The Irish Anti-War Movement said today it was planning a series of co-ordinated actions in the event of a US-led military strike on Iraq.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow's anti-war rally in Dublin, the group's chairman, Mr Richard Boyd-Barrett, said the movement would attempt to frustrate any western-led war effort in Iraq through work stoppages and mass demonstrations.
Mr Boyd-Barrett said that on the day following a military strike on Iraq the group would be calling for 10-minute work stoppage at midday, followed by a mass demonstrations in all cities.
He urged people to attend tomorrow's demonstration in the capital to "put pressure on the Government to change its policy and disassociate itself from this war and any use of Shannon by US troops".
Organisers said they expected more than 20,000 people to attend the march which commences in Parnell Square at 2 p.m.
Green Party chairman Mr John Gormley told an anti-war press conference this morning that the fact that tomorrow's march was happening simultaneously all over the world signified "a global show of strength against the war".
Mr Gormley said the momentum behind the movement was gathering a pace and that it reminded him of "the heady days of the Vietnam war protests".
He said "the Government is out of touch with the public on this issue" and he hoped the march would put pressure on it to clarify its position on a war in the absence of a second UN resolution.
Labour Party Justice spokesman Mr Joe Costello urged people to come out and demonstrate their oppostion to the "unjust and unwarranted" threat of war. "Ireland has a proud history of seeking peaceful solutions to international disputes," he said.
Unfortunately this was being compromised by the Government's silence on the threat of a unilateral war by the United States against Iraq, he said.
Ms Mary Van Lieshout of the US Citizens in Ireland for Alternatives to War said opposition to war was not confined to Europe and the population of the US was profoundly divided on the issue.
"Never before have we seen this kind of opposition to a war in the US before it begins," Ms Van Lieshout said.
She said the reason we are seeing such opposition is because people are not convinced that President Bush is telling the truth.
