Leeds Coalition Against the War

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Leeds Coalition Against the War (LCAW) was founded as part of the national Stop the War Coalition in September 2001 in the weeks following 9/11, when George W. Bush announced the “war on terror”.  LCAW and Stop the War have since been dedicated to preventing and ending the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and elsewhere.

Leeds Coalition Against the War opposes the British establishment’s disastrous addiction to war and its squandering of public resources on militarism. We have initiated many campaigns around these issues.

We are committed to supporting Palestinian rights, opposing racism and Islamophobia, and to the defence of civil liberties.

Stop the War has organised around 40 national demonstrations, including the largest protests ever held in Britain, most memorably on 15 February 2003, when up to two million gathered on London’s streets to oppose the Iraq war . In Leeds, LCAW organised mass demonstrations and protests, including an 8,000 strong march in Leeds and a march on the day the Iraq war began of 5,000 people in Leeds city centre.

In 2013, Stop the War was central in mobilising opposition to UK bombing of Syria, as proposed by David Cameron’s government. This led to the historic decision in parliament when MPs voted against military intervention.

Other events which Stop the War has organised are thousands of public meetings across the country, direct action in the run up to UK wars – including walkouts from schools, colleges and workplaces – two People’s Assemblies, international peace conferences, vigils, lobbies of Parliament and anti-war cultural events.

Individuals can become members of Leeds Coalition Against the War, and we welcome affiliations by supporting organisations and trade unions. Members and affiliates must support the aims of LCAW as set out in our constitution.