View source for 15 February 2003 Iraq War protests

{{short description|Coordinated day of protests in over 600 cities against the War in Iraq}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
[[File:London anti-war protest banners.jpg|thumb|Protest in London]]
On 15 February 2003, a coordinated day of protests was held across the world in which people in more than 600 cities expressed opposition to the imminent [[2003 invasion of Iraq|Iraq War]]. It was part of a [[Protests against the Iraq War|series of protests and political events]] that had begun in 2002 and continued as the invasion, war, and occupation took place. The day was described by social movement researchers as "the largest protest event in human history".<ref name="Walgrave2010">{{cite book |url=http://uahost.uantwerpen.be/m2p/publications/1267098151.pdf#page=13 |title=The World Says No to War: Demonstrations against the War on Iraq |date=2010 |page=xiii |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215153519/http://uahost.uantwerpen.be/m2p/publications/1267098151.pdf#page=13 |archive-date=15 February 2016 |url-status=dead |chapter=Introduction |first1=Stefaan |last1=Walgrave |first2=Dieter |last2=Rucht |author2-link=Dieter Rucht |publisher=University of Minnesota Press |location=Minneapolis |series=Social Movements, Protest, and Contention |volume=33 |asin=B0076HYOWA |isbn=978-0-8166-5095-8 |jstor=10.5749/j.cttts43x |lccn=2009046761 |oclc=5559554465 |quote=Together, the February&nbsp;15 demonstrations were the largest protest event in human history. |access-date=15 February 2016  }}</ref>

According to [[BBC News]], between six and ten million people took part in protests in up to sixty countries over the weekend of 15 and{{nbsp}}16 February.<ref name="Millions" />

The largest protests took place in Europe. The one in Rome involved around three million people, and is listed in the 2004 ''[[Guinness Book of Records|Guinness Book of World Records]]'' as the largest anti-war [[Demonstration (people)|rally]] in history. Madrid hosted the second largest rally{{cn|date=May 2023}} with more than 1.5{{nbsp}}million people protesting against the invasion of Iraq. In [[Beijing]], three smaller protests were held the following day, attended by foreigners and domestic students.<ref name="auto">[http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-03/31/content_160078.htm] China Daily report on 31 March protests</ref>

==Background==
In 2002, the [[United States government]] began to argue for the necessity of invading Iraq. This formally began with a speech by US President [[George W. Bush]] to the [[United Nations General Assembly]] on 12 September 2002 which argued that the [[Iraqi government]] of [[Saddam Hussein]] was violating [[United Nations]] (UN) resolutions, primarily on [[weapons of mass destruction]], and that this necessitated action.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130402144630/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/09/12/bush.transcript/ President Bush's address to the United Nations], [[CNN]], 12 September 2002</ref>

The proposed war was controversial with many people questioning the motives of the US government and its rationale.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20030408025943/http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0118-03.htm], [[Robert Fisk]], 18 January 2003, ''[[The Independent]]''</ref> One poll which covered 41{{nbsp}}countries claimed that less than 10% would support an invasion of Iraq without UN sanction and that half would not support an invasion under any circumstances.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gallup-international.com/ContentFiles/survey.asp?id=10|title=Iraq Poll 2003, Gallup poll|website=gallup-international.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090126150127/http://www.gallup-international.com/ContentFiles/survey.asp?id=10|archive-date=26 January 2009}}</ref>

[[List of anti-war organizations|Anti-war groups]] worldwide organised public protests. According to the French academic [[Dominique Reynié]], between 3 January and 12 April 2003, 36{{nbsp}}million people across the globe took part in almost 3,000{{nbsp}}anti‑war protests, the demonstrations on 15 February 2003 being the largest and most prolific.<ref name="Difference"/>

==International coordination==
The 15 February international protests were unprecedented not only in terms of the size of the demonstrations but also in terms of the international coordination involved. Researchers from the [[University of Antwerp]] claim that the day was possible only because it "was carefully planned by an international network of national [[social movement]] organizations."<ref name="Empirical">Stefaan Walgrave and Joris Verhulst, [http://nicomedia.math.upatras.gr/conf/CAWM2003/Papers/Verhulst.pdf The February 15 Worldwide Protests against a War in Iraq: An Empirical Test of Transnational Opportunities. Outline of a Research Programme.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061020070439/http://nicomedia.math.upatras.gr/conf/CAWM2003/Papers/Verhulst.pdf |date=20 October 2006 }} ([[PDF]]). Draft paper online. p.{{nbsp}}5. Retrieved 24 January 2006. (see [[Wikipedia:WikiProject Anti-war/An Empirical Test of Transnational Opportunities]] for permission to quote paper)</ref>

[[Immanuel Wallerstein]] has spoken of the international protests as being organised by the forces of "the camps of Porto Alegre and Davos" in reference to the emergence of global social movements who had been organising around international events such as the 2001 [[World Social Forum]] in [[Porto Alegre]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wallerstein |first=Immanuel |title=Entering global anarchy |journal=[[New Left Review]] |volume=II |issue=22 |date=July–August 2003 |url=http://newleftreview.org/II/22/immanuel-wallerstein-entering-global-anarchy }}</ref> 

The idea for an international day of demonstrations was first raised by the British [[Anti-capitalism|anti-capitalist]] group [[Globalise Resistance]] (GR) in the wake of an anti-war demonstration in Britain of 400,000 on 28 September. At the time GR was involved in planning for the [[Florence]] [[European Social Forum]] (ESF) and brought up the suggestion at an ESF planning meeting. According to GR's [[Chris Nineham]], "There was considerable controversy. Some delegates were worried it would alienate the mainstream of the movement. We, alongside the Italian delegates, had to put up a strong fight to get it accepted."<ref name="TheDay">{{cite web |url=http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=3323 |title=The day the world said no to war on Iraq |work=Socialist Worker |date=22 February 2003 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321033712/http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=3323 |archive-date=21 March 2006}}</ref>

The proposal was accepted and at the final rally of the ESF, in November 2002, the call officially went out for Europe-wide demonstrations on 15 February 2003. This call was firmed up in December at a planning meeting for the following ESF which took place in [[Copenhagen]] in 2003. This meeting was attended by delegates from many European anti-war organisations, the US group [[United for Peace and Justice]], and representatives of groups from the [[Philippines]]. The decision was taken to set up a Europe-wide anti-war website and to commit to spreading organisational coordination both within and beyond Europe. An email network connecting the different national organisations across Europe, and eventually also the different US groups, was set up.<ref name="Empirical"/><ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0303-01.htm Organizers of Antiwar Movement Plan to Go Beyond Protests] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214163334/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0303-01.htm |date=14 February 2012 }}, Glenn Frankel, ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 3 March 2003</ref>

In December 2002, the [[Cairo Anti-war Conference]] pledged to organize demonstrations in [[Egypt]] and the [[International Campaign Against Aggression on Iraq]] (which came out of the Cairo conference) sought to co-ordinate more demonstrations across the world. Around this time, the US anti-war group [[A.N.S.W.E.R.|International ANSWER]] called for actions in North America supporting the proposed protests in Europe.<ref>[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/01/18/sproject.irq.us.protests/ Anti-war demonstrators rally around the world], CNN, 19 January 2003</ref>

Another important platform for the spreading call to demonstrate internationally occurred at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, [[Brazil]] which took place at the end of 2002. European delegates sought to popularize the plan for the increasingly international demonstration. They met with some success, including the organisation of an anti‑war assembly which was attended by almost 1,000{{nbsp}}people.<ref name="TheDay" />

The song "Boom!", by [[System of a Down]], had a music video filmed on the day of the protest, showing the many protest locations and people's opinions on the Iraq War.

==Europe==
Demonstrations took place across Europe and some of the largest drawing attendance figures in the tens of thousands in many cities. Approximately one-fifth of the total demonstrators worldwide protested in Europe.

