No war flags at Parliament Square

Greenpeace opposed the war in Iraq and campaigned actively to prevent it. We would have opposed it even if an attack had been sanctioned by the United Nations.

There should be an immediate ceasefire, with the US and UK troops carrying out policing and peace keeping roles, and being replaced by UN troops as soon as possible. We are not calling for an immediate withdrawal of US/UK troops from Iraq. This would effectively condemn Iraq to a complete descent into anarchy and even greater suffering.

Greenpeace opposed the war because:

War has devastating human and environmental consequences

We do not yet know, and may never know, the full extent of Iraqi casualties. Civilian casualties receive most attention, but the death of conscript soldiers, many of them teenagers who fought only because they or their families were threatened, is scarcely any different. These people did not need to die - this war was unnecessary.

Much of Iraq is now contaminated with depleted uranium. Water supplies in cities, on which most of the population depends (Iraq is heavily urbanised) are not working, and disease is spreading.

Greenpeace welcomes the fall of Saddam Hussein, as we would the fall of any brutal dictator. Though Greenpeace does not work on human rights issues, many of the individuals associated with Greenpeace have been working for years to oppose the excesses of his regime or help the Iraqi people - at times when British and American governments were supporting him. But we do not believe that liberating the Iraqi people from oppression was the reason why the US and the UK invaded, and as a consequence there is no guarantee that democracy and human rights will be protected in the new Iraq.

Bush is clearly trying to get control on Iraq's oil reserves

Nelson Mandela described going to war with Iraq as "clearly a decision that is motivated by George W Bush's desire to please the arms and oil industries of the USA". Iraq's known oil reserves are second in size only to Saudi Arabia's. The head of the Iraqi National Congress, an umbrella opposition group, has said that "American companies will have a big shot at Iraqi oil" if he is running the country. He is now in Iraq, being lined up for a leading role in the new Iraq.

The company that stands to profit most from the attack on Iraq, according to analysts at Deutsche Bank, is ExxonMobil, a company that funded Republican candidates to the tune of more than $1.2 million in 2000. Exxon Mobil (Esso in the UK) is also behind Bush's rejection of Kyoto, which is why Greenpeace, with other groups, is calling on everyone to boycott its products.

The British Government has recently announced that one of the top five priorities for foreign policy is securing access to energy supplies. Yet Blair still denies that the attack on Iraq has anything to do with oil.

War is an ineffective way to deal with weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

It is still unclear whether Iraq actually possessed any WMD. But whether it did or not, it is clear that pre-emptive military strikes against states possessing or suspected of possessing WMD do not provide a stable basis for controlling them. It would require repeated armed interventions against numerous countries. States known to have nuclear weapons include India, Pakistan and Israel. North Korea is openly seeking to acquire them. The Bush administration has stated that at least 13 countries are pursuing biological weapons research. Does Bush intend to attack each of these in turn?

What is needed instead is a collective international arms control and disarmament system,. The framework already exists, in the form of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention. But rather than being strengthened, it is being undermined by the hypocrisy of existing nuclear weapons states, and by the unilateralist arrogance of the Bush administration.

If Bush and Blair are genuinely concerned about WMD, they should recommit themselves to the processes of arms control and disarmament.

