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<div id="hn-headline">Thousands march against war in
Afghanistan</div>
<p class="hn-byline">
(UKPA)
–
<span class="hn-date">5 hours ago</span></p>
<p>Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets of
central London to march against the war in Afghanistan
as Nato leaders met to plan an end to the nine-year
conflict.</p>
<p>Demonstrators were led by military families as they
carried anti-war placards and banners against cuts to
government spending.</p>
<p>As the march, involving an estimated 10,000 people,
moved from Hyde Park, central London, protesters
chanted: "When they say warfare, we say welfare".</p>
<p>The demonstration took place as the Prime Minister
attended a Nato summit in Lisbon, where an agreement was
reached which will see Afghan forces take over full
responsibility for the country's security in 2014.</p>
<p>David Cameron said the Coalition Government had set a
"firm deadline" of withdrawing British troops from a
combat role by 2015.</p>
<p>In Trafalgar Square, the father of a soldier killed in
action gave an emotional address to the crowd. Stephen
Barnes, whose son Corporal Jason Barnes died in 2008,
said he had "mixed feelings" about the Government's
continued commitment to the Afghan campaign.</p>
<p>He said: "I don't want Jason's death to be in vain but
I don't want any other family to feel and go through
what I went through."</p>
<p>Other speakers were adamant that a withdrawal of combat
troops by 2015 was too late. Joe Glenton, a former
soldier who was jailed for six months for refusing to
serve in Afghanistan, said the war was a "sham".</p>
<p>Mr Glenton, who has returned his veteran's medal to
Downing Street, said: "This isn't about defence of our
country or our liberty. What are these men going to
return to? A country that has been mutilated financially
and politically."</p>
<p>John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington,
said the protesters were "the conscience of this
nation". He accused Nato leaders in Lisbon of propping
up "the most corrupt government across the planet" and
expressed solidarity with the protesters who rioted at
Millbank last week.</p>
<p id="hn-distributor-copyright"><span>Copyright © 2010
The Press Association. All rights reserved.<br>
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<p id="hn-distributor-copyright"><span><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ir7Ge20JSIh0IetEH6psm1Ed8uPw?docId=B3287751290261077A0">http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5ir7Ge20JSIh0IetEH6psm1Ed8uPw?docId=B3287751290261077A0</a><br>
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