=== Alpine countries ===
In Austria, 30,000 people (SW estimate) took to the streets of its capital, [[Vienna]].<ref name="Voices">{{cite news |url=http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=3326 |title=Voices from the world's biggest anti-war protest |url-status=dead |newspaper=Socialist Worker |issue=1839 |date=22 February 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120119022944/http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=3326 |archive-date=19 January 2012}}</ref> In Switzerland in order to "concentrate the movement" most activists agreed to organise a single demonstration for the whole country in [[Bern]]. On the day roughly 40,000 people joined the protest in front of the [[Federal Palace of Switzerland|Bundeshaus]], the seat of the Swiss federal government and parliament. The demonstration, which ran under the slogan ''{{lang|de|Nein zum Krieg gegen Irak{{spnd}}Kein Blut für Öl!}}'' (No to war in Iraq{{spnd}}no blood for oil!) was the largest in Switzerland since 1945.<ref>[http://www.gsoa.ch/krieg/terror/demo_2003_02_15.htm Nein zum Krieg gegen Irak{{spnd}}Kein Blut für Öl!] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051119014114/http://www.gsoa.ch/krieg/terror/demo_2003_02_15.htm |date=19 November 2005 }}, GSoA, not in English, used as reference for Switzerland demonstration</ref>

In [[Slovenia]], roughly 3,000 people gathered in [[Ljubljana]]'s central park of [[Kongresni trg]], supported by the mayor Danica Simšič, and marched the streets in one of the largest demonstrations since independence in 1991.<ref name="Thousands for peace">[http://www.rtvslo.si/modload.php?&c_mod=rnews&op=sections&func=read&c_menu=1&c_id=864], TV Slovenia {{in lang|sl}}</ref>

===Benelux===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Feb15 Poster Amsterdam.jpg|right|Poster advertising the Amsterdam demonstration]] -->
The [[Benelux]] countries had large demonstrations for their total population size. In Belgium organisers had expected around 30,000 people to attend a demonstration in [[Brussels]], which is the home of the [[European Parliament]]. They were shocked by a turn out of approximately 100,000 people (WSWS and GLW estimate). The march took over 3{{nbsp}}hours to cross the city.<ref name="green"/>
The Netherlands saw around 70,000 (''USA Today'' estimate) to 75,000 people (WSWS estimate) protest in [[Amsterdam]].<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/><ref name="Mass"/> This was the country's largest demonstration since the [[anti-nuclear]] campaigns of the 1980s.<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/> Anti war website [[antiwar.com]] reports that 8,000-14,000 people were present at protests in [[Luxembourg]], however they do not provide a citation for this figure.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.antiwar.com/feb03demos.html|title=February 2003 Antiwar Demonstrations|website=www.antiwar.com|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>

===Bosnia and Herzegovina===
[[Bosnia and Herzegovina]] saw around 100 protesters gather in [[Mostar]]. This protest spanned the sectarian divide with both [[Muslims]] and [[Croats]] attending.<ref name="Mass"/>

===Croatia===
There were also protests in [[Croatia]] where 10,000 people (WSWS estimate) took part in a protest in the capital city of [[Zagreb]]. Croatia also saw protests in [[Osijek]], [[Vukovar]], [[Knin]], [[Zadar]], [[Šibenik]], [[Split (city)|Split]] and [[Dubrovnik]].<ref name="Mass"/>

===Cyprus===
[[Cyprus]] saw a demonstration of between 500 (''USA Today'' estimate) and more than 800 people (SW estimate) at the [[British army]] base in [[Dhekelia Cantonment|Dhekelia]]. Enduring heavy rain protesters briefly blocked the base. They then marched to [[Pyla]] village where they watched other demonstrations occurring across the world on a giant screen. The demonstration was mostly attended by [[Greek Cypriot]]s but they were joined by some [[Turkish Cypriot]]s.<ref name="Voices"/><ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

===Czech Republic===
In the Czech Republic, over 1,000 people joined a rally at [[Jan Palach]] Square in Prague. Czech philosopher [[Erazim Kohak]] addressed the crowd, saying, "War is not a solution, war is a problem."<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>
Protesters listened to music and speeches before marching to the Czech government building, where they submitted petitions, then march continued to the US embassy.<ref name="Voices"/>

===France===
In France, there were demonstrations in somewhere between twenty (''Observer'' estimate) and eighty cities ([[WSWS]] estimate); the organisers estimated that over half a million marched in total. The biggest demonstration took place in Paris, where around 100,000 (''[[USA Today]]'' estimate) to 200,000 (WSWS estimate) people marched through the streets, ending in a rally at the [[Place de la Bastille]]. This location's role in the [[French Revolution]] was considered to give it a historical significance.<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/><ref name="Mass"/><ref name="People"/> There was also a demonstration in [[Toulouse]] of around 10,000 people.<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

===Germany===
In Germany, coaches brought people from over 300 German towns to Berlin to join a demonstration of 300,000 (police estimate) to 500,000 (organizers' estimate) people; the largest demonstration that had occurred in Berlin for several decades.<ref name="Voices"/><ref name="Cities"/> Protesters, including members of [[Gerhard Schröder]]'s government, filled the boulevard between the [[Brandenburg Gate]] and the [[Berlin Victory Column|Victory Column]].<ref name="Waging"/><ref name="MassiveCBS"/>
[[ATTAC]] Germany's spokesperson [[Malte Kreutzfeld]] was reported as praising the broadness of the demonstration, saying "The churches and trade unions have linked to make the coalition far broader than even the anti-nuclear missile marches in the 1980s."<ref name="green"/>

===Greece===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Feb15 Poster Athens.jpg|thumb|100px|Poster for Athens demonstration]] -->
In [[Athens]], Greece, 150,000 people (WSWS estimate) demonstrated. The protest was generally peaceful, but a small group clashed with police. The police fired [[tear gas]] at the group some of whom threw rocks and [[petrol bombs]]. Police reported that the trouble was down to a group of [[anarchists]] who had split off from the main demonstration.<ref name="Cities"/>

===Hungary===
There was a demonstration in [[Budapest]], Hungary, of 60,000 people (SW estimate)<ref name="TheDay"/>

===Ireland===
In [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], the [[Dublin]] march was only expected to draw 20,000 people, but the actual figure was given variously as 80,000 (police estimate), 90,000 (BBC estimate), 100,000 (''Guardian'' estimate) or 150,000 ([[Socialist Worker]] (SW) estimate). The march went from Parnell Square, passing the Department of Foreign Affairs at [[St. Stephen's Green]], and on to the Dame Street for a rally where popular Irish [[folk music|folk]] singer [[Christy Moore]], [[Kíla]] and [[Labour Party (Ireland)|Labour Party]] politician [[Michael D. Higgins]] were among many speakers from the platform. The march disrupted traffic for more than four hours. Protesters demanded that the Irish government stop allowing the United States military to use Ireland's [[Shannon Airport]] as a transatlantic stop-off point in bringing soldiers to the Middle East.<ref name="People"/>

===Italy===
[[File:Peace demonstration in Rome; feb 15, 2003.jpg|thumb|200px|A puppet representing Italian PM [[Silvio Berlusconi]] during the demonstration in Rome]]
The biggest demonstration of the global day of protest took place in Italy in Rome. Nearly 3,000 buses and thirty [[train]]s were specially chartered to bring people to the demonstration,<ref name="green"/> which was organised under the slogan "Stop the war; no ifs or buts". The organisers were shocked at the size of the turn out and the unexpected number of people forced the demonstration to set off two hours early.<ref name="TheDay"/> 650,000 people (police estimate) took place in a final rally at which there were many international speakers including [[Kurdish people|Kurds]], Iraqi dissidents, [[Palestinians]], a representative of the [[American Council of Christian Churches]] and an [[Israelis|Israeli]] [[conscientious objector]] who addressed the crowd from a stage hung with [[Pablo Picasso]]'s ''[[Guernica (painting)|Guernica]]''. The size of the demonstration meant that the majority of demonstrators did not make it into the final rally and in total three million people (organisers' estimate, supported by the Guinness Book of World Records) were on the streets. This was listed in the 2004 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest anti-war rally in history.<ref name="Guinness"/><ref name="Largest"/> According to the ''[[Green Left Weekly]]'' (GLW), the demonstration contained people from across Italian society; "Catholic nuns and priests marched alongside young people with dreadlocks, nose rings and Palestinian scarves. Christians, anarchists and communists mingled".<ref name="green"/>

===Malta===
Approximately 1,000 demonstrated (SW estimate) in Malta. The weather was cold and rainy. After the demonstration an anti-war concert was held in the capital, [[Valletta]].<ref name="Voices"/>

===Scandinavia===
Norway saw its biggest series of protests since 1917. The biggest took place in its capital [[Oslo]] were more than 60,000 protesters (Police estimate and Socialist Worker estimate) joining a demonstration. Protests of around 15,000 took place in [[Bergen, Norway|Bergen]] and [[Trondheim]], and 10,000 in [[Stavanger]]. Small protests also took place in at least 30 towns across the country. At the rally in Oslo the vice-chair of the [[Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions]] (LO) spoke from the platform claiming that "Bush only cares about American oil interests".<ref name="Voices"/>

