ARMISTICE DAY 2011

On the 11th of November 2011 Veterans For Peace UK and Occupy activists held an alternative Armistice Day Memorial outside of The Bank of England.

The location was chosen to highlight the role The Bank plays in financing our wars. Also The Bank is a symbol of the financial industry which profits so handsomely from war.

We started with an hour long vigil at Occupy London holding the banner “Mourn The Dead, Heal The Wounded, End The Wars”.

Approxiamately 20 people then walked in single file from St Paul’s to The Bank. Fr Martin Newell lead the way followed by D-Day veteran Jim Radford. Jim carried the Ex-Services CND banner not seen in action for many a year.

Once in place outside The Bank the names of the dead both British and Afghan were read out.At 1100 two minutes silence was observed.Jim Radford then gave us a rendition of “And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda“.Martin Newell gave a sermon. Ben Griffin talked of his own experiences and the futility of violence. Matthew Horne spoke about the disturbing plight of some veterans in the UK specifically about homelessness and substance abuse. Jim Radford sang another song “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye” . Jim also stated that soldiers do not sacrifice themselves, they are sacrificed.