Stop The War rally in Huddersfield town centre

Jun 28 2010 Huddersfield Daily Examiner

A RALLY was held in Huddersfield seeking an end to the war in Afghanistan.

Members of the Huddersfield Stop The War Coalition marked Armed Forces Day on Saturday with an open-air rally in Huddersfield Market Place.

They asked people to sign a petition calling for an end to the war, as more than 300 British troops have lost their lives so far in the conflict.

Nine of those have died in the past week and hours after the rally there was news of another victim.

A soldier injured in a bomb blast died in hospital.

June Jones, a spokeswoman for the Huddersfield group, said: “In line with the National Stop the War Coalition, we are calling for an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.

“This nine-year war is the longest in US history – even longer than the war in Vietnam and it is very clear that it is aimless and unwinnable.

“At least 64% of the British public agree with the call to get the troops out.

“There is no justification for British troops to stay a single day longer to kill and be killed in Afghanistan.