Anti-war Movement

Fight for the truth, march for Assange

The US is about to try and overturn the block on Assange’s extradition. Lucy Nichols explains why we must all be part of the fight to stop them.
Brighton 2021: Members speak out on Starmer, stitch ups and next steps for the left

Chris Nineham speaks to activists in Brighton and reports on the Labour Party conference and discussions about the next steps for the left
The US, Afghanistan and the Second Cold War

Dragan Plavšić considers the consequences of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as another Cold War looms
The Pandora’s Box of 9/11 – weekly briefing

Lindsey German on anti-imperialism and the War on Terror
Anti-capitalism reborn – why Genoa still matters

Twenty years ago hundreds of thousands confronted the world's elites in the Italian city of Genoa. Chris Nineham looks at the significance of the events and their legacy
Washington Bullets: A History of the CIA, Coups, and Assassinations - book review

Prashad’s Washington Bullets details the global economic and military interventions of the US, showing why anti-imperialist movements are vital, argues Jamal Elaheebocus
Why we must stand with Palestine

Western imperialism is allowing Israel to bomb and lynch Palestinians with impunity, it's our job to stand up and resist, argues Shabbir Lakha
Biden's presidency, the warmakers and the anti-war movement in the US

Anti-war sentiment has already impacted on the incoming Biden administration, but it will have to be mobilised to deliver change, argues Chris Nineham
Crossing red lines: why the establishment wants to destroy Corbyn

Corbyn's anti-war principles and their popular appeal are the biggest threat to the establishment, says Chris Nineham
Robert Fisk: the journalist who told the truth about imperialism

Lindsey German: Robert Fisk's writing armed the anti-war movement and his death is a loss for us all
Stop the war on Yemen: a global protest the warmongers can't ignore

As the devastation of Yemen continues, Stop the War is part of a global coalition organising an international day of action against the war
What the US state does to anti-imperialists: The Trial of the Chicago 7 review

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells us the powerful story of the brave stand taken by the anti-war movement in the late sixties
This is about all our rights: don't extradite Assange protest

Protesters assembled outside the Old Bailey to voice the opposition to extraditing Julian Assange, reports Shabbir Lakha
'Enough' is enough: an interview with Slovo's Dave Randall

The author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music and founder of south London music collective Slovo speaks to Mayer Wakefield
Protest works: how the anti-war movement weakened the warmongers

Recent reports show how social movements can impact directly on militarism, writes Chris Nineham
Jazz and the anti-war movement

Chris Nineham reflects on the history of jazz music and the anti-war movement ahead of Stop the War's event with Shabaka Hutchings marking the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The anti-war movement must challenge the imperialist narrative

It's our turn to tell the story of war, says Terina Hine
The Mavi Marmara killings ten years on: Palestine is still the issue

Kevin Ovenden, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara, recounts the attempt to break the siege on Gaza and its part in the global solidarity movement with Palestine
The Jackson State massacre: the savagery of state-led racist violence

50 years on from the massacre of black students at Jackson State College, systemic racism and police brutality remain prevalent in the United States, writes Alyssa Cassata
How Labour officials tried to drive out anti-war activists

Labour HQ's campaign against anti-war party members shows why the movement needs to be strengthened, writes Chris Nineham
Is there life outside Labour? That is where the hope lies

Recent events in the Labour Party need to be examined clinically, because they tell us important things both about the party's direction of travel and about how power is wielded within it, says Chris Nineham
As It Happened: Briefings From Two Years of Turmoil, 2017-2019

A selection of Lindsey German's briefings from the 2017 to the 2019 general elections which present an analysis of Corbynism and the state of British politics as it happened
10 years of Counterfire

Marking ten years since the launch of Counterfire, Alex Snowdon reflects on why the organisation was set up and some of what we have achieved in the last decade
Why socialists oppose imperialist wars

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander
6 steps toward rebuilding the left

Six practical and theoretical suggestions to build a broad, united and fighting left, by David McAllister
War with Iran is still a danger

The threat of war with Iran isn't over and the anti-war movement must continue to organise against it, writes Shabbir Lakha
No war with Iran: Glasgow protests against Trump’s belligerence

Over 200 people gathered at Buchanan Steps on Monday 6th January to say no to US imperialism, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica
The anti-war movement gears up to oppose war with Iran

Protesters took the streets to say no to Trump's drive to war with Iran, reports Shabbir Lakha
Labour needs Corbyn’s anti-war politics more than ever

The leadership contest is likely to be a missed opportunity for making Labour a serious anti-war party, argues Alex Snowdon
Why can’t Tony Blair stay away?

