IRAQ PROTESTERS ON MARCH FOR PEACE
I remember wondering how a war could ever be a good idea
More than 100,000 Scots thronged Glasgow’s streets on a cold February Saturday in 2003 to confront Tony Blair over his march to war.
Anti-war protesters gathered at the SECC, where the then-PM was giving a speech to Scottish Labour’s annual conference.
His speech was brought forward to avoid confronting angry demonstrators who voiced their opposition against the looming conflict.
An estimated two million were at demos in Britain that day.
Seona Mackenzie was 10 when she marched from Glasgow Green to the SECC with her mum Elaine and featured in the Sunday Mail’s coverage of the march.
Seona, now 23, said: “I remember being there with my mum and she kept reminding me why it was important we were there.
“It was a really cold day and I was wearing my sister Jennifer’s hat.
“I remember wondering how anyone could think the war was a good idea.”
Seona, who has a degree in music and is training to be a primary school teacher, hasn’t protested since that day. She said: “It was the only protest I’ve been on. Obviously, there have been lots of things going on but nothing as big as that.
“I have read some of the reports about Chilcot and part of me wonders why it took so long to tell us something we already knew.
“I do feel justified now about protesting.”
In 2003, Seona told how her gran Elizabeth, who is 80, told her how awful war was. She said: “I don’t want war because my gran keeps telling me about the awful stuff.
“I worry about the children of Iraq. It’s not their fault.”
Gareth Roberts was at the protest with his six-month-old daughter Isobel. He has only been to one other protest – against the poll tax.
He said: “My memory from the protests against the war in Iraq was the fury that people felt and that the democratic process was ignored.
“I don’t feel the Chilcot report was a whitewash and I do think it will be more difficult from now on to go to war.”
Isobel is now 13. Gareth said: “It’s strange to think that she’s a teenager now and was just a six-month-old baby when we protested.
“I don’t know what the future holds for Izzy. I do think after Chilcot and post-Brexit, people’s faith in politicians has been destroyed and that does make me sad.”