Earlier today I attended the candlelit vigil called by Lewisham CND and Stop the War Coalition. From five until seven we held a peaceful protest against the occupation of Afghanistan, holding up a large banner for the rush hour traffic and a number of rainbow coloured flags proclaiming 'peace'.This was called in response to the one hundredth British soldier to be killed in the conflict, although we can only guess at the number of Afghans and others that have died too, combatants and non-combatants alike.
When Barrack Obama was elected President in the USA it was impossible not to feel an incredible elation at the end of the Bush years of bomb first, ask questions later. He may have ushered in a saner foreign policy, which is very welcome, but the bar was set very low after all.
However, Obama may have inherited an utter mess that sees many lives lost every day but that does not mean that he has to continue Bush's Afghan adventure.
Just as Gerald Ford took the troops out of Vietnam Obama can bring home his coalition that is currently engaged in killing Afghans in their own country and propping up a misogynistic and corrupt regime. There are no easy solutions to this terrible situation, but it doesn't mean we have to keep making matters worse.
More photos at Lewisham Stop the War Coalition.
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