In Denmark 20,000 to 30,000 protesters (WSWS estimate) took part in a march in the capital city, Copenhagen.<ref name="Mass"/>

In Sweden, 35,000 demonstrated in [[Stockholm]].<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/> and about 25,000 in [[Gothenburg]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yelah.net/arkiverad/20030215212849 |title=Göteborg: 25&nbsp;000 demonstrerade för fred |work=Yelah |date=15 February 2003 |archive-date=26 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726233605/http://www.yelah.net/arkiverad/20030215212849 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In [[Helsinki]], Finland, an estimated 15,000 people participated in one of the largest mass-protests in the republic's history.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.hs.fi/arkisto/haku?pageNumber=1&order=FIFO&advancedSearch=1&free=irak&date=year2003&depa=Kaikki+osastot&fromDay=16&fromMonth=2&fromYear=2003&toDay=16&toMonth=2&toYear=2003 |title=Helsingin Sanomat Finnish-language archive, February 16, 2003 |website=Hs.fi |date=16 February 2003 |access-date=16 July 2009}}</ref>

===Poland===
There was a demonstration in [[Warsaw]], Poland of 10,000 people (SW estimate). The demonstration through central Warsaw passed the US embassy. Another protest, organized by the local Wrocław Anti-War Coalition (WKA), was held in the city of [[Wrocław]] in the market square by the town hall, with 400–500 people participating.

===Portugal===
In [[Lisbon]], police estimated that around 35,000 people gathered to march through the city. Three former Portuguese prime ministers were in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/global-anti-war-protests.153929|title=Global anti-war protests|website=Times of Malta|language=en-gb|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>

===Russia===
In Russia, which had several demonstrations, the largest occurred in Moscow, with 200,000 people (WSWS estimate) in attendance.<ref name="Mass"/>

===Serbia===
Small demonstrations also took place in [[Serbia]], where there was a demonstration of 200 people (WSWS estimate) in the capital city of [[Belgrade]].<ref name="Mass"/>

===Slovakia===
It was estimated that 1,000 people marched in the capital of [[Slovakia]], [[Bratislava]]. The atmosphere of the protest was described as "strongly anti-American and anti-government."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20018438/bratislava-joins-anti-war-protests.html|title=Bratislava joins anti-war protests|last=a.s|first=Petit Press|date=17 February 2003|website=spectator.sme.sk|language=en|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>

===Spain===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Feb 15 Poster Madrid.jpg|thumb|100px|Poster for Madrid protest]] -->
Spain saw demonstrations in around 55{{nbsp}}cities and towns across the country;<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/> the largest was probably in the capital city [[Madrid]], where between 660,000 (Government source's estimate) and 2,000,000 (GLW estimate) took part in what was probably the biggest demonstration since the death of the [[fascist]] [[dictator]] [[Francisco Franco]] in 1975.<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/> [[Barcelona]] also had a large, with estimates of 350,000 ([[Delegación de Gobierno]]), 1,300,000 (Barcelona city hall and [[Guardia Civil (Spain)|Police]]) or 1,500,000 (GLW) people<ref>http://es.news.yahoo.com/030215/4/2jpbr.html Spanish Yahoo news article {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040103170514/http://es.news.yahoo.com/030215/4/2jpbr.html |date=3 January 2004 }}</ref> joining a demonstration which moved from the [[Passeig de Gràcia]] to the [[Plaça de Tetuan]]. Spain also had demonstrations of approximately 500,000 in [[Valencia (city in Spain)|Valencia]] (GLW estimate), 250,000 in [[Seville]] (GLW estimate) (200,000 Government sources estimate), 100,000 in [[Las Palmas de Gran Canaria]] (GLW estimate) and 100,000 in Cadiz' (GLW estimate) as well as over fifty other towns and cities across the country (WSWS estimate).<ref name="Mass"/> The city of [[Oviedo]] had a population of 180,000 and a turnout of 100,000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.abc.es/?404%253Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.abc.es%252FGuerra%252Fnoticia.asp|title=ABC - Últimas noticias de España y el mundo hoy|website=Diario ABC}}</ref>

===Turkey===
The main demonstration in [[Turkey]] took place in [[Istanbul]], thousands (SW estimate) demonstrated. The local authorities had banned the protest claiming to have worries about national security, however the protest organisers went ahead with the rally under the cover of calling a [[press conference]].<ref name="NLRRecon">{{Cite journal |last=Ali |first=Tariq |author-link=Tariq Ali |title=Re-colonizing Iraq |journal=[[New Left Review]] |volume=II |issue=21 |date=May–June 2003 |url=http://newleftreview.org/II/21/tariq-ali-re-colonizing-iraq }}</ref> There were also demonstrations in [[Adana]], [[Ankara]], [[İzmir]], [[Zonguldak]], [[İzmit]], [[Antalya]] and [[Muğla]].<ref name="Voices"/>

===Ukraine===
There was also a demonstration in [[Ukraine]] of around 2,000 people (''USA Today'' estimate) joined a "Rock against the war" rally in [[Kyiv]]'s central square.<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

===United Kingdom===

====London====

=====Organisation=====
[[File:London Anti Iraq War march, 15Feb 2003.jpg|thumb|right|Anti-war protest in [[London]].]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Feb15 Poster.jpg|thumb|StWC poster advertising the demonstration]] -->
The [[Stop the War Coalition]] (STWC), which had previously arranged a series of demonstrations and rallies against the [[War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)|Afghanistan war]] and the upcoming Iraq war, jointly called the London demonstration with the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]] (CND) and the [[Muslim Association of Britain]] joined the Stop the War Coalition for this event.

In the lead-up to 15 February, the Stop the War Coalition was organising the march from a small office donated by the [[National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education]]. As the event approached, estimates of the possible number attending rose and in the belief that it would be considerably bigger than the previous demonstrations they had organised Stop agreed with the police for the march to start from two separate locations; [[Thames Embankment]] for Londoners and those travelling in from the south, and [[Gower Street, London|Gower Street]] for those travelling in from the midlands and the north. They planned for the two marches to merge at [[Piccadilly Circus]] and then proceed to a rally at [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]].<ref name="stwbook">''Stop the War: The story of Britain's biggest mass movement'', [[Andrew Murray (trade unionist)|Andrew Murray]] and [[Lindsey German]], {{ISBN|1-905192-00-2}}</ref><ref>[http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/626/sc7.htm Stop the war], Nyier Abdou, [[Al-Ahram]] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130326060431/http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/626/sc7.htm |date=26 March 2013 }}</ref>

The negotiations for this plan faltered when the Labour government's [[Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport]] [[Tessa Jowell]] initially instructed the [[The Royal Parks|Royal Parks agency]] to deny permission for the rally in [[Hyde Park, London|Hyde Park]] for safety reasons and to protect the grass.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2711407.stm Anti-war protesters fight rally ban], BBC News, 31 January 2003</ref> [[Trafalgar Square]] was suggested by Jowell as the alternative venue, but the [[Mayor of London]] [[Ken Livingstone]] insisted it was of insufficient size. The government's decision was reversed by 5 February.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Lewis |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/destinations/europe-travel/germany/berlin/jowell-lifts-her-ban-on-hyde-park-peace-rally-0qbdkgfzxq9 |title=Jowell lifts her ban on Hyde Park peace rally |work=[[The Times]] |location=London |date=5 February 2003 |access-date=13 December 2015}} {{subscription required}}</ref>

Sections of the media supported this demonstration. The ''[[Daily Mirror]]'' gave large coverage in the lead up to the march and provided thousands of placards on the day. The demonstration also received sponsorship support from [[Greenpeace]] and [[Mecca-Cola]].<ref name="stwbook"/>

As the date for the march approached the BBC was predicting that around 500,000 people would attend, while StWC was hoping for numbers to top the symbolically significant million mark.<ref name="Peacmarch">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2761273.stm Peace march 'to attract 500,000'], BBC News, 14 February 2003</ref>