The anti-war movement and Jeremy Corbyn were always the biggest threat to Blairism, that's why he's so adamant to try to show he's still standing, argues Jonathon Shafi
Dearlove's recycled attack on Corbyn exposes the right's increasing desperation

Dearlove's allegations of Corbyn's sympathies are wrong and completely baseless argues Chris Nineham
Trump’s coming to London during the election

Trump's meddling can be beaten with protest, writes Lindsey German
Official Secrets review: how Bush and Blair lied their way to war with Iraq

Official Secrets shows the extent of the lies in the drive to war with Iraq and leaves the viewer asking how on earth Blair got away with it, writes Shabbir Lakha
Bolton's out, but we can't trust Trump or Johnson

John Bolton's sacking is good news, now we need an alternative foreign policy by an anti-war government, argues Lindsey German
Hiroshima 74 years on: campaigners demand no nukes, no war

Anti-war and anti-nuclear activism is at the heart of remembrance in Hiroshima, report Clare Solomon and Steph Pike
In the age of Trump, 'The War at Home' remains essential viewing

For understanding how grassroots movements can be organised, The War at Home remains a vital resource, writes Gabriel Polley
Murad Qureshi - Standing up for Londoners

Murad Qureshi is standing to be a Labour candidate for the London Assembly. He sent Counterfire his campaign statement and we are happy to share his reasons for standing.
Crisis in the Gulf - Stop the War statement

A statement from Stop the War raises the alarm on the escalating threat of war with Iran over the seizures of tankers
Stop Boris: General Election Now - Counterfire Freesheet July 2019

No new Tory Prime Minister, protest the Tory party conference, revolt in Sudan, does modern monetary theory work, stop the drive to war with Iran, the British state and what Engels said about revolution in this month's Counterfire freesheet
Miners' Gala shows we can kick back against the right

The Miners' Gala showed how strong a left united against austerity can be, reports David McAllister
Socialists should be trying to unite working people, not divide them - a reply to Paul Mason

Responding to Paul Mason's latest article, Shabbir Lakha argues that the left needs to be trying to unite working people against austerity, not divide them over Brexit
No to Trump, no to war on Iran

Trump and his neocon advisers are taking us to the brink of yet another disastrous war in the Middle East, writes Hilary Stephenson
Take the fight to the Tories: they are unfit to govern - Counterfire freesheet June 2019

Tory meltdown, the crisis in British Steel, how we should remember D-Day, a Marxist analysis of Game of Thrones and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet
We stand with Palestine: thousands march in solidarity

Thousands of protesters marched through London on Saturday showing that solidarity with Palestine in Britain hasn't gone anywhere, reports Shabbir Lakha
Why we need a movement: Stop the War at Lowkey's concerts - video

The Stop the War Coalition supported Lowkey's recent tour around the country, this is a video of National Officer Shabbir Lakha speaking at the London concert
Cardiff rallies in solidarity with Kurdish hunger strikers

The Kurdish community and anti-war activists in Wales have mobilised to amplify the voices of Kurdish hunger strikers, reports Kevin Potter
Islamophobia is the dominant form of racism: why is it being ignored?

Attacks on Islam and Muslims are the central organising principles of far-right movements across Europe, argues Chris Nineham
India and Pakistan must pull back from the brink of war - SASG statement

Indians, Pakistanis, Kashmiris and UK citizens of South Asian origin issue a statement calling on the Indian and Pakistani governments to work for peace not war
The attack on Chris Williamson is an attack on Corbyn and the left

The decision to suspend Chris Williamson is a capitulation to the right that only gives more ground for attacks on the left, argues Shabbir Lakha
The revolutionary life of Sylvia Pankhurst - Counterfire Media Podcast

Tom Lock Griffiths talks to biographer and activist Kate Connelly about Sylvia Pankhurst and why the militant socialist and suffragette is still powerfully relevant today in this episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast
Paris demonstration: 'Trump means war'

The November 11 anti-Trump mobilisation in Paris is a real advance for the anti-war movement in France, reports Susan Ram
Britain must stop arming the Saudi war criminals now

A new offensive in the Saudi war on Yemen will ratchet up the humanitarian crisis. We must build a huge campaign to end arms sales, writes Chris Nineham
The politics of Remembrance

Remembrance is about the present and the future, not just the past, argues Alex Snowdon in this repost of his 2015 article
A hundred years after WW1, what are we remembering?

