By Glenn Frankel Washington Post Foreign Service Monday, March 3, 2003; Page A14
LONDON, March 2 -- The people who helped organize the largest worldwide peace demonstration in history last month say they are not through yet.
More than 120 activists from 28 countries emerged from an all-day strategy session here this weekend with plans not just to protest a prospective U.S.-led war against Iraq but to prevent it from happening. They want to intensify political pressure on the Bush administration's closest allies -- the leaders of Britain, Italy and Spain -- and force them to withdraw their support, leaving the United States, if it chooses to fight, to go it alone. And they intend to further disrupt war plans with acts of civil disobedience against U.S. military bases, supply depots and transports throughout Europe.
Finally, if war breaks out, they say, they will demonstrate in towns and cities around the world on the evening of the first day, and hold a worldwide rally on the following Saturday that they hope will rival or surpass their efforts of Feb. 15.
"We still believe we can stop this war before it begins," said Chris Nineham, one of the British organizers of this weekend's conference, held at the Stop the War Coalition's offices in northeast London. "But if not, we're putting the warmongers on notice that there will be massive protests on the day war breaks out and the following weekend."
In interviews last week, several of the organizers of the Feb. 15 protests traced the origins of the antiwar movement, described how they put together that event and discussed where they go from here. For the most part, the organizations are tiny, shoestring operations -- the London-based coalition operates out of two cubbyhole offices with four desktop computers, a handful of phone lines and a half-dozen paid staff members. But they use the Internet, cell phones and their connections with trade unions and local governments to establish links and coordinate with other organizations around the world.
Their plans might sound grandiose. But these are the same activists who pulled off the stunning success of two weeks ago, when between 6 million and 12 million protesters gathered in about 75 countries to oppose military action.
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