=====Demonstration=====
The British [[Stop the War Coalition]] (Stop) claimed the protest in London was the largest political demonstration in the city's history. Police estimated attendance as well in excess of 750,000 people<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1422289/Protest-has-rattled-Number-10%2C-say-march-organisers.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130114052936/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1422289/Protest-has-rattled-Number-10,-say-march-organisers.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 January 2013 |title=Protest has rattled Number&nbsp;10, say march organisers |access-date=10 May 2008 |date=16 February 2003 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |first1=Sandra |last1=Laville |first2=Barbie |last2=Dutter}}</ref> and the BBC estimated that around a million attended.<ref name="bbc2767761">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2767761.stm |title=Anti-war rally makes its mark |access-date=23 February 2010 |date=19 February 2003 |work=BBC News}}</ref>

The weather, on the day of the protest was grey and cold, but reports noted that people remained "in high spirits" as London became [[gridlock]]ed and protesters were stuck for hours at Gower Street and the Embankment, the two starting points for the march.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} The police began the march earlier than intended on safety grounds because of the number of people who had arrived in central London.<ref name="Syalm2003">{{cite web |last1=Syalm |first1=Rajeev |last2=Alderson |first2=Andrew |last3=Milner |first3=Catherine |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1422228/One-million-march-against-war.html |title=One million march against war |work=The Sunday Telegraph |location=London |date=16 February 2003 |access-date=15 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160229074121/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1422228/One-million-march-against-war.html |archive-date=29 February 2016 |url-status=live |issn=9976-1874  }}</ref> Hundreds of coaches brought protesters from 250 towns and cities across the UK,<ref name="bbc2767761"/> with around 100 coaches coming from Wales alone.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/2765455.stm Protesters join huge anti-war march], BBC News, 15 February 2003</ref> Many commentators noted the diversity of those attending the march. Euan Ferguson noted in ''[[The Observer]]''<ref>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/iraq/story/0,12239,896511,00.html One million. And still they came], [[Euan Ferguson]], ''The Observer'', 16 February 2003</ref> that:
{{quote|{{bracket|As well as the}} usual suspects{{spnd}}CND, [[Socialist Workers Party (UK)|Socialist Workers Party]], the [[anarchism|anarchists]]{{nbsp}}... There were nuns. Toddlers. Women barristers. The Eton George Orwell Society. Archaeologists Against War. Walthamstow Catholic Church, the Swaffham Women's Choir and [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] Supporters Say Make Love Not War (And a Home Win against [[Bristol City F.C.|Bristol]] would be Nice). They won 2-0, by the way. One group of SWP stalwarts were joined, for the first march in any of their histories, by their mothers. There were country folk and lecturers, dentists and poulterers, a hairdresser from Cardiff and a poet from Cheltenham.}}

All police leave in the capital was cancelled for the event, though [[Scotland Yard]] later said that it passed off almost without incident.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2765041.stm 'Million' march against Iraq war], BBC News, 16 February 2003</ref>

Protesters who managed to reach Hyde Park in time heard various speakers, including [[Harold Pinter]], [[George Galloway]], [[Tony Benn]] and [[Bianca Jagger]] however many were not able to reach the rally as those travelling home by coach had to leave before completing the march route. Protesters at the back end of the march did not reach Hyde Park until hours after the speakers and performers had finished.

[[Charles Kennedy]], then the leader of the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]], was a late addition to the list of speakers. There was some media speculation that he only decided to speak after a lead article in ''The Guardian'' was critical of his absence from the planned speaker list.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/antiwar/story/0,,1111755,00.html Stopping the war and beyond], Matthew Tempest, ''The Guardian'', 22 December 2003</ref> There had been some controversy within the StWC over allowing Kennedy to speak since his party was committed to opposing the war only in the absence of a second UN resolution, but the coalition decided that failing to invite him "would have been divisive for the movement and would have fragmented anti-war opposition to the war."<ref name="stwbook"/>

Because of the size of the march, accurate estimates of the number of people in attendance are difficult. It is relatively uncontentious that the march was the largest ever political demonstration in the UK<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2762027.stm A new era of activism?], Nyta Mann, BBC News, 15 February 2003</ref> and the biggest taking to the streets since the [[Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II|Golden Jubilee weekend]] in 2002.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2025526.stm Million throng for Jubilee finale], BBC News, 4 June 2002</ref>

In an [[ICM Research|ICM]] poll for ''The Guardian'' (14 February 2003&nbsp;– 16 February 2003), 6% of people claimed that someone from their household went on the march or had intended to. The Stop claims that this translates into 1.25{{nbsp}}million households and thus supports the estimate of two million people, assuming that more than one person could come from each household.<ref name="stwbook"/><ref>[http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2003/guardian-february-2003.htm February 2003 Poll], ICM, 14–16 February 2003 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926081333/http://www.icmresearch.co.uk/reviews/2003/guardian-february-2003.htm |date=26 September 2006 }}</ref>

RadioVague in conjunction with the now defunct CableRadio broadcast speeches, music and interviews from the event to the internet throughout the day using a satellite uplink provided by Psand.net.<ref>[http://www.psandlove.org/ PsandLove.org] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201082806/http://www.psandlove.org/ |date=1 December 2008 }} Archived site of internet broadcasts from Hyde Park</ref>

A sole person demonstrated in opposition to the march outside the Iraqi section of the Jordanian Embassy on the day{{spnd}}Jacques More a writer from Croydon{{spnd}}with a placard saying that, although a last resort, war is necessary "{{bracket|w}}hen evil dictators rule and murder their own people".<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/2765041.stm] BBC News story of the day's event</ref>

Ten years on writer Ian Sinclair assembled an [[oral history]] of the demonstration. Journalist Ellie Mae O'Hagan, a [[UK Uncut]] activist, told Sinclair that despite its size "it did absolutely nothing". Other witnesses, such as [[Milan Rai]], are of the opposite opinion: "We achieved a lot, and a hell of a lot more than we realise".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://peacenews.info/node/7126/march-shook-blair |title=The march that shook Blair |work=Peace News |issue=2554 |date=February 2013 |access-date=13 December 2015}}</ref> [[Tariq Ali]], one of the speakers in February 2003, said at the tenth anniversary: "I didn't quite tell them 'Blair is going to go to war regardless of today' but I knew that". "It was a huge show of anger but that's about it. It left no lasting legacy in my opinion."<ref>{{cite news |last=Barkham |first=Patrick |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/15/iraq-war-mass-protest |title=Iraq war 10 years on: mass protest that defined a generation |work=The Guardian |date=15 February 2013 |access-date=13 December 2015}}</ref>

"One demonstration never overturned government policy overnight{{spnd}}or very rarely{{spnd}}and on something as strategic and massive as that", commented [[Seumas Milne]] in an interview with ''[[The Quietus]]'' online magazine in October 2012. "So if people imagine one demonstration is going to change everything of course that's wrong, but demos, protests, social organisation, trade union organisation, political organisation{{spnd}}all these things are part of the process by which things are going to shift."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kennedy |first1=Joe |last2=Milne |first2=Seumas |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/10435-seumas-milne-revenge-history-interview |title=Vindicated Prada-Meinhof: Seumas Milne Interviewed |work=The Quietus |date=21 October 2012 |access-date=19 January 2016}}</ref>

====Scotland====
In addition to the demonstrations in England, the United Kingdom also saw protests in Scotland. Anti-war activists planned a demonstration in [[Glasgow]] which ended at the [[SEC Centre|Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre]] (SECC) where the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] was holding a conference for party members. The Labour Party requested that the SECC refuse permission for a stage and PA system outside the conference hall. In response to this the then [[Scottish Socialist Party]] [[Member of the Scottish Parliament|MSP]] [[Tommy Sheridan]] tabled a motion in the [[Scottish Parliament]] to allow the event to take place, condemning what he claimed were attempts to "stifle all opposition to warmonger Blair". The Labour Party was unsuccessful in blocking the demonstrators' plans. Tony Blair was due to give a speech at the same time as the protesters would have arrived outside the conference centre, but the speech was rescheduled to an earlier time to avoid this.<ref name="green"/>

On the day around 50,000 people according to the ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' joined the march, which started at [[Glasgow Green]]. By the time the front of the march had travelled the {{convert|2|mi}} to the SECC, Blair had delivered his speech and had left the area. One protester was quoted as saying "We've chased him out of town."<ref>[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,896593,00.html The day the clans gathered to say No], Stephen Khan, ''The Observer'', 16 February 2003</ref>

