Trade union leaders, MPs and anti-war activists from across Europe and Palestine will gather in London on 20 June amid growing opposition to rearmament policies, militarisation and defence-linked austerity measures across the continent.
An international anti-war gathering bringing together trade unionists, politicians and activists from across Europe and Palestine is expected to take place in London next month as organisers seek to build coordinated opposition to military escalation and defence-driven austerity measures.
The International Anti-War Conference, organised by the Stop the War Coalition, has attracted delegations from several European countries, including representatives of major trade union federations, dockworkers’ organisations, teachers’ unions and anti-war political parties. Among those expected to attend are delegates from Italy’s CGIL union federation and Spain’s UGT confederation, alongside union leaders from Greece, including the president of the Piraeus dockworkers and the president of the steelworkers of Thessaloniki.
The leader of the Genoa dockworkers is also due to attend, as are German school students who recently took part in a 50,000-strong strike against conscription plans.
P
olitical representatives attending the conference are expected to include Peter Mertens, leader of Belgium’s Workers’ Party, as well as French MPs, Podemos and Catalan representatives from Spain, and a Swedish anti-war parliamentarian. Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti is also scheduled to address delegates.
The leader of the French teachers’ union is also expected to attend the conference alongside representatives of British anti-war organisations and campaign groups.
Organisers say the conference aims to bring together campaigners resisting what they describe as a renewed international “drive to war” and the economic pressures accompanying increased military spending across Europe.
Support for the event in Britain includes 10 national trade unions and more than 100 local union branches, according to organisers. The Muslim Association of Britain, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the Stop the War Coalition are also among the organisations backing the initiative.
Fundraising campaign
Alongside preparations for the conference, organisers have launched a fundraising appeal to help finance the event.
Translation costs alone are expected to reach £30,000, and adding audiovisual equipment brings the total to £50,000.
A separate fundraising campaign states that donations will also help cover venue hire, travel expenses for international speakers and interpretation services intended to allow delegates from different countries to participate fully in discussions.
The campaign highlights the involvement of workers and activists who have participated in anti-war demonstrations and labour actions in recent months, including Italian dockworkers who staged protests in support of Palestine, German students opposing military conscription proposals, Spanish trade unionists campaigning against war with Iran and French teachers resisting what organisers describe as the militarisation of schools.
The conference is scheduled to take place on Saturday 20 June 2026 at Central Hall Westminster. Further information is available through Stop the War Coalition, while donations can be made through the organisers’ Crowdfunder campaign. Contact: peaceconference@stopwar.org.uk
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