Many participants were visibly moved, some to tears, as Huda spoke of her own family’s experience of war in Iraq and Palestine, including her uncle being beaten by US soldiers in Iraq in front of his children. Huda Ammori, co-founder of Palestine Action, said that the ceremony was “important and an amazing opportunity” to remember all victims of war. “Each was an individual, as individual as you and me.” Hamit Dardagan of Iraq Body Count spoke of the need to remember civilian as well as military victims of war. “Victims of all wars, past and present, all sides, all conflicts, all nationalities, civilians and those on the front line fighting… People who were killed, people who were imprisoned, communities who have been torn apart and who continue to be torn apart." S he added, “We also gather to show our commitment to peace and challenge attempts to glamorise or celebrate war.” “ We gather here today to remember all victims of war,” said Anya. They were welcomed to the ceremony by the PPU’s Anya Nanning Ramamurthy, who had travelled from Glasgow where she had been campaigning about thee links between climate change and militarism during COP26. The PPU’s Katherine Allsopp then laid a wreath of white poppies on behalf of the PPU, followed by wreaths from Conscience and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and a wreath laid by children to remember children killed in war. Hundreds of people took part in today’s National Alternative Remembrance Ceremony, either in person in Tavistock Square, London, or through joining online.Īfter short contributions from speakers, two minutes’ silence was held for all victims of war, civilian and military, of all nationalities.
Welsh former rugby player Rhodri Gomer wore a white poppy as he appeared on television today, following other celebrities such as comedian Kate Smurthwaite, who recently defended her white poppy on Channel 5. The number of shops and other outlets selling white poppies has more than doubled in the last five years and more schools are now making white poppies available alongside red poppies. This year has seen growing acceptance of white poppies as part of war remembrance in the UK. There may well have been others of which the PPU nationally has not yet been informed. The PPU reported this evening that they were aware of white poppy wreaths being placed in Aberystwyth, Bridgewater, Brighton, Bromley, Bury St Edmunds, Clevedon, Derry/Londonderry, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Guildford, Hexham, Ipswich, Lambeth, Leamington Spa, Leicester, London, Luton, Margate, Oldham, Paisley, Skipton, Stowmarket and Uxbridge. Since 1981 they have been organised and distributed by the Peace Pledge Union (PPU). They were founded in 1933 by the Co-operative Women’s Guild.
White poppies represent remembrance for all victims of war of all nationalities, along with a commitment to peace and a rejection of militarism. Leicester Univesrity has placed mixed wreaths of red and white poppies at several places in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
White poppies also appeared in a higher than usual number of official ceremonies, in places including Leicester, Aberystwyth and Ipswich. White poppy wearers held Alternative Remembrance Ceremonies in cities including London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Brighton and Derry/Londonderry as well as many smaller towns. Wreaths of white poppies have today been laid in more than 20 towns and cities in the UK to remember all victims of war.
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