The establishment makes a big display of remembering fallen WW1 soldiers while justifying today's wars. We should remember those who fought hard to stop war, argues Lindsey German
Labour's conference and what it tells us about how the left can win

The left surge at Labour conference was impressive - now, if we want to win, we need to mobilise the whole movement
Labour conference 2018: packed Stop the War fringe meeting declares an anti-war government vital

The anti-war movement is on the front foot, and made its mark at Labour's conference
Why the Labour left must hold the line at conference

As Labour Party Conference commences, Sean Ledwith argues it is essential the left defends the Corbyn project against further retreats, as recent NEC decisions show us
Racism, war and Trump: the Stop the War Coalition AGM

Far from being an ‘isolationist’, Donald Trump has increased bombings, sanctions and war, argues Lindsey German
We cannot let Iran become another US powder keg

Trump's policies point towards regime change in Iran. The anti-war movement must stand firm, argues Shabbir Lakha
Nationwide opposition to Syria airstrikes

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in over 40 towns and cities across the country to voice their opposition to Theresa May's bombing of Syria
Alternative models and silent revolutions

After years on the back foot, Labour has shown that ideas of worker-led ownership are back in play
Turning the tide in Labour against war and against Nato

Following the success of an anti-war resolution at Young Labour's conference, Johnny Charles reports on how a similar resolution was passed at his CLP
15 years on from the biggest protest in British history

Lindsey German looks back at the day in 2003 that millions took to the streets to protest the Iraq war
We need a new foreign policy built around peace

Jeremy Corbyn's rise has put anti-war politics centre stage. We now have a chance to do things completely differently, argues Chris Nineham
Surprise, surprise: Jeremy Corbyn's anti-war policies turned out to be a vote winner

An astounding election result combined with the cancellation of Trump's visit show protest works, writes Chris Nineham
Trump: pushing us to the brink of war

In this moment of rising tension, the anti-war movement has to get organised around the country
Coming to grips with the Syrian tragedy

How should the left approach the disaster of the war in Syria? We republish some suggestions by David Bush
Syria: understanding the anti-war position

However confusing the situation in Syria, the anti-war movement provides political clarity, argues David Bush in his latest online post
Mosul: Stop the War statement

More aerial bombardment of civilians will not help to bring about peace and stability in Iraq
Corbyn represents change: the anti-war movement must stand behind him

We must renew our efforts, build the anti-war movement and support Corbyn, argues Mick Wattam
Permanent intervention: the calling card of the neocon warmongers

As the war drums starting beating ahead of next month’s US election, Stop the War convenor Lindsey German notes a renewed urgency and sense of purpose for the movement
No more war: time to step up a gear

Saturday's Stop the War Coalition international conference was an important and timely gathering of anti-war activists
Libya: blood on their hands

The imperialist chickens keep on coming home to roost, observes Alastair Stephens in this article republished from the current Counterfire paper
Supporting Trident and Nato is the wrong direction

In a world of increasing conflict, pandering to the right-wing on Trident and Nato is not the way forward, argues Lindsey German
Who's to blame for the end of the ceasefire in Syria?

The cessation of the Syrian conflict begins with the end of foreign intervention, argues Chris Nineham
Corbyn, democracy and the movement

Opposing imperialism through the movement on the streets is imperative, argues Lindsey German
The Fourth Estate and the Fifteen Years’ War

Lindsey German despairs at the dishonest accounting that passes for the media’s scrutiny of the War on Terror
Nato: Corbyn is correct

It's disturbing that Jeremy Corbyn's comments on foreign policy were in any way controversial says Chris Nineham
The persistence of the fog of war

Lindsey German makes the connections between recent war remembrance and today’s Chilcot report
The nuclear option: why Paul Mason is wrong

Lindsey German argues that supporting weapons of mass destruction would be a disaster for the left
Start The War versus Stop The War: McCarthyism returns

Stop the War has been attacked by every part of the establishment recently, but the smears are blatant hypocrisy
MPs complaints of bullying show contempt for democracy

Many of those complaining fear greater accountability and the wave of anti-war feeling evident from Corbyn's election as Labour leader
Saturday's demonstration can be historic

It is the anti-war demonstration on 12 December, not Hilary Benn's speech which is likely to prove historic
The left in France: a moment of decision

