Protests have been growing throughout the world against Nato's bombing. Thousands have demonstrated in Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Athens, San Francisco, Prague, London, and a whole number of other cities.
The Greek railway workers have threatened to strike if any attempt is made to move troops by rail. Every town in Greece has seen huge protests. Hundreds of demonstrators tried to stop the Greek destroyer Themistocles from going to sea. As a result eight sailors signed a statement declaring they would refuse to fight-two did not board the ship and face court martial. Protesters also blocked the main road out of the port of Salonika.
In Italy the left wing Rifondazione Comunista have opposed the war. Two major newspapers-Il Manifesto and Liberazione-are also against it. Over 150,000 demonstrated on the streets of Rome, and on the same day protesters attacked the headquarters of Nato in Naples.
Protests are also growing in Britain despite the media blackout. There have already been two demonstrations in London-over 5,000 took to the streets in early April -with another called for 8 May. Over 1,000 demonstrated outside the BBC in central London. On the same day 1,500 people demonstrated in Manchester, and there were also protests in Sheffield, Birmingham, Oxford, Nottingham, Southampton and Brighton. The longer this war continues, the more we can expect such anti-war movements to develop.
Nicolai Gentchev