From KP21, October 13, 2001
In the last couple of weeks a new peace movement has developed. A profound,
extensive and broad opposition to the war from many sectors of the population
appeared on the streets in the major Danish cities when the US began bombing
Afghanistan.
In the weeks after September 11, when Bush made the world clear that the US
would respond with war, countless declarations and statements were sent from
individuals, humanitarian and religious organizations, peace organizations,
trade unions and other movements to President Bush with the clear message: Don't
start this war - war isn't the solution!
The same message was sent to the Danish government: Refuse war as the solution
- Denmark must not participate in a war!
At many places, people started turning powerlessness into actions ranging from
peace services, torch processions to demonstrations in front of the national
parliament in Copenhagen. And when the war began, the activities and protests
grew significantly. Exactly the same profound popular opposition to the war
has taken place in one country after another all around the world. If Bush,
by threatening, buying and bribing, has succeeded in building a broad alliance
of imperialist and corrupt governments and generals, then the new peace movement
is now building a strong global alliance in order to stop the US war. Not at
least the youth has quickly responded and taken responsibility for building
an anti-war movement.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the left wing in Denmark. When
it really mattered, when it really meant something and could cost something
after September 11, the party leaderships sought shelter. They crossed themselves
in order not to be lumped with terrorists.
When the war started, the Socialist People's Party (SF) showed its hand. The
SF supports the US war. The SF voted for Danish military participation by voting
for sending Danish troops to Macedonia. "A critical support," the
SF calls it, adding, "the war must not affect civilians".
Is the world's biggest imperialist military power heavily bombing the cities
of Afghanistan without killing civilians?
Søren Søndergård, member of the parliamentary group of the
Unity List (also called the Red-Green Alliance, translator's note), completely
scandalously stated that the Unity List could not take a stand on the US war,
neither for nor against. At a meeting of the No to War Committee in Copenhagen
the same day, a member of the Central Committee of the party swore that the
press had misquoted the Unity List, and that the Central Committee had met in
order to correct the error. The statement of Søren Søndergård
is still present on the home page of the Unity List as a monument of infamy
representing treachery and parliamentary subjugation to the ruling Social Democratic
Party. The new statement of the Central Committee on October 9 repeats the "criticism"
of the SF, stating: "We cannot support a war that is killing civilians!".
The bourgeois press is trying to picture the new peace movement as a narrow
mob of Communists and Muslim foreigners. They are both in there. But the movement
is far broader and more extensive than that. There are people from all political
parties, being of all ages and having different ethnic and religious background.
It is the beginning of a real popular resistance movement against the US war
and the Danish participation in it.
Scandalously, the Unity List is trying to harness this movement to its own sectarian
carriage. In the opinion of the Unity List, the anti-war movement must neither
say nor take a stand on who is the principal responsible for this war and who
is heading it. The party is against the slogan, "Stop the US war!",
arguing that it sounds offensive and anti-American! Not even "No to war!"
is acceptable to the Unity List, but only "No to war and terror!"
in order to be "fair" - and make sure the Social Democratic Party
does not get too offended.
The Communist Party of Denmark (Marxist-Leninist) (DKP/ML), Communist Party
in Denmark (KPiD), International Socialists (IS) and Demos (an anti-racist organization,
translator's note) are all actively supporting the hangers-on's policy
of the Unity List.
The broad anti-war movement has passed the point where it will be dictated by a half-hearted "left wing". The anti-war movement is too big for that. The situation is too serious for that.