Mick Hartley

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3000 Days

The front page of the Indie celebrates the 3000th day of Brian Haw's protest in Parliament Square:

Eight years of living in a tent opposite the Houses of Parliament, railing against the country’s political elite through two bitterly controversial wars, has made Mr Haw an irritable man. Any of the friends, passers by, tourists and journalists who have come across him will be more than aware the deep seated anger he feels towards the British government, which he accuses of anything from “murder, to torture and genocide”.

Yes, through two wars – he was already in place at the time of the Iraq invasion. He started out protesting against the UN sanctions against Iraq, with the slogan, "Stop Killing My Kids." 

His kids? Well, no, not his kids as such:

A year into his protest, his wife Kay filed for divorce and he rarely sees any of their seven children who now range from 16-30-years-old. Although he has previously insisted his family support his vigil, births, weddings and birthdays have all gone by leaving the father of seven deeply embittered.

“My kids are an off limit topic,"”he says, angered by the question of whether they still stay in touch with him. “But I have effectively lost my family because our nation doesn’t care enough. I love my wife and children so much. But I blame the Government for losing them because I shouldn’t have been here eight years. I didn’t want to be here eight bloody years but while the killing and murder continues, I’m staying.”

It's rather different to how he tells it on his website:

"I want to go back to my own kids and look them in the face again knowing that I've done all I can to try and save the children of Iraq and other countries who are dying because of my government's unjust, amoral, fear – and money – driven policies. These children and people of other countries are every bit as valuable and worthy of love as my precious wife and children."

But back to the Indie profile:

Despite living his life so publicly, Mr Haw remains a deeply private person. Personal questions inevitably receive replies that wind their way back to his raison d’etre – the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan or the war in Iraq.

For instance, in answer to a question about whether he prays (Mr Haw is an evangelical Christian) he replies: “People get so organised don’t they? They think that prayer is something you do on your knees. Well I bet there are a few soldiers praying on the other side of the world right now. And who is going to answer their prayers? I would suggest that you are the answer to your own prayers, if you get off your arse and do something.”

Like sitting in a tent for eight years, perhaps.

Here's the site today:

DSC01036s

That sign in the middle, to the right of "IRAQ", reads, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do. 2005 AD. Children forgive us for now we do."

Well, it's not really necessary to construct an argument against the man: he is, to put it charitably, something of an eccentric. Check him out here, explaining how 9/11 was an inside job, and how 50,000 kids are murdered every day. 

He has, nevertheless, been lionised in certain quarters. Mark Wallingford won the 2007 Turner Prize with State Britain, a recreation of Haw's campsite. Said Wallingford, "Brian Haw is a remarkable man who has waged a tireless campaign against the folly and hubris of our government's foreign policy". 

And in a way, strangely, I don't mind. I don't think he's a remarkable man at all: I think he's a deluded fool. But at a time when there's a serious debate about the erosion of our liberties, it's worth reminding ourselves that he's still there, despite all efforts to dislodge him. In a time when there's a distinct shortage of heroes, he may be the best we can do.

Parliament Square is one of London's biggest tourist attractions, with the Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey lurking in the background. It's an imposing public space, speaking of power and authority. Having this strange campsite stuck in the middle there – well, let's just say it's something that perhaps does deserve some celebration, even if it is through gritted teeth.
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4 responses to “3000 Days”

  1. Will Avatar
    Will

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/aug/19/iraq-baghdad-bombings
    ……
    http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hitISYixOv_DC0ABZeYzc6dg2BDAD9A67IB80
    Wave of explosions rock Baghdad, killing at least 95 and forcing new look at security
    BAGHDAD (AP) — Nearly simultaneous truck bombs struck Iraq’s Foreign and Finance ministries Wednesday as a wave of explosions killed at least 95 people, bringing the weaknesses of Iraqi security forces into sharp focus less than two months after U.S. forces withdrew from urban areas.
    It was the deadliest day of coordinated bombings since Feb. 1, 2008, when two suicide bombers killed 109 people at pet markets in Baghdad. More than 400 were wounded in Wednesday’s blasts, including a deputy foreign minister.
    The new American role was on sharp display as the military said it responded to onsite requests from Iraqi commanders for assistance, providing intelligence to help guide rescue crews and deploying explosives experts to clear areas of potential bombs.
    U.S. transition teams assisted with security cordons and medics helped the wounded. Helicopters buzzed overhead.
    “We helped the victims when and where we could, in accordance with our Iraqi allies’ requests,” said Lt. Col. Philip Smith, a spokesman for U.S. forces in Baghdad.

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  2. Bob Borsley Avatar
    Bob Borsley

    Given that many argue that there was no need to remove Saddam because he was ‘contained’ by snactions, it is important to recall that large sections of the Left were strongly opposed to any sanctions against Iraq. They favoured an Iraq unconstrained by sanctions and able to pursue whatever policies Saddam favoured.

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  3. Edward Spalton Avatar
    Edward Spalton

    I wonder whether we are paying for Mr. Haw’s conscience through Social Security?

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  4. Tendryakov Avatar
    Tendryakov

    Well done, Mick, for casting a critical eye over a holy cow. And as for Mr Spalton’s intimation, I’m sure he’s right, but I think it might be a touchy area to discuss with Brian Haw.

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