MARCHERS turned up in their thousands to take part at a demonstration at Fairford airbase on Saturday, March 22.

The protest was organised by the Stroud-based Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors.

A star-studded line-up of speakers included political comedian Mark Thomas, Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, journalist George Monbiot and Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas took part.

Campaigning journalist George Monbiot spoke about America's own biological warfare programme and its efforts to usurp the United Nations as the source of international law.

"What we're seeing at the moment is a slow motion but inexonerable international coup," he said.

"In Iraq we are witnessing an attack on the world against all the norms of international law.

"An it's our duty to try to do something about this because if we don't because if we don't you can bet your life nobody else will. "Our task is nothing less than to try to save the world from an international dictatorship."

Author and comedian Will Self was also on the march.

"Now it's under way I don't think our role is over by any means at all," he told the SNJ.

He said the rhetoric coming out of Westminster saying people were being disloyal by arguing against the war while British forces were in danger was absurd.

"I feel we are the loyalists and the patriots," he said.

"That's American soil right here in the middle of the Cotswolds from which they are allowed to pursue unilateral military ideas. "It's a sickening state of affairs, frankly.

"The Government's increasingly coming under American imperialism and we have to ask ourselves if we want any involvement in that."

"Talk to the people, you'll be surprised by the political complexity of their thinking."

Mark Thomas pointed out the significance of Fairford in this and other wars.

"This is the belly of the beast, the place where the barbarity starts which will define this century."

He urged the police to join the demonstrators and said they were not helping their reputation by searching peaceful demonstrators under anti-terrorism laws.

"Saddam Hussein might be cunning but you're not going to find him hiding in the sandwiches between the Marmite and the cucumber," he said.

Valerie Lucznikowska of September 11 Families for Peaceful Resolution: "We are dedicated to peace, finding the terrorists behind the attacks and trying them in an international court of law.

"We are also dedicated to breaking the cycle of violence. "We see no connection between Saddam Hussein and September 11.

"The United States administration has said the inspection was taking too long and we can't wait any longer and has sent in 200,000 troops," she said.

"Why didn't they send in 100,000 weapons inspectors?" Thom Yorke said he was always impressed that people had the courage to come on protests when surrounded by police in intimidating riot gear.

"Don't let anything kick off because you'll just give the gutter press something to throw at us."

"America is being run by a bunch of bigoted religious fundamentalist maniacs who didn't even get voted in. "The only way they can stay in power is to find a war to take the focus away from things at home.

"It's nothing to do with morality, it's just self-seeking. "They are the ones who put the armies into this situation. "We did not.

"They are the ones who are responsible for people, not us. "Unpatriotic? Unpatriotic is sending people to a war they should not be in."