April 10^th demonstration in Pakistan:

Below are areticles on the antiwar protest in Pakistan that were in solidarity with out April 9 and 10 rallies.

Pakistan solidarity demos

http://www.demotix.com/news/655791/protest-against-nato-forces-attack-libya-lahore

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011%5C04%5C11%5Cstory_11-4-2011_pg13_1

Daily Times - Site Edition

Monday, April 11, 2011

Leftists stage protest against US war on terror

* Speaker says aim of protest is to show solidarity with UN Antiwar Committee, demand government stop drone attacks

By Arsalan Haider

LAHORE: Leftist political parties and movements, on Sunday, held a protest against the ‘so-called US war on terror’ at the Charing Cross. The protesters chanted slogans against the US war on terror, drone attacks, NATO’s supply and attack on Libya. 

They also demanded the US government to stop drone attacks, to shut down all American ports in Pakistan and to wind up wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

The parties that were protesting included the Labour Party Pakistan, Awami Party, Workers Party Pakistan, Awami Jamhuri Forum, Socialist Revolution Movement, National Student Federation, National Trade Union Federation, Railway Workers Union and Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee. 

The speakers, while addressing the audience, said that the spreading US poison in the name of war on terror can be seen in Afghanistan and Iraq, an example of which is the increasing crime rate there. 

They added, “The same war had spread over to Pakistan where a large number of people lost their lives and millions lost their homes due to the US drone attacks.” They said that the Pakistan Army had started conducting raids in the southern parts of the country on behalf of the US. 

The speakers said that the US is a partner in the crime of pushing the movements in Middle East and North Africa, which had started as a mark of protest against their cruel rulers and the investor class.

Labour Party Pakistan General Secretary, Rana Aslam, told Daily Times that the purpose of the demonstration was to show solidarity with the United National Antiwar Committee. He added that demonstration of thousands of Americans against their government is proof that “it is not a war of cultures but it is a war of rights”. 

Aslam added that the US government is spending billions of dollars on the wars, which is also affecting the social expenses. He added, “Similarly, the government of Pakistan has also shortened the development budget and increased the defence budget by upto 25 percent.” Aslam added that all parties are also going to hold demonstrations in several cities across the country, including Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Multan and Hyderabad.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=40972&Cat=5&dt=4/11/2011

Protest against Nato attacks on Libya

Our Correspondent
Monday, April 11, 2011

LAHORE

WORKERS of eight political parties and numerous civil society bodies held a massive protest demonstration in front of Punjab Assembly against the indiscriminate bombing by Nato forces at unarmed civilians in Libya and to mark 10 years of American terrorism in the name of War On Terror.

Labour Party Pakistan, Awami Party, Worker s Party Pakistan, Awami Jamhoori Forum, Inqalabi Socialists Tehrik, National Students Federation, National Trade Union Federation, Pakistan Kissan Rabta Committee and others participated in the demonstration and stressed upon the leftist parties of Pakistan to denounce America s self-righteous terror campaign to serve its vested interests of global domination and demolition in the name of global peace and democracy.

The protestors were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans such as, No More War for Peace , Mind Your Own Business America , and NATO Leave Libya NOW . The protestors chanted Go America Go slogans and condemned American political expansionism through force.

Leaders from different parties, including Naeem Shakir, Talib Hussain, Irfan Chaudhry and Dr Afshan Zaheer said that the utter disregard for human life shown by France, USA and Brittan by bombing innocent and unarmed civilians in Libya was the worst human rights disaster ever under the tag of the so-called saving of humanity. They said that the Western agenda of war for peace had caused millions of innocent deaths all across the world and this latest violation of life by the Nato forces needed to stop immediately.

They demanded that if UNO wanted to get rid of the tag American body to legalise all American acts then it should take prompt action against all pre-emptive and presumptive offensives advocated by America and the Nato forces and should save all humanity from the terrorism and extremism of this block out to destroy world peace.

The protesters staged a token sit-in at the Faysal Chowk and blocked the traffic which created extended traffic jam all along The Mall and all its connecting roads as well. The sit-in, although was ended after 45 minutes, it took a good while for the traffic to resume to its normal flow after the protest ended and the protestors dispersed. 

http://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article2083