While Hollande is arguing for more war, the left needs to focus on building a broad, united movement against war, racism and Islamophobia
Cameron's retreat on Syria is not the end of the battle

Cameron's plans to bomb Syria may have suffered a setback, but we still have to build the anti-war movement, argues Alastair Stephens
Percy Bysshe Shelley: Poet and Revolutionary

The relevance of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s radical politics and poetry is revealed in Jacqueline Mulhallen’s new biography, finds Alex Snowdon
United front and trade union work

How can socialists mobilise the type of mass action required for social change? The Counterfire steering committee presents the following article for discussion at our annual conference

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Anti-war Movement

Anti-war Movement

The US is about to try and overturn the block on Assange’s extradition. Lucy Nichols explains why we must all be part of the fight to stop them.

Chris Nineham speaks to activists in Brighton and reports on the Labour Party conference and discussions about the next steps for the left

Dragan Plavšić considers the consequences of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan as another Cold War looms

Lindsey German on anti-imperialism and the War on Terror

Twenty years ago hundreds of thousands confronted the world's elites in the Italian city of Genoa. Chris Nineham looks at the significance of the events and their legacy

Prashad’s Washington Bullets details the global economic and military interventions of the US, showing why anti-imperialist movements are vital, argues Jamal Elaheebocus

Western imperialism is allowing Israel to bomb and lynch Palestinians with impunity, it's our job to stand up and resist, argues Shabbir Lakha

Anti-war sentiment has already impacted on the incoming Biden administration, but it will have to be mobilised to deliver change, argues Chris Nineham

Corbyn's anti-war principles and their popular appeal are the biggest threat to the establishment, says Chris Nineham

Lindsey German: Robert Fisk's writing armed the anti-war movement and his death is a loss for us all

As the devastation of Yemen continues, Stop the War is part of a global coalition organising an international day of action against the war

The Trial of the Chicago 7 tells us the powerful story of the brave stand taken by the anti-war movement in the late sixties

Protesters assembled outside the Old Bailey to voice the opposition to extraditing Julian Assange, reports Shabbir Lakha

The author of Sound System: The Political Power of Music and founder of south London music collective Slovo speaks to Mayer Wakefield

Recent reports show how social movements can impact directly on militarism, writes Chris Nineham

Chris Nineham reflects on the history of jazz music and the anti-war movement ahead of Stop the War's event with Shabaka Hutchings marking the 75th anniversary of the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

It's our turn to tell the story of war, says Terina Hine

Kevin Ovenden, who was aboard the Mavi Marmara, recounts the attempt to break the siege on Gaza and its part in the global solidarity movement with Palestine

50 years on from the massacre of black students at Jackson State College, systemic racism and police brutality remain prevalent in the United States, writes Alyssa Cassata

Labour HQ's campaign against anti-war party members shows why the movement needs to be strengthened, writes Chris Nineham

Recent events in the Labour Party need to be examined clinically, because they tell us important things both about the party's direction of travel and about how power is wielded within it, says Chris Nineham

A selection of Lindsey German's briefings from the 2017 to the 2019 general elections which present an analysis of Corbynism and the state of British politics as it happened

Marking ten years since the launch of Counterfire, Alex Snowdon reflects on why the organisation was set up and some of what we have achieved in the last decade

Smashing the link between militarism and the system is a fixed task for our side, argues Dominic Alexander

Six practical and theoretical suggestions to build a broad, united and fighting left, by David McAllister

The threat of war with Iran isn't over and the anti-war movement must continue to organise against it, writes Shabbir Lakha

Over 200 people gathered at Buchanan Steps on Monday 6th January to say no to US imperialism, reports Vladimir Unkovski-Korica

Protesters took the streets to say no to Trump's drive to war with Iran, reports Shabbir Lakha

The leadership contest is likely to be a missed opportunity for making Labour a serious anti-war party, argues Alex Snowdon

The anti-war movement and Jeremy Corbyn were always the biggest threat to Blairism, that's why he's so adamant to try to show he's still standing, argues Jonathon Shafi

Dearlove's allegations of Corbyn's sympathies are wrong and completely baseless argues Chris Nineham

Trump's meddling can be beaten with protest, writes Lindsey German

Official Secrets shows the extent of the lies in the drive to war with Iraq and leaves the viewer asking how on earth Blair got away with it, writes Shabbir Lakha

John Bolton's sacking is good news, now we need an alternative foreign policy by an anti-war government, argues Lindsey German

Anti-war and anti-nuclear activism is at the heart of remembrance in Hiroshima, report Clare Solomon and Steph Pike

For understanding how grassroots movements can be organised, The War at Home remains a vital resource, writes Gabriel Polley

Murad Qureshi is standing to be a Labour candidate for the London Assembly. He sent Counterfire his campaign statement and we are happy to share his reasons for standing.

