S./NATO bases from Britain. Workers'
Weekly writes: "The peoples of Britain
cannot
countenance such bases of aggression, imperialist domination and
'hard power' on their soil. They fly in the face of the work for
peace and an end to the Anglo-U.S. doctrine of chaos,
'controlled' or otherwise. Furthermore, in pursuance of this
'hard power,' both in Britain and the U.S., Foreign Secretary
Jeremy Hunt has stated that stepping up this 'hard power' is one
of three pillars in the government's vision of a future Britain.
Like Trump, he has urged an increase in military spending, and
has pledged to do the same, praising the military might of 'our
great ally' the United States and its 'unquestioned dominance.'
This, in itself, cannot go unquestioned. It is certain that when
the British government hosts in December the NATO 70th
anniversary meeting, opposition to this warmongering institution,
whose raison d'être cannot be justified, will be
manifest.
Certainly NATO is opposed, among other reasons, for its attempt
to impose U.S. 'hard power' both in Europe and globally."
London, July 2, 2018, during Trump's visit to the city.
"Just as in the United States, where the people's forces
are
taking a stand against the direction in which the U.S. is headed,
so too people in Britain are saying No
to crimes against humanity,
and in particular are affirming that any 'special relationship'
with Trump's United States is not in their name. Rather, they are
saying that the struggle for their rights and for the rights of
all must prevail against the efforts of the ruling elites within
Britain and the U.S. to trample on these rights.
"This is crucial, since all attempts to blame sections
of the
people for what is the responsibility of those pursuing the
global neo-liberal agenda and creating chaos must be rejected. It
is precisely this agenda and those responsible for implementing
it that are generating such anarchy and violence. In this
respect, and in the context of defending the rights of all, the
people are rejecting as not in their name the attacks on the
rights of immigrant working people, refugees and those seeking
asylum. It is clear that it is the global marauding of the ruling
elites representing the oligopolies and their exploitation of the
peoples and material resources globally, as well as "regime
change" and their destructive activities against what they cannot
control, that is and has been creating the crisis of displaced
persons, human trafficking and an international reserve army of
cheap labour.
"As part of the opposition to Trump's state visit, the
anti-war and people's movements are opposing unjust wars and big
power intervention and interference which goes by the name of
nation-wrecking and from which the plight of people seeking a
better life, demanding asylum and fleeing conflict cannot be
separated. Ultimately, the demand is that these very people, as
an integral part of the international working class, be empowered
to be able to control their own lives and find stability. The
movement is very aware of the stands of working people in the
U.S. itself which will not countenance Trump's all-out attack on
the rights of all."
Develop the Movement against War and for
an
Anti-War
Government!
All Out to Build the Opposition to Trump's State
Visit!
Note
1. Workers'
Weekly, May 18, 2019.
This article was published in
Volume 49 Number 19 - May 25, 2019
Article Link:
Trump's State Visit to Britain: Opposition Gathers on a Massive Scale
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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