In the biggest demonstrations in Sweden for many decades, 80,000 marched in Stockhom, 30,000 in Gothenburg and 2,700 in Umeå. In total, there were demos in around 40 cities. All over the country, the demos were dominated by youth and had a strong Left wing flavour.

80,000 march in Stockholm

The anti-war protests are good measures of a strong willingness to fight against the rule of capital and the military, and opens big possibilities for socialists to increase our forces and support.

In the historic demo in Stockholm, Sofia Marklund spoke for School Students’ Against War:

"The day Bush starts bombing Iraq, students all over the world will go on strike. Our campaign is gaining strength every day, with preparations for a strike in schools around the country".

In Luleå, which saw 1,100 on the demo, Soran Karim, a member of Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna (CWI), who is from Iraq, was one of the speakers:

"Today millions march against war. But demonstrations are probably not enough. But if workers all over the world organised a one day general strike, that would threaten profits for Bush’s friends in big business." Soran went on to explain the socialist alternative. Speaking alongside him was one of the party leaders of the Greens and council leader in the city.

These historically big demonstrations will put pressure on the social democratic government, which so far has balanced between the two camps within the EU. Prime Minister Göran Persson has said that he will support a war if it has UN support.

Rättvisepartiet Socialisterna also had speakers in Sundsvall, and organised public meetings in Skellefteå and Umeå.

So far, it has been reported, more than 1,000 copies of the CWI’s weekly paper, ’Offensiv’, were sold on the protests, and 128 new subscriptions to the paper were received. Hundreds of youth expressed an interest in both the party and School Students’ Against the War.

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