About 5,000 women rally in Trafalgar Square

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Tion at the University School of Education and an exhibition at a park and in the town Countesthorpe college, a four of square; and a lot besides. Leicestershire villages; banners There were at least six differand washing lines strung with ent leaflets produced for different ymbols of life put up along the activities during the day. main roads into Leicester and in Labour Party support was Leicester station; peace camps in shown by local counciliors Sue Waddington, who spoke at the 1,000 strong rally, and Pete Soulsby, who helped with the creche all day.

DERBY: There was a 12 hour vigil outside the Rolls Royce factory, which makes. parts for Trident. SHEPSHED: A large union's emergency committee.

There was activity all day. Leafletting at tube and BR stations and in the streets got a good response: many women were reading the leaflets rather than putting them straight into their bags.

There were stickers everywhere and posters up in some shops and offices as 500 women (with many children and banners) marched with a ragtime band to Highbury Fields, where food was laid on for us by men who had struck in support.

SOUTHWARK: After planting white crosses on Peckl am Rye, women marched to the Imperial War Museum, where ' ve put a wreath on a gun, danced and sang:

Hospital HARINGEY: a rally at the Prince of Wales hospital, which is threatened with closure, aimed to underline the link between the arms drive and health service cuts.

There was also a stall, an exhibition, a float, and leafleting at Wood Green Shopping City, with a good response to a petition.

Members of Haringey NALGO struck for the day. And there was a 24 hour vigil and fast at Hornsey Town Hall organised by a 'Families Against the Bomb' group:

OXFORD: 20 women were arrested when they lay down in the street to stop traffic at Carfax, but a lot of publicity was gained.

The Trades Council co-sponsored a demonstration and rally in the evening.

NOTTINGHAM: women from the Raleigh factory and from the County Council NALGO branch were among the 100 at a rally. COVENTRY: A women's peace camp was organised for the day, and there were die-ins in five different spots in the main shopping precinct. Coventry Labour Women's Council held a rally in the evening attended by around 100.

ROCHDALE: There was a good response passers-by to street theatre in the town centre at midday. After' that, some of us went to Manchester, and others went to a demonstration at Stoodley Pike, a memorial to victories in the Napoleonic Wars, out in the countryside. About 50 women and 100 children gathered at Stoodley Pike, and then walked to the Job Centre in Todmorden underline the links between the arms drive and unemployment. BURY: At midday women encircled Kay Gardens, in the town centre, sang songs, and leatletted. They also petitioned the council to reinstate Bury's Nuclear Free Zone status.

MANCHESTER: Many hundreds of women held hands round Piccadilly Gardens, near the, main bus station, at atternoon rushhour time, and then staged a diein. There was a good response from many passers-by.

Manchester CND is planning a festival on June 4.

TRAFALGAR SQUARE: About 5000 women gathered in Trafalgar Square from 6pm for the London-wide women's protest for peace. After singing some songs, we made our way in small groups down Whitchall to the Ministry of Defence - a grim, massive building, with great steel doors, built to withstand Russian tanks no doubt.

Several chains werc formed round the building, with police following suit and making a chain of their own. A number of women were arrested.

There were women from all over London arriving as their local activities finished. Women brought banners from the Clapham Common 'peace camp', set up near the threatened South London Women's Hospital, and many women brought NALGO No 26 June 1983 Paper of the women's campaign Labour Movement Fightback for Women's Rights Peace campaigners joined the People's March Despite a huge police presence many passers-by and bus passengers showed their support.

Reports from. Colleen Mollo!. Jenny Fisher, Jo Thwaites. Amanda Barnes, Mary Corbishle:. Anne Marie Sweeney, Rowens Jewers, Anne Crowder, Kate Williams, Sue Arnall, Julia Redman. Judith Bonner, and Jim Denham.

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placards with 'hospitals, not bombs' written on them.