As the Stoppers again take to the streets (this time to oppose British airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria), Syria Solidarity UK explain why they are not supporting the demonstration.
We oppose the British government’s proposal to merely mimic the American ISIS-only counter-terrorism war; not only do we believe it is immoral to fly missions in Syria against ISIS while leaving the even greater killer, Assad, free to bomb civilians en masse, we also believe that any war against ISIS that doesn’t put the needs of the Syrian people first will be a failure that can only prolong their suffering.
We do call for action to protect civilians in Syria, including limited military action to enforce a no-bombing zone.
Stop the War similarly oppose British government proposals to bomb ISIS, but not because they would leave Assad alone; for Stop the War also oppose any action against Assad. This puts Stop the War against Syrians who are being bombed by Assad: it puts them not just against Syrian revolutionaries but also against Syrian doctors, against Syrian White Helmets rescue volunteers, and against Syrian civil society activists, all of whom call for international action to stop Assad’s bombs.
This is why Stop the War don’t want to listen to Syrians.
That is why we do not support their demonstration today.
And look who was there (along with Diana Abbott):
I suppose we should be used to his shameless hypocrisy by now. But for the record, this is the same George Galloway who celebrates the Russian bombing of Syria:
As Stalingrad and Kursk turned the tide of WW2 so today Russia begins the end of the new fascism of Daesh #Russia @RT_com #SyriaCrisis
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) September 30, 2015
Russia's achieved more in days in Syria than the US coalition in a year. Which vindicates my "controversial" claim that the US wasn't trying
— George Galloway (@georgegalloway) October 7, 2015
This is the Russian bombing which has struck at least four hospitals in Syria while somehow failing so far to destroy the Islamic State.
