Hundreds walk out in Derry and block city.

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday March 20, 2003 19:11 by Rage against the Massacre - Derry Anti War Coalition (DAWC) damnthem at dawc dot org

Young and old, worker, university and school student, unemployed, mothers, children, grandfathers, walked out of their place of work/study, some taking up streets as they marched to a rally in Guildhall square several hundred strong roaring their rage at the obscenity that has been unleashed by Bush and Blair.

At 12pm, 100-odd students (yes students are odd, and proud!) from Magee campus, having walked out of class, assembled and marched into town blocking roads, soliciting beeps from cars and cheers of support from firefighters, passers-by, cyclists and office workers leaning out of their windows. We picked up a few people along the way, all the time chanting and waving those multi-coloured Italian Peace flags that someone had brought along.

At the square in front of the Guildhall, the place where the Saville inquiry into the State murder of 14 of Derry's citizens usually sits, we met hundreds of secondary school children, fair play to them, workers and other assorted citizens. It was a bright sunny day, there was plenty of roaring and chanting and shouting and flag waving. There were hi-jinks. One wee boy stripped to the waist and ran up onto the podium waving anti-war banners. The place went wild with cheers, jeers and wolf whistles. The craic was 90.

We decided to move through the town, taking up most of Shipquay street, winding our way down to Craigavon bridge, which we blocked. All the while chanting. One or two drivers were grumpy for about 5 seconds, but then saw the positive side of it, and for the most part people cheered us and joined in, while some beeped their horns in support, and others just watched, smiling. We then moved off up the strand and around back into Guildhall square. The whole atmosphere was upbeat. The energy of the young people who had found their power was contagious. The despair that we felt when the bombing started was dissipated. Anything is now possible because we can do something about it.

Todays action really changed my mind about the war and our prospects for doing something about it. It is just not true to say that you can't do anything about it. Today hundreds of mainly young people took to the streets for the first time and took over those streets, relishing their freedom and roaring a huge "FUCKYOU" to Bush and Blair. Tomorrow thay are going to tell their mates and classmates all about it.