A statement from Stop the War raises the alarm on the escalating threat of war with Iran over the seizures of tankers

No new Tory Prime Minister, protest the Tory party conference, revolt in Sudan, does modern monetary theory work, stop the drive to war with Iran, the British state and what Engels said about revolution in this month's Counterfire freesheet

The Miners' Gala showed how strong a left united against austerity can be, reports David McAllister

Responding to Paul Mason's latest article, Shabbir Lakha argues that the left needs to be trying to unite working people against austerity, not divide them over Brexit

Trump and his neocon advisers are taking us to the brink of yet another disastrous war in the Middle East, writes Hilary Stephenson

Tory meltdown, the crisis in British Steel, how we should remember D-Day, a Marxist analysis of Game of Thrones and more in this month's Counterfire freesheet

Thousands of protesters marched through London on Saturday showing that solidarity with Palestine in Britain hasn't gone anywhere, reports Shabbir Lakha

The Stop the War Coalition supported Lowkey's recent tour around the country, this is a video of National Officer Shabbir Lakha speaking at the London concert

The Kurdish community and anti-war activists in Wales have mobilised to amplify the voices of Kurdish hunger strikers, reports Kevin Potter

Attacks on Islam and Muslims are the central organising principles of far-right movements across Europe, argues Chris Nineham

Indians, Pakistanis, Kashmiris and UK citizens of South Asian origin issue a statement calling on the Indian and Pakistani governments to work for peace not war

The decision to suspend Chris Williamson is a capitulation to the right that only gives more ground for attacks on the left, argues Shabbir Lakha

Tom Lock Griffiths talks to biographer and activist Kate Connelly about Sylvia Pankhurst and why the militant socialist and suffragette is still powerfully relevant today in this episode of Counterfire Media's Podcast

The November 11 anti-Trump mobilisation in Paris is a real advance for the anti-war movement in France, reports Susan Ram

A new offensive in the Saudi war on Yemen will ratchet up the humanitarian crisis. We must build a huge campaign to end arms sales, writes Chris Nineham

Remembrance is about the present and the future, not just the past, argues Alex Snowdon in this repost of his 2015 article

The establishment makes a big display of remembering fallen WW1 soldiers while justifying today's wars. We should remember those who fought hard to stop war, argues Lindsey German

The left surge at Labour conference was impressive - now, if we want to win, we need to mobilise the whole movement

The anti-war movement is on the front foot, and made its mark at Labour's conference

As Labour Party Conference commences, Sean Ledwith argues it is essential the left defends the Corbyn project against further retreats, as recent NEC decisions show us

Far from being an ‘isolationist’, Donald Trump has increased bombings, sanctions and war, argues Lindsey German

Trump's policies point towards regime change in Iran. The anti-war movement must stand firm, argues Shabbir Lakha

Thousands of people have taken to the streets in over 40 towns and cities across the country to voice their opposition to Theresa May's bombing of Syria

After years on the back foot, Labour has shown that ideas of worker-led ownership are back in play

Following the success of an anti-war resolution at Young Labour's conference, Johnny Charles reports on how a similar resolution was passed at his CLP

Lindsey German looks back at the day in 2003 that millions took to the streets to protest the Iraq war

Jeremy Corbyn's rise has put anti-war politics centre stage. We now have a chance to do things completely differently, argues Chris Nineham

An astounding election result combined with the cancellation of Trump's visit show protest works, writes Chris Nineham

In this moment of rising tension, the anti-war movement has to get organised around the country

How should the left approach the disaster of the war in Syria? We republish some suggestions by David Bush

However confusing the situation in Syria, the anti-war movement provides political clarity, argues David Bush in his latest online post

More aerial bombardment of civilians will not help to bring about peace and stability in Iraq

We must renew our efforts, build the anti-war movement and support Corbyn, argues Mick Wattam

As the war drums starting beating ahead of next month’s US election, Stop the War convenor Lindsey German notes a renewed urgency and sense of purpose for the movement

Saturday's Stop the War Coalition international conference was an important and timely gathering of anti-war activists

The imperialist chickens keep on coming home to roost, observes Alastair Stephens in this article republished from the current Counterfire paper