Hundreds of people gathered by the fountains next to Watershed on Monday evening to protest against the UK's involvement in airstrikes on Syria.
A range of speakers addressed the crowds including members of Bristol Stop the War, Labour councillor Hibaq Jama and Green Party councillor Martin Fodor, the President of the UWE SU and Bristol University students from Bristol Momentum Youth.
Protestors then marched from 6pm around the city centre with banners, megaphones and flyers to hand out to the public.
From Orkney to the Isle of Wight...
— Stop the War (@STWuk) 15 April 2018
Here's a full list of protests & vigils taking place in next few days. Make sure you get to 1 near you: https://t.co/D8rqTMcJIL#Cambridge #Exeter #London #Newcastle #Birmingham #MiltonKeynes #Southampton #Plymouth #Swansea #Bristol & more... pic.twitter.com/hVp8kHlK4Y
Daisy Carter, a third-year History student was at the protest with Bristol Momentum Youth and said: ‘Recent intervention in Syria is inseparable from the long history of Western aggression abroad under the guise of humanitarianism.
‘We reject the claim from the Prime Minister that this intervention will provide relief for Syrian people, and say no to more deaths from British bombs in Syria and across the world.’
Event organisers from Bristol Stop the War Coalition commented, ‘Trump has launched airstrikes on Syria with the backing of Theresa May and France’s President Macron in an illegal international act of aggression that could disastrously escalate the war in Syria and fuel further conflict and suffering.
‘Parliament has undemocratically bypassed and may well be denied a vote on the issue when it returns on Monday- a further disgrace to the credibility of this government and its foreign policy.’
The protest was a success for campaigners writing, ‘nearly 1,000 people came out across the evening’.
On Friday 13th in London, Stop the War handed a letter to 10 Downing Street signed by MPs, trade unionists, celebrities and activists. The letter can be read here:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/11/syria-the-wests-response-and-international-law
Featured image credit: Epigram / Nikki Peach
