Schools Against War mass civil disobiedence

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday March 20, 2003 17:27 by DAVY CARLIN - SWP and Belfast Anti War Movement carlindavid at hotmail dot com

Thousands of school students take direct action

'I have never seen such radicalisation by schools students - not even in the sixties and seventies'. So stated one onlooker.

As some schoolstudents gathered out side Belfast city hall a huge cheer went up as over 300 schoolstudents lead by a huge banner of Schools Against War {SAW} came into sight as they marched up the road - they had come from schools from all over the Lisburn Rd area. They then joined others from their campaign group who had travelled from all over North and East Belfast. The call went up from SAW to get on the Road and sit down. The road {all three intersections at the city hall} was then completely blocked and everything came to a standstill as a die in commenced after a one minutes silence was held for the Iraqi civilians who will be butchered in the coming times. Thirty minutes later another massive cheer went up as Schools Against the war {SAW} arrived from West Belfast.

They came with banners from St donomics, st Louises , De La salle , St genieves, Irish Schools and many more all under the Banner of Schools Against War. The school students then took to the mike with dozens of students from many schools speaking, still blocking all traffic. Then yet another massive cheer again went up as more SAW came into sight - they had marched from the oreamu road. They to joined their colleagues on the sit down. Over one hour later the call went up from schoolstudents 'lets march upon the US consul in Belfast'. And with that a twelve year old SAW activist chanting on the mike lead hundreds upon hundreds of fellow campaigners through the streets of Belfast to the US consul.

As the arrived they were met with scores of police in body armour, dogs, and fences, but the school students undeterred moved forward and jumped over and started to remove the fencing. Twelve year olds, thirteen year olds, fourteen year old students etc - young men and women loud and voicing their anger in their hundreds surged forward against the consul as the police moved against them. The schools students although able to remove the fencing were unable to get into the counsul so they continued to block of the road with their sit down. Finally all those present were thanked for joining the schools against war protests and walkouts and were urged to come out again tommorrow to support Fridays rally with trade unionists and also for Saturdays rally where a SAW member will be speaking representing all of the schoolstudents around the North.They were also told of Saturdays feeder marches organised by the Belfast Anti War movement -one from the bottom of the Whiterock, Falls RD and one from Ormeau park Ormeau Rd both at 1pm. Then the students all stood up, turn around, linked arms and marched as one past the police land drovers making sure everyone came through - then went back to their schools to organise for tommorrow.

Who said the schoolstudents are apathetic, who said international politics meant nothing here. Who said that the spirt of Genoa could not be brought to the streets of Belfast. It has done once again - and that is only the tip of the iceberg.