About SSAW
School Students Against the War is a self organised group of young people, based all around the country, campaigning against Bush and Blair's so-called "War on Terror", and for peace. Join us.
In March 2003, Tony Blair PM joined with GW Bush to bomb Iraq to the ground, against international public opinion.
Four years later, the murder goes on, the lies go on, the injustice goes on, and the plundering goes on. According to a poll conducted by the ICRSS, 90 % of Iraqis say the country was better off under Saddam's tyranny, 71% of US troops say the end the war and 61% of British people want their troops out of Iraq. And yet Blair remains intent on keeping British troops in Iraq flying in the face of democracy and he still clings to power. We say it's TIME TO GO - both the troops and Blair.
The Cost
- 655,000 Iraqis dead (Lancet Medical Journal)
- Over 3,000 US troops dead.
- 130 British troops dead.
- Britain has poured £9 billion into this illegal war already and plans to spend £76 billion on renewing Trident, our nuclear weapons system.
- The US has poured $360 billion into this illegal war.
- The 7/7 bombings in London was a direct consequence of Britain’s murderous foreign policy, which claimed 52 lives and injured 700 others.
- The 11 March bombings in Madrid claimed 191 lives and injured 2050. Immediately after, the Spanish people voted the prime minister out of office and elected an anti-war one. Spain then brought their troops home from Iraq.
The so-called “war on terror” hasn’t just affected the occupied countries. Civilians have paid the price for their governments crimes in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine.
A Wounded Beast is Most Likely to Attack
Britain and America are failing in both Afghanistan and Iraq-they need a victory. From their perspective, if they do not win somewhere, they will have not only lost control of the Middle East's oil reserves but they will have surrendered any geo-political influenece they might have had in the region. And this is why Iran seems like an all-too-convienient option for the neo-cons.
Lies about an Iranian nuclear programme and statements made by the Iranian President Ahmadinejad have enabled Bush and Blair to paint a picture of Iran as an evil country of terrorists. There is no evidence that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon yet Blair has spouted increasingly hostile rhetoric towards Iran and the UN Security Council has imposed economic sanctions on the country. This is arguably the first time in history of the Security Council that an entire nation is being punished based not on actual violations of international law, but on pure speculation on the part of some powerful countries, regarding its hypothetical future conduct. Israel is threatening a nuclear attack, the Pentagon is already making plans to bomb Iran and the Tories here are saying they will back the US if they take military action. The US and UK are gearing up for an attack on Iran-the anti-war movement must be a step ahead of them and gear up for an attack on our country's foreign policy.
Current Campaigns
Troops Out of Our Schools - Troops Out of Iraq:
School Students Against War is launching its campaign against the armed forces recruiting from our schools. Britain is the only country in the European Union in which it is legal for the armed forces to recruit people under the age of 18 and school students are becoming increasingly concerned at the methods the military uses to gain recruits. Typically, economically deprived areas are targetted as the army, navy and air force alledge that it offers various incentives if you join. Students are never told about a visit from the armed forces, the activity is compulsory in many cases, students are victimised if they stand up in oposition to this and there is no right of reply. SSAW demands that school students are allowed to attend school without fear of being recruited to the government's killing machines. We are getting support from local teaching unions as well as other organisations from the anti-war movement. Launch rallies, pickets of headteachers' offices and demonstrations across the country are planned to get the military out of our schools. If you are a school student, parent or teacher please get in touch with us.
Sign the Troops Out Of Our Schools online petition. Click Here
Groups in schools
The more members we have, the stronger SSAW is. We are in the process of setting up school SSAW groups where people from their particular school form a group to organise actions, make students more politically aware and organise against the armed forces recruiting in our schools. If you want to set up a group, get in touch. We will send you films, leaflets, posters, petitions etc.
Stop the War Coalition
SSAW is an affiliate of Stop the War and joins StW on all the demonstrations it calls and helps build for these. More information can be found at www.stopwar.org.uk
All upcoming events can be found in the News section of the website
Previous Work
Over the past year, SSAW has been engaged in the anti-war movement on a number of levels. Die-ins have been held in London, Liverpool and Cardiff to highlight the plight of the people's in the countires occupied by the US and UK.
SSAW was involved in the G8 protests in 2005 where they sent 50 school students to demonstrate against Bush and Blair's foreign policy.
We have held benefit gigs across the UK which, not only to raise money for the organisation they also attract school students to the anti-war movement.
We have been central to mobilising young people for the Stop the War demonstrations throughout the year. Of particular note is the demonstration on March 18th against the occupation of Iraq and the threat of an attack on Iran where SSAW was represented on the platform during the rally in Trafalgar Square on one of the youngest demonstrations the country has seen.
For the Time to Go demonstration at the Labour Party Conference in Manchetser, SSAW London sent a coach providing free transport for 50 school students. Many other school students from across the country also came to this demo.
The 'Troops Out, No To Trident' demonstration early in 2007 was also a great success, with up to 100 SSAW members at the front of the London demonstration and a strong coningency in Edinburgh as well as an SSAW speaker at the rally there.
Members of Edinburgh SSAW have been involved in the Faslane 365 campaign which is a year long blockade of the nuclear base which houses Britain's nuclear weapons. Edinburgh SSAW has also held a number of successful ceildhs which have helped build the group there.
Film showings, speakers, meetings and assemblies in schools have also been held and if you want to put an event on in school, get in touch and we will help you.
