A big advance for the international anti-war movement

Last Saturday, London hosted a historic conference against war and militarism. Three thousand packed in to Westminster Central Hall, over a thousand of whom came from at least 27 countries outside of the UK, including hundreds from France, Spain and Germany. Participants included trade union leaders, MPs, and activists, all committed to ending war and genocide, and ending the disastrous militarisation of our economies and societies.

What makes this conference so significant is that it was not only about solidarity and shared views and slogans – important though those are. It was about how to build a new international anti-war movement, that will coordinate on a serious and effective level, to develop shared strategy for change, in the interests of our class and our diverse communities. One that will redefine ‘security’, as meeting the needs of the people – dealing with the climate catastrophe, properly funding healthcare, education, transport, jobs with decent pay and conditions. The intentions are there, and the need is urgent. Let’s get active in support of this initiative, including the priority actions agreed:

• 10 October for Palestine, to end three years of genocide and decades of occupation and apartheid,
• Weekend of action against militarisation and conscription: 21/22  November,
• Join the day of action of the dockworkers against war, in October (date to be confirmed).

A video of the conference can be found here

And here is the statement agreed by the conference:

No to militarisation and conscription

Welfare not warfare

From this International Anti-War Conference we raise our united voices: against war and genocide, and the growing nuclear threat, and for peace. We have come together to raise the alarm: to halt the drive to war, and the nationalism and racism that it breeds. Together we say no to rearmament and conscription, and yes to well-funded health, education and public services, decent jobs, and higher wages.

We recognise and condemn the complicity of the governments that have facilitated and continue to enable the genocide in Palestine, that have fuelled the horrific bloodbath and obstructed a ceasefire in Ukraine, that have attacked sovereign Iran, Lebanon and Yemen, and continue to engage in war and military intervention across the globe. Millions are dead and wounded as a result, infrastructure destroyed, and lives, opportunities and hopes devastated, to save the capitalist system that breeds war and barbarism.

We do not accept the descent into chaos and war, much of which can be laid at the door of US imperialism. We absolutely reject Trump’s political and military intervention in Venezuela, his warmongering towards Cuba, and we affirm our solidarity with the peoples of all countries threatened by Trump and his allies.

We also recognise and condemn the role of European governments, in particular those of Starmer, Macron and Merz, in escalating the drive to war: we reject their active preparation for war, taking place across our continent, the constantly increasing NATO military spending, and we commit to opposing and reversing it.

We reject the degeneration of our societies caused by the plunder of public wealth from our communities and public services into the pockets of the arms manufacturers. We are not fooled by the false narrative which says that spending on weapons will regenerate our industries and economies. We will support and encourage trade union opposition to military spending.

We support real investment into our societies, to provide genuine security for working people and our diverse communities: for our health care systems, for decent wages and working conditions, transport, education and housing. We will not accept military conscription and the militarisation of education: we will not allow our sons and daughters to be sent to kill and be killed.

We face formidable odds and unprecedented challenges. Today we recognise that the only way to be effective against the powerful forces ranged against us, is to be internationally organised and to work and act strategically in the interests of the people. Solidarity is crucial, but so too is international coordination, together with the labour movement, to fight back against warmongering governments and increased military spending. We will work together to develop a framework to take that forward.

Building this movement is essential to secure a future for our planet, for humanity. This is our pledge here today: to organise an unstoppable movement for peace, against the US imperial project, and to fight for the lives and livelihoods of all working people, for another better world.

We call for participation in:

• 10 October for Palestine, to end three years of genocide and decades of occupation and apartheid,
• Weekend of action against militarisation and conscription: 21/22  November,
• Join the day of action of the dockworkers against war, in October (date to be confirmed).

And we call for the conference logo – from Paris and London – to be promoted, to give our actions international visibility and content, and to support meetings and initiatives promoting this call.