====Northern Ireland====
The [[Northern Ireland|Northern Irish]] march was held in [[Belfast]], where 10,000 (''Guardian'' estimate) to 20,000 (SW estimate) protesters from across the [[sectarian]] divide joined the demonstration. The march started at the Arts College at 14:30 and moved through that Royal Avenue towards [[Belfast City Hall]]. Prominent politicians from [[Sinn Féin]], the [[Social Democratic and Labour Party]] (SDLP) and the centrist [[Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|Alliance Party]] joined the protest. Sinn Féin president [[Gerry Adams]] spoke from the platform at the end rally saying "If President Bush and Mr Blair want war, it should be war against poverty and for equality." There was also a rally in [[Newry]] in [[County Down]] attending by hundreds of protesters (BBC estimate).<ref name="Voices"/><ref name="People">[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,896658,00.html Dublin brought to a halt by march], Henry McDonald and Nicola Byrne, ''The Observer'', 16 February 2003</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/2764997.stm Thousands back Belfast anti-war rally], BBC News, 15 February 2003</ref>

==Americas==

===Canada===
Canada saw protests in 70 cities and towns (WSWS estimate).<ref name="Mass"/> The biggest took place in [[Montreal]] where more than 100,000 people protested (SW and WSWS each estimated 150,000) despite windchill temperatures below {{convert|-30|C}}. 80,000 people joined a demonstration in Toronto, 40,000 in Vancouver, 18,000 (by police estimates) in [[Edmonton]], 8,000 in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], 4,000 in [[Halifax Urban Area|Halifax]] and 6,000 in [[Ottawa]]. Some of the other major centres where protests were held included [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] and [[Calgary]]<ref name="green"/>

There were protests in 70 cities in total. These demonstrations took place despite very cold weather, average temperatures were below {{convert|-35|C}}.<ref name="TheDay"/><ref name="Mass"/>
In [[Chicoutimi, Quebec|Chicoutimi]], 1,500 protested in windchill temperatures of {{convert|-40|C}} wind-chill temperature in what was one of the coldest marches on that global day of protest.

===United States===
Protests took place all across the United States of America with [[CBS]] reporting that 150 U.S. cities had protests.<ref name="MassiveCBS"/> According to the [[International Committee of the Fourth International|World Socialist Web Site]], protests took place in 225 different communities.<ref name="Mass"/>

The largest protests took place in the nation's largest cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, but there were also smaller rallies in towns such as [[Gainesville, Georgia]]; [[Macomb, Illinois]]; and [[Juneau City and Borough, Alaska|Juneau, Alaska]], among scores of others.<ref name="Cities"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/sprj.irq.protests.main/|title=Cities jammed in worldwide protest of war in Iraq - Feb. 16, 2003|website=CNN|access-date=28 July 2017}}</ref>

====New York City====
[[File:NYC021503.JPG|thumb|right|NYPD officers advance on protesters during a brief outbreak of violence]]
Organisers of the New York City protest had hoped to march past the [[headquarters of the United Nations]]. However, a week before the march, police claimed that they would not be able to ensure order and [[United States district court|District Court]] [[Barbara S. Jones|Judge Barbara Jones]] ruled against allowing the route. Instead, protesters were only permitted to hold a stationary rally.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2764739.stm US joins anti-war protests], BBC News, 15 February 2003</ref> According to Donna Lieberman, executive director of the [[New York City Civil Liberties Union]], judicial denial of a permit for a protest march was an unprecedented restriction of [[civil liberties]], as marching and parading through streets to express various points-of-view is "a time-honoured tradition in our country that lies at the core of the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]".<ref name="Gotham"/>

On that day, over 300 buses and four special trains brought protesters in from across the country. BBC estimates that 100,000 protesters took part in a rally near the UN headquarters. Among those taking part was the [[September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows|9/11 Families For Peaceful Tomorrows]], a group made up of some relatives of victims of the [[September 11 attacks|attacks on the World Trade Center]]. Speakers included politicians, church leaders and entertainers, such as actress [[Susan Sarandon]] and South African [[Anglican]] [[Archbishop]] [[Desmond Tutu]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2766917.stm New Yorkers join anti-war protests], BBC News, 15 February 2003</ref> As people tried to reach the rally area they ended up constituting an unplanned march, stretching twenty blocks down First Avenue and overflowing onto Second and Third Avenue.<ref name="Cities"/> In total estimates range from 300,000 to 400,000 protesters (WSWS estimate). The protests were largely peaceful though a small group of protesters who were reported to have broken off from the main rally, caused damage to property in [[Union Square, Manhattan|Union Square]], and threw stones at police officers, which resulted in forty arrests.<ref name="Millions"/>

There were numerous [[New York City Police Department corruption and misconduct#Anti-war protests|complaints]] that the [[New York City Police Department]] (NYPD) were too heavy-handed. Many streets were blocked off and protesters reported feeling hemmed in and scared. By the end of the day, police reported that there had been roughly 275 arrests; organisers dispute this number, claiming that there were 348 arrests. The local [[Independent Media Center]] produced a short video claiming to show inappropriate and violent police behavior, including backing horses into demonstrators, shoving people into the metal barricades, spraying a [[toxic]] substance at penned-in demonstrators, using abusive language, and raising nightsticks against some who couldn't move. However, NYPD spokesman [[Michael O'Looney]] denied the charges claiming that the tape was "filled with special effects" and that it did not prove the police had not been provoked.<ref name="Gotham"/>

A CNN journalist reported that the crowd was diverse, including "older men and women in fur coats, parents with young children, military veterans and veterans of the anti-war movement."<ref name="Cities"/>

====Other U.S. cities====
[[File:Raised Fist at antiwar demo.jpg|thumb|upright|60,000–200,000 protesters of various ages demonstrated in San Francisco, (accounts vary as to the total number present)]]
At a demonstration in Los Angeles, California, 50,000 (WSWS estimate)<ref name="Mass"/> to 60,000 (GLW estimate) protesters (CNN said "thousands") marched down [[Hollywood Boulevard]] filling it for four blocks. Amongst the protesters were the actors [[Martin Sheen]] and [[Mike Farrell]] and director [[Rob Reiner]]. Martin Sheen, who at the time was playing a [[Jed Bartlet|fictitious U.S. president]] in ''[[The West Wing]]'', said that "None of us can stop this war{{nbsp}}... there is only one guy that can do that and he lives in the White House".<ref name="bigsmall">[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/sprj.irq.US.protests.ap/index.html U.S. sees protests big and small], CNN, 15 February 2003 {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407104659/http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/sprj.irq.US.protests.ap/index.html |date=7 April 2008 }}</ref>

Other activists in California originally planned to hold a protest in [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]] on the Saturday but they changed to the Sunday in order not to conflict with the city's [[Chinese New Year]]'s parade. The protest was held on Sunday 16 February. The BBC [[crowd size estimation|estimated the crowd size]] to be 150,000 people,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2769313.stm San Francisco ends world peace rallies], BBC News, 17 February 2003</ref> while protest organisers and police agreed that the crowd count was 200,000 people. However, a ''San Francisco Chronicle'' photographic investigation estimated that the number in attendance at the peak period was closer to 65,000 people, although it did not state how many people were in attendance for the duration of the demonstration.<ref>[http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2003/02/21/MN240732.DTL Photos show 65,000 at peak of S.F. rally Aerial study casts doubt on estimates of 200,000], Wyatt Buchanan, [[San Francisco Chronicle]], 21 February 2003</ref>

There was some controversy over [[Rabbi]] [[Michael Lerner (rabbi)|Michael Lerner]] not being selected as a speaker for the rally at the end of the demonstration. Lerner claimed that he was not picked to speak for reasons of [[antisemitism]] due to his support for the existence of the Israeli state. The organisers responded with a statement that he was not picked because of an arrangement between the groups that organised the demonstration that there would be no speakers that had publicly attacked any other anti-war group and that "since he had publicly attacked [[A.N.S.W.E.R.]] in both ''[[The New York Times]]'' and [[Tikkun (magazine)|Tikkun]] community email newsletters, his inclusion in the program would violate {{bracket|this}} agreement." They also noted that two rabbis with views similar to those of Michael Lerner would be speaking.<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0211-01.htm Statement From Feb. 16 Anti-War Coalitions Regarding Rabbi Michael Lerner], 11 February 2003. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130210064811/http://www.commondreams.org/news2003/0211-01.htm |date=10 February 2013 }}</ref>

