Anti-War protest held in Derry today

The protest was organised by Derry Anti-War Coalition and the speakers used the occasion to call to an end to all war, not just the war in Ukraine.

Speaking at the event, Davy McCauley, the leader of the Derry Anti-War Coalition, explained why he opposed NATO as much as he condemns Russia.

He said: “NATO’s last published budget was a trillion dollars. A trillion dollars on military hardware. Has that trillion dollars brought on world peace? Is there any more security in the world because of it? That trillion dollars could end world hunger. It could end poverty. If we’re serious about being an anti-war coalition, we have to oppose all wars.”

Independent counsellor Gary Donnelly said: “Some governments cannot find enough money to ensure the basic rights of it’s own citizens are fulfilled, including housing, heating, food and health care, but they have the money to fund a war.

“If we are calling on an end to war, we must also recognise Ukraine’s part in escalating tensions in the region.

“The reality is, the people of the world want to live their lives free of war and in peace. As a result of NATO aggression and Russian nationalism, the world is on the brink again.”

People Before Profit counsellor Sean Harkin said: “We want a world without war. We want a world that’s based on peace. We are here in Derry, in Ireland, and we have to put a spotlight on what our governments are doing. Our governments are fuelling this crisis by arguing that NATO has to ramp up its activities in Eastern Europe. It has become a battleground between Russia, NATO and other powers. They (the government) are going to tell us that they need to ramp up their spending on wars when people cannot endure this cost of living crisis anymore.”

The protesters then bowed their heads for a moment of silence to think about the war and the people suffering through it.