Projections at Parliament Square

Adams, Irene (Paisley N)
Ainger, Nick
Ainsworth, Bob (Cov'try NE)
Ainsworth, Peter (E Surrey)
Alexander, Douglas
Amess, David
Ancram, rh Michael
Anderson, rh Donald (Swansea E)
Anderson, Janet (Rossendale & Darwen)
Arbuthnot, rh James
Armstrong, rh Ms Hilary
Atherton, Ms Candy
Atkins, Charlotte
Atkinson, David (Bour'mth E)
Atkinson, Peter (Hexham)
Bailey, Adrian
Barker, Gregory
Barron, rh Kevin
Bayley, Hugh
Beard, Nigel
Beckett, rh Margaret
Beggs, Roy (E Antrim)
Bell, Stuart
Bellingham, Henry
Benn, Hilary
Bercow, John
Beresford, Sir Paul
Betts, Clive
Blackman, Liz
Blair, rh Tony
Blears, Ms Hazel
Blunkett, rh David
Blunt, Crispin
Boateng, rh Paul
Borrow, David
Boswell, Tim
Bottomley, Peter (Worthing W)
Bottomley, rh Virginia (SW Surrey)
Bradley, Peter (The Wrekin)
Bradshaw, Ben
Brady, Graham
Brazier, Julian
Brown, rh Gordon (Dunfermline E)
Brown, rh Nicholas (Newcastle E Wallsend)
Browne, Desmond
Bryant, Chris
Burgon, Colin
Burnham, Andy
Burns, Simon
Burnside, David
Burt, Alistair
Butterfill, John
Byers, rh Stephen
Caborn, rh Richard
Cairns, David
Cameron, David
Campbell, Alan (Tynemouth)
Campbell, Gregory (E Lond'y)
Caplin, Ivor
Casale, Roger
Cash, William
Cawsey, Ian (Brigg)
Chapman, Ben (Wirral S)
Chapman, Sir Sydney (Chipping Barnet)
Chope, Christopher
Clappison, James
Clark, Dr. Lynda (Edinburgh Pentlands)
Clark, Paul (Gillingham)
Clarke, rh Charles (Norwich S)
Clelland, David
Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey
Clwyd, Ann (Cynon V)
Coaker, Vernon
Coffey, Ms Ann
Collins, Tim
Conway, Derek
Cook, Frank (Stockton N)
Cooper, Yvette
Cormack, Sir Patrick
Corston, Jean
Cran, James (Beverley)
Cranston, Ross
Cruddas, Jon
Cummings, John
Cunningham, rh Dr. Jack (Copeland)
Cunningham, Jim (Coventry S)
Cunningham, Tony (Workington)
Curry, rh David
Curtis-Thomas, Mrs Claire
Darling, rh Alistair
David, Wayne
Davies, Geraint (Croydon C)
Davies, Quentin (Grantham & Stamford)
Davis, rh David (Haltemprice & Howden)
Dean, Mrs Janet
Dismore, Andrew
Djanogly, Jonathan
Dodds, Nigel
Donaldson, Jeffrey M.
Donohoe, Brian H.
Dorrell, rh Stephen
Dowd, Jim (Lewisham W)
Drown, Ms Julia
Duncan, Alan (Rutland)
Duncan, Peter (Galloway)
Duncan Smith, rh Iain
Dunwoody, Mrs Gwyneth
Eagle, Angela (Wallasey)
Eagle, Maria (L'pool Garston)
Ellman, Mrs Louise
Ennis, Jeff (Barnsley E)
Evans, Nigel
Fabricant, Michael
Fallon, Michael
Farrelly, Paul
Field, rh Frank (Birkenhead)
Field, Mark (Cities of London & Westminster)
Fitzpatrick, Jim
Fitzsimons, Mrs Lorna
Flight, Howard
Flint, Caroline
Flook, Adrian
Follett, Barbara
Forth, rh Eric
Foster, rh Derek
Foster, Michael (Worcester)
Foulkes, rh George
Fox, Dr. Liam
Francois, Mark
Gale, Roger (N Thanet)
Gapes, Mike (Ilford S)
Gardiner, Barry
Garnier, Edward
George, rh Bruce (Walsall S)
Gibb, Nick (Bognor Regis)
Gillan, Mrs Cheryl
Gilroy, Linda
Godsiff, Roger
Goggins, Paul
Goodman, Paul
Gray, James (N Wilts)
Grayling, Chris
Green, Damian (Ashford)
Greenway, John
Grieve, Dominic
Griffiths, Jane (Reading E)
Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S)
Gummer, rh John
Hague, rh William
Hain, rh Peter
Hall, Mike (Weaver Vale)
Hammond, Philip
Hanson, David
Harman, rh Ms Harriet
Harris, Tom (Glasgow Cathcart)
Hawkins, Nick
Hayes, John (S Holland)
Heald, Oliver
Healey, John
Heathcoat-Amory, rh David
Henderson, Ivan (Harwich)
Hendrick, Mark
Hendry, Charles
Heppell, John
Hermon, Lady
Hewitt, rh Ms Patricia
Hill, Keith (Streatham)
Hoban, Mark (Fareham)
Hodge, Margaret
Hoon, rh Geoffrey
Hope, Phil (Corby)
Horam, John (Orpington)
Howard, rh Michael
Howarth, rh Alan (Newport E)
Howarth, George (Knowsley N & Sefton E)
Howarth, Gerald (Aldershot)
Howells, Dr. Kim
Hoyle, Lindsay
Hughes, Beverley (Stretford & Urmston)
Hughes, Kevin (Doncaster N)
Hunter, Andrew
Hurst, Alan (Braintree)
Hutton, rh John
Illsley, Eric
Ingram, rh Adam
Irranca-Davies, Huw
Jack, rh Michael
Jackson, Robert (Wantage)
Jamieson, David
Jenkin, Bernard
Jenkins, Brian
Johnson, Alan (Hull W)
Johnson, Boris (Henley)
Johnson, Miss Melanie (Welwyn Hatfield)
Jones, Helen (Warrington N)
Jones, Kevan (N Durham)
Jowell, rh Tessa
Joyce, Eric (Falkirk W)
Kaufman, rh Gerald
Keeble, Ms Sally
Keen, Alan (Feltham)
Keen, Ann (Brentford)
Kelly, Ruth (Bolton W)
Kemp, Fraser
Kennedy, Jane (Wavertree)
Key, Robert (Salisbury)
Khabra, Piara S.
King, Andy (Rugby)
King, Ms Oona (Bethnal Green & Bow)
Kirkbride, Miss Julie
Knight, rh Greg (E Yorkshire)
Knight, Jim (S Dorset)
Kumar, Dr. Ashok
Ladyman, Dr. Stephen
Laing, Mrs Eleanor
Lait, Mrs Jacqui
Lammy, David
Lawrence, Mrs Jackie
Laxton, Bob (Derby N)
Leslie, Christopher
Letwin, rh Oliver
Levitt, Tom (High Peak)
Lewis, Ivan (Bury S)
Lewis, Dr. Julian (New Forest E)
Liddell, rh Mrs Helen
Liddell-Grainger, Ian
Lidington, David
Lilley, rh Peter
Linton, Martin
Loughton, Tim
Love, Andrew
Luff, Peter (M-Worcs)
McAvoy, Thomas
McCabe, Stephen
McCartney, rh Ian
McDonagh, Siobhain
MacDonald, Calum
MacDougall, John
McFall, John
McGuire, Mrs Anne
McIntosh, Miss Anne
McIsaac, Shona
Mackay, rh Andrew
McKenna, Rosemary
Mackinlay, Andrew
Maclean, rh David
McLoughlin, Patrick
McNulty, Tony
MacShane, Denis
Mactaggart, Fiona
McWalter, Tony
McWilliam, John

Greenpeace protesters walk over Westminster Bridge to join the start of the 'No War' march

Greenpeace UK executive director, Stephen Tindale