In Austin, Texas, 10,000 protestors marched down Congress Avenue from the state capitol building.<ref name="Stanley2003">{{cite web |url=http://www.austin360.com/aas/metro/021603/0216antiwar.html |title=Thousands in Austin rally against war |work=Austin American–Statesman |date=16 February<!-- It was published 16 February per http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=search&s_dispstring=%22Austin%20protest%20says%20no%20to%20war%22&p_field_date-0=YMD_date&p_params_date-0=date:B,E&p_text_date-0=February 16, 2003&p_text_advanced-0=%28protest%29 --> 2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030401235115/http://www.austin360.com/aas/metro/021603/0216antiwar.html |archive-date=1 April 2003 |url-status=dead |first1=Dick |last1=Stanley |first2=Monica |last2=Polanco |issn=1553-8451}}</ref>

In [[Colorado Springs, Colorado|Colorado Springs]], 4,000 protesters were dispersed with [[pepper spray]], tear gas, [[Electroshock weapon|stun gun]]s and batons. 34 were arrested on failure to disperse and other charges<ref name="Cities"/>
and at least two protesters had to have hospital treatment.<ref name="bigsmall"/>

In [[Seattle]], organisers aimed to have 20 to 30 thousand people join a march from [[Seattle Center]] following a giant blue planet, the emblem adopted by the march organisers. On the day 50,000 people (GLW estimate) turned out to protest under the dual slogan "Stop the war on Iraq; Stop the war on immigrants", more than on the Seattle protests against the [[WTO Ministerial Conference of 1999]].<ref>
[http://www.cityofart.net/movies.html The World Says No to War], Larry Neilson, Director's Cut,2/15/03, 10 min, 19MB
</ref>

Demonstrations also took place in Philadelphia, where thousands (CNN estimate) joined a march to the [[Liberty Bell]],<ref name="bigsmall"/> and in Chicago, where 10,000 people demonstrated (GLW estimate).<ref name="green"/>

In [[Florida]] a small number of protesters staged a naked protest on [[Palm Beach, Florida|Palm Beach]]. They initially had some problems getting permission for the action, but on the Thursday before, a U.S. District court ruled that the planned nude protest was legal at the public beach. Most of the attendees had come from the four-day Mid-Winter Naturist Festival that was taking place at the same time.<ref>[http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0215-08.htm Florida Protesters Bare All Against War in Iraq], ''The Palm Beach Post'', 15 February 2003. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050416125616/http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0215-08.htm |date=16 April 2005 }}</ref> There was also a demonstration of 900 people (''USA Today'' estimate) on the island of [[Puerto Rico]].<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

===Mexico===
The chief demonstration in Mexico took place in Mexico City where around 10,000 people (''USA Today'' estimate) joined a demonstration which ended with a rally at a heavily guarded US embassy. Among the demonstrators was [[Nobel Peace Prize]] laureate [[Rigoberta Menchú]].<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

===South America===
Protests took place across South America including [[Uruguay]], where their protest took place on 14 February. An estimated 70,000 people marched down [[Montevideo]]'s Avenida{{nbsp}}18.<ref>[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/rpts-f21.shtml Reports on February 14-16 antiwar demonstrations], WSWS, 21 February 2003</ref> In Brazil, a protest led by President [[Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva]] was attended by 1,500 marchers (Police estimate).<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

In [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]], an estimate of 50,000 protesters attended which included some veterans of the [[Falklands War]] of 1982.{{cn|date=December 2021}}

==Asia==
Areas in Asia with large [[Muslim]] populations, in particular the countries of the West Asia, had the highest levels of opposition to the proposed Iraq war, however demonstrations in many of these countries were relatively small. One [[United Arab Emirates]] newspaper ''[[Al Bayan (newspaper)|Al Bayan]]'' led with the statement: "The people of the world and more than one million Europeans demonstrate against an attack on Iraq while the Arab people and their leaders are in a deep coma."<ref name="People"/>

The reasons for this are complex, but one factor that is commonly cited is the suppression of protest movements by the conservative leaders of those countries. A report by [[Asef Bayat]] in the [[Middle East Report]] suggests that "the Arab governments allow little room for independent dissent" as is shown by the fact that "Since 2000, demands for collective protests against the US and Israel have been ignored by the authorities" and "unofficial street actions have faced intimidation and assault, with activists being harassed or detained".<ref>[http://www.merip.org/mer/mer226/226_bayat.html The "Street" and the Politics of Dissent in the Arab World] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060101030126/http://www.merip.org/mer/mer226/226_bayat.html |date=1 January 2006 }}, Asef Bayat, Middle east report, Spring 2003</ref>

===West Asia===
In [[Iraq]], the country in which the war would take place, protesters marched down [[Palestine Street]] in [[Baghdad]] where several thousand Iraqis—many carrying [[AK-47|Kalashnikov]] rifles—joined in the global protests. Unlike the vast majority of protests across the world the protest in Baghdad was also in support of the [[Baathist]] regime; it was called by Saddam Hussein as "World Anger Day". Protesters carried posters of Saddam and burned US flags.<ref name="Waging"/>

A large protest also took place on the streets of [[Damascus]] in [[Syria]], which borders Iraq. Protesters chanted anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans while marching to the "People's Assembly" in a demonstration of between 10,000 (GLW estimate) to 200,000 protesters (CBS estimate and ''USA Today'' estimate).<ref name="MassiveCBS"/>

In [[Lebanon]], 10,000 protesters (CBS, GLW estimate) took part in a demonstration in [[Beirut]]. However, the protest ended early when it rained heavily.<ref name="green"/><ref name="MassiveCBS"/>
There were also demonstrations of 5,000 people (GLW estimate) in [[Amman]], [[Jordan]].<ref name="green"/>

In [[Israel]] there was a demonstration in [[Tel Aviv]] of approximately 2,000 (''USA Today'' estimate) to 3,000 people (GLW and WSWS estimate). The demonstration contained both [[Arabs]] and [[Jews]]. It was organized by a wide range of organizations including the [[Communist Party of Israel]], the [[National Democratic Assembly]], the [[Arab Democratic Party (Israel)|Arab Democratic Party]], the Independent Media Center, the [[Alternative Information Center]], [[Ta'ayush]], the [[Gush Shalom]] movement, and the [[Organization for Democratic Action]]. However, it was boycotted by other [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]] groups, including [[Peace Now]] and [[Meretz]].<ref>[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/isra-f17.shtml 3,000 march in Tel Aviv] WSWS</ref> The demonstration was coordinated with a similar demonstration which took place in [[Ramallah]].<ref name="green"/><ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

===Other areas in Asia===
Small protests took place across Japan mostly being held outside US military bases. The biggest demonstration of the day took place in [[Shibuya, Tokyo|Shibuya]], where 5,000 (SW estimate) people marched.<ref name="Voices"/> However, there was a demonstration of 25,000 in Tokyo on Friday, the day before as well as smaller demonstrations in [[Osaka]] and other cities. The Tokyo protests contained Japanese veterans of [[Japan during World War II|World War II]] and survivors of the 1945 [[atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki]].<ref name="WSWSsoul"/>

Around 3,000 people (SW estimate) joined an [[Law|illegal]] demonstration in the [[Malaysia]]n city of [[Kuala Lumpur]] despite police warnings that any participants in a protest would face stern action. The demonstration ended at the US embassy at [[Jalan Tun Razak]].<ref name="Voices"/> [[Taiwan]] had a protest of more than 2,000 people (WSWS estimate) in the capital city of [[Taipei]] under the slogan of "No Blood for Oil".<ref name="WSWSsoul"/>

India saw protests across the country including 10,000 (BBC estimate) in [[Calcutta]].<ref name="Millions"/> In [[Bangladesh]] 2,000 people joined a demonstration in [[Dhaka]].<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/>

In South Korea, there was a demonstration of 2,000 people (WSWS estimate) which took place in the capital city [[Seoul]]. The protest started with a rally at [[Marronnier Park]] after which there was a demonstration that ended in [[Jongmyo]] were the size of the protest increased in size to 3,000 people (WSWS estimate). Jongmyo was surrounded by riot police who almost out numbered the protesters. Protests also took place in the South Korean cities of [[Busan]], [[Daegu]], [[Daejeon]], [[Gwangju]] and [[Wonju]].<ref name="WSWSsoul"/>

In [[Beijing]], China, three protests were held the following day, attended by about 450 people in total, including foreigners and domestic students.<ref name="auto"/>

==Africa==

===South Africa===
In Johannesburg, around 8,000-10,000 people joined in a colorful and peaceful protest. They [[toyi-toyi]]ed and marched, stopping at the U.S. Consulate General where riot police formed a protective chain around the entrance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://allafrica.com/stories/200302180032.html|title=South Africa: Anti-War Marches in Four Cities, SA Sends Mission to Iraq|last=Quist-Arcton|first=Ofeibea|date=18 February 2003|website=allAfrica.com|language=en|access-date=21 October 2019}}</ref>

[[File:F15-protest-cape-town-stop-w.jpg|thumb|Protesters in Cape Town.]]
In [[Cape Town]] 5,000 (''USA Today'' estimate) to 20,000 protesters (WSWS estimate) joined a demonstration march which started at 10 in the morning on Keizersgracht road and ended at the offices of the US consulate-general which was guarded by a ring of riot police, where there was a rally with speakers. Protests were organised by the [[Anti-War Coalition]] and the Stop the War campaign of the [[Congress of South African Trade Unions]] (Cosatu).<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies"/><ref name=":0">[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/safr-f18.shtml Tens of thousands march in South Africa against Iraq war], Eric Graham, WSWS, 18 February 2003</ref>

Protests of thousands of people also took place at [[Durban]] and [[Bloemfontein]].<ref name=":0" />

A number of prominent [[African National Congress|ANC]] politicians attended marches. At the Cape Town rally the South African Minister, [[Pallo Jordan]] addressed the protesters saying; "We will stop the war. The voice of the people will be heard."<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/200302180032.html Anti-War Marches in Four Cities, SA Sends Mission to Iraq], AllAfrica.com, 18 February 2003</ref>

===Tunisia===
A protest of around 3,000 (SW estimate) in the [[Tunisia]]n city of [[Sfax]] was attacked by police who beat the protesters with batons and truncheons, injuring at least 20.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2765215.stm|title=BBC NEWS {{!}} World {{!}} Europe {{!}} Millions join global anti-war protests|website=BBC|access-date=28 July 2017}}</ref>

==Oceania==

===Fiji===
Protests in [[Fiji]] took place on the day before, on Friday morning, heralding the weekend of demonstrations. Protesters handed floral Valentine's Day messages to the representatives of the US, British and Australian governments urging them to avoid the war.<ref name="green"/>

===Australia===
Friday also saw protests in [[Melbourne]], where around 150,000 people (BBC estimate) joined a demonstration.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2761437.stm |title=Australia launches anti-war protests |work=BBC News |date=14 February 2003 |access-date=4 January 2010}}</ref>

On the Saturday protests also took place in Australia's national capital (Canberra), with 20,000 protesters. The Sydney demonstration on Sunday 16 February included a feeder march of 10,000 [[trade unionists]], with 200,000 (BBC estimate) to 250,000 (Sydney Morning Herald estimate)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/from-the-archives-sydney-protests-the-iraq-war-20190214-p50xtd.html|title=From the Archives: Sydney protests the Iraq War|first=Sean Nicholls, Ellen|last=Connolly|date=14 February 2019|website=The Sydney Morning Herald}}</ref> demonstrating in Sydney.<ref name="Voices"/> Across the six state capitals an estimated 600,000 demonstrated in cities around the country. 

Beyond the capitals, many major cities and towns around Australia had protests.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.takver.com/history/melb/peace2003/peace140203.htm |title=Melbourne Anti-war Protest for Peace and Against war on Iraq&nbsp;- 14 February 2003&nbsp;- Photos |work=Takver's Soapbox |archive-date=1 March 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301200644/http://www.takver.com/history/melb/peace2003/peace140203.htm}}</ref>

;Queensland
:[[Bundaberg]] (150), [[Mackay, Queensland|Mackay]] (1,000), [[Noosa]] (?), [[Rockhampton, Queensland|Rockhampton]] (600), [[Toowoomba]] (800), [[Townsville]] (1,000 to 2,000)
;New South Wales
:[[Armidale]] (5,000), [[Bathurst, New South Wales|Bathurst]] (peace bus to [[Canberra]]; 12 Feb) 32, [[Bellingen, New South Wales|Bellingen]] (3,000), [[Bega, New South Wales|Bega]] (400), [[Byron Bay]] (3,000), [[Forster, New South Wales]]/[[Tuncurry]] (700), [[Kempsey, New South Wales|Kempsey]] (300), [[Kingscliff]] (1,000), [[Lismore, New South Wales|Lismore]] (7,000), [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]] (20,000), [[Tamworth, New South Wales|Tamworth]] (500), [[Taree, New South Wales|Taree]] (unknown), [[Tathra, New South Wales|Tathra]] (1,500), [[Wollongong]] (February 8; 5,000), [[Wagga Wagga]] (1,000)
;Tasmania
:[[Launceston, Tasmania|Launceston]] (1,000), [[Strahan, Tasmania|Strahan]] (50), [[Devonport, Tasmania|Devonport]] (750)
; Victoria
:[[Geelong]] (200), [[Albury]], [[Mildura]]
; South Australia
:[[Mount Gambier]] (500), [[Whyalla]] (Peace vigil)
; Western Australia
:[[Margaret River]] (Peace pilgrimage; 20)
; Northern Territory
:[[Alice Springs]] (400)

At protests in Australia in [[Bellingen, New South Wales|Bellingen]], [[New South Wales]] around 2,500 people (SW estimate) joined a rally at the towns sports ground. As well as hearing from speakers, the demonstrators were entertained by a group of [[a cappella]] singers called 'The Bushbombs'. The rally was about as large as the town's population.<ref name="TheDay"/>

===New Zealand===
The first actual demonstration of the day took place in New Zealand where 10,000 people demonstrated in [[Auckland]] and [[Wellington]]. The Auckland march was bigger than expected, forcing police to shut off [[Queen Street, Auckland|Queen Street]]. People were reported to be still starting the march as those at the front of the march reached a rally in [[Myers Park, Auckland|Myers Park]] several kilometres away. In Wellington the march had to carry on after the then planned end point as there were too many people to fit into the park. Around 400 to 500 people marched in [[Hamilton, New Zealand|Hamilton]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://tvnz.co.nz/content/168594/2483318/article.html|title=Anti-war protests across NZ|website=TVNZ|access-date=31 December 2019}}</ref> There were also protests in at least 18 other centres, including Dunedin, Thames, Opotiki, Whakatane, Whangarei, Timaru and Rotorua, and Picnic for Peace in Christchurch.<ref name="Voices"/><ref>[http://www.socialistworkerarchive.net.nz/~server/Socialist_Worker_NZ_Archive/Socialist_Worker_Monthly_Review_(2003)_files/SWMR%20%235.pdf February 15: birth of a mass movement] {{dead link|date=April 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} ''Socialist Worker Monthly Review'', March 2003</ref>

==Antarctica==
A group of scientists at the US [[McMurdo Station]] held a rally on the ice at the edge of the [[Ross Sea]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Vidal |first=John |date=13 February 2003 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk_news/story/0,3604,894448,00.html |title=10 million join world protest rallies |work=The Guardian |access-date=17 April 2006 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://icpj.org/past_actions.html |title=Unprecedented worldwide actions for peace |website=icpj.org |publisher=International council for peace and justice |access-date=17 April 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041016000153/http://www.icpj.org/past_actions.html |archive-date=16 October 2004}}</ref>

==Effect==
At the time, many commentators were hopeful that this global mobilization of unprecedented scale would stop the coming Iraq war. ''The New York Times'' writer Patrick Tyler claimed that they showed that there were "[[Second Superpower|two superpowers]] on the planet{{spnd}}the United States, and worldwide public opinion".<ref>
[https://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60811FD355E0C748DDDAB0894DB404482 Threats and Responses: News Analysis; A New Power In the Streets] (requires purchase to access), The New York Times, Patrick Tyler, 17 February 2003
</ref>

The unprecedented size of the demonstrations was widely taken to indicate that the majority of people across the world opposed the war. However, the potential effect of the protests was generally dismissed by pro-war politicians. The [[Australian Prime Minister|Prime Minister]] of Australia, [[John Howard]], claimed that the protests were not representative of public opinion, saying "I don't know that you can measure public opinion just by the number of people that turn up at demonstrations." In the United States, the then National Security Advisor [[Condoleezza Rice]] was reported as saying that the protests would "not affect {{bracket|the administration's}} determination to confront Saddam Hussein and help the Iraqi people".<ref name="Waging"/>

Her view was borne out as the day of protests, along with the protests that followed it, failed to stop the war. However, the protests and other public opposition were seen as a key factor in the decisions of the governments of many countries, such as Canada, to not send troops to Iraq, {{citation needed|date=January 2022}} and of Turkey to deny coalition use of airbases in its territory.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/iraq-us-turkey-relations |title=Iraq: U.S.-Turkey Relations |first=Sharon |last=Otterman |author-link=Sharon Otterman |work=Council for Foreign Relations |date=16 February 2005}}</ref> The protests have also been cited as a factor strengthening the hand of the "uncommitted six" members of the [[United Nations Security Council]] - [[Angola]], [[Cameroon]], [[Chile]], [[Mexico]], and [[Pakistan]].<ref>{{cite web| url=https://ips-dc.org/february_15_2003_the_day_the_world_said_no_to_war |title=February 15, 2003: The Day the World Said No to War  |first=Phyllis |last=Bennis |author-link=Phyllis Bennis |work=Institute for Policy Studies |date=15 February 2013}}</ref>

Though demonstrations against the Iraq war and subsequent occupation continued, none of the demonstrations through to 2011 matched the 15 February protest in terms of size. One suggested explanation for this is that people became disillusioned with marching as a political tactic because of the failure of these demonstrations to achieve their explicit aim. In 2006, three years after the protest day, in an article arguing for people to attend a further march, Mike Marqusee put forward two counter arguments to this. Firstly, he claimed that it was too soon to judge the long-term significance of the demonstrations. As examples, he stated, "People who took part in the non-cooperation campaigns in India in the 20s and 30s had to wait a long time for independence," and "There were eight years of protest and more than 2 million dead before the Vietnam war came to an end". Secondly, he claimed that while the effect of marching may be uncertain, the effect of not marching would make it more likely that the occupation would continue.<ref name="Marqusee2006">{{cite web| url=http://www.ukwatch.net/article/1525 |title=Reasons to March |first=Mike |last=Marqusee |author-link=Mike Marqusee |work=UK Watch |date=16 March 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110111162831/http://mikemarqusee.com/?p=173 |archive-date=11 January 2011}}</ref>

Despite failing in its explicit aim, the 15 February global day of anti-war protests had many effects that, according to some, were not directly intended. According to United Kingdom left-wing [[anti-war]] activist [[Salma Yaqoob]], one of these was that they were a powerful antidote to the idea that the war was a "[[Clash of Civilizations]]", or a religious war, an idea she claimed was propagated both by Western leaders and reactionary forces in the Arab world.<ref>[http://www.isj.org.uk/index.php4?id=4&issue=100 Global and local echoes of the anti-war movement: a British Muslim perspective], Salma Yaqoob, International Socialist Journal, Issue: 100</ref> This is echoed in the words of former [[Hizb ut-Tahrir]] organiser Hadiya Masieh who said of the non-Muslims marching in London "How could we demonise people who obviously opposed aggression against Muslims?".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/renouncing-islamism-to-the-brink-and-back-again-1821215.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/renouncing-islamism-to-the-brink-and-back-again-1821215.html |archive-date=1 May 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |work=The Independent |location=London |title=Renouncing Islamism: To the brink and back again |date=16 November 2009 |access-date=2 May 2010 |first=A |last=Generation}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

==See also==
* ''[[We Are Many (film)|We Are Many]]'', a 2014 documentary film about 15 February 2003 protest
* [[Protests against the Iraq War]]
* [[September 2019 climate strikes]] - largest worldwide climate strike in history
* The 2005 novel ''[[Saturday (novel)|Saturday]]'' is set in London on this day, against the backdrop of the protest
* [[Boom! (System of a Down song)|Boom!]] – a 2003 single by metal band [[System of a Down]], in which the music video documented a majority of the protests.

==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=

<ref name="Millions">{{cite news | title=Millions join global anti-war protests | date= 17 February 2003 |newspaper=[[BBC News]] | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2765215.stm |access-date=4 January 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921125652/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2765215.stm |archive-date= 21 September 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

<ref name="Waging">{{cite web |url=http://www.casin.ch/web/pdf/The%20Anti-War%20Movement.pdf |title=The Anti-War Movements&nbsp;– Waging Peace on the Brink of War |first=Karin |last=Simonson |quote=paper prepared for the Programme on NGOs and Civil Society of the [[Centre for Applied Studies in International Negotiation]] |date=March 2003 |format=PDF |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325213857/http://www.casin.ch/web/pdf/The%20Anti-War%20Movement.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009}}</ref>

<ref name="Guinness">{{cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=54365 |title=Guinness World Records, Largest Anti-War Rally |access-date=11 January 2007 |publisher=Guinness World Records |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904214302/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=54365 |archive-date=4 September 2004}}</ref>

<ref name="Largest">[http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=54365 Largest anti-war rally] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040904214302/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=54365 |date=4 September 2004 }}, Guinness Book of world records, 2004</ref>

<ref name="green">[http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2003/526/526p16.htm WORLD: Largest coordinated anti-war protest in history] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060313010446/http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2003/526/526p16.htm |date=13 March 2006 }}, Norm Dixon, Green Left Weekly, 19 February 2003</ref>

<ref name="Difference">[http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=6067 Anti-war protests do make a difference] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060321084247/http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=6067 |date=21 March 2006 }}, Alex Callinicos, ''Socialist Worker'', 19 March 2005.</ref>

<ref name="USAtodayglobalrallies">[https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-02-15-protests_x.htm Anti-war protesters hold global rallies], ''USA Today'', 16 February 2003</ref>

<ref name="Mass">[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/summ-f17.shtml Mass demonstrations inaugurate international antiwar movement], Chris Marsden, WSWS, 17 February 2003</ref>

<ref name="MassiveCBS">[https://www.cbsnews.com/news/massive-anti-war-outpouring/ Massive Anti-War Outpouring], CBS</ref>

<ref name="Cities">[http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/02/15/sprj.irq.protests.main/ Cities jammed in worldwide protest of war in Iraq], CNN, 16 February 2003</ref>

<ref name="Gotham">[http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/20030305/4/300 The Anti-War Protest And The Police] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051030091003/http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/20030305/4/300 |date=30 October 2005 }}, Julia Vitullo-Martin, Gotham Gazette; New York city news and policy, March 2003</ref>

<ref name="WSWSsoul">[http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/feb2003/seou-f17.shtml Antiwar marchers defy large police presence in Seoul], WSWS, 17 February 2003</ref>
}}

==Further reading==
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20091112230104/http://wearemany.tv/ ''We Are Many'']}}, documentary film and website about the 15 February 2003 movements
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141216190214/http://15february.info/ ''15 February 2003''] multimedia documentary online
* [http://www.CityofArt.net/movies.html ''The World Says No to War''], Larry Neilson, [[QuickTime]] movie
* ''Stop the War: The story of Britain's biggest mass movement'', [[Andrew Murray (trade unionist)|Andrew Murray]] and [[Lindsey German]], {{ISBN|1-905192-00-2}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20030216110305/http://www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=725 Archived copy of United for Peace and Justice's organizing webpage for the February 15, 2003, demonstrations] (includes list of cities)

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110714111430/http://articles.cnn.com/2003-02-15/us/sprj.irq.protests.main_1_anti-war-rallies-anti-war-movement-police-use-pepper-spray?_s=PM:US Cities jammed in worldwide protest of war in Iraq] [[CNN]] article. February 2003.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101025121742/http://www.punchdown.org/rvb/F15/ Over 200 Pictures from 133 Protests around the World on February 15/16, 2003]
* [http://www.15feb2003.co.uk/ 15feb2003.co.uk: Archived interviews from London on February 15, 2003] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724225504/http://www.15feb2003.co.uk/ |date=24 July 2008 }}
* [https://archive.org/details/StopTheWarLondon Sound montage from London February 15, 2003]

{{anti-war}}
{{Protests against the Iraq War}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anti-war protest 2003-02-15}}
[[Category:Protests against the Iraq War]]
[[Category:Anti-war protests in the United States]]
[[Category:Peace marches]]
[[Category:2003 in politics]]
[[Category:2003 protests]]
[[Category:February 2003]]
[[Category:2003 in Europe]]
[[Category:2003 in North America]]
[[Category:2003 in South America]]
[[Category:2003 in Asia]]
[[Category:2003 in Africa]]
[[Category:2003 in Oceania]]
[[Category:2003 in Antarctica]]
[[Category:2003 in Central America]]