Thirteen political parties and organizations in West Bengal, including CPI(ML)-New Democracy, gave a call for a protest march to US Embassy on 19th December 2002 to oppose the US conspiracy to attack Iraq. Thousands of people from the province, with banners, posters and placards, gathered at the Subodh Mallik Square in Kolkata at 2 p.m. on that day and started marching towards the US Embassy raising slogans against the war campaign – “No to US Aggression on Iraq”, “Down with the universal terrorists, the Bush-Blair Clique”, “Not oil at the cost of blood, not war for oil” etc.

The marchers were, however, blocked at the US Information Centre in the city, way ahead of the destination, by the faithful dogs of the ‘Left’ Front Govt. of the state. And naturally so. Though at times resorting to anti-US imperialism rhetoric, the ‘Left’ Front was prompt in taking up the ‘immediate’ task of providing fool-proof protection and security to US imperialism and its official ‘control room’ in Kolkata, the US Embassy and deployed a huge police force for the purpose.

Consequently, a mass meeting, presided over by Pradeep Banerjee, was held near the Information Centre. Com. Paltu Sen addressed the huge gathering on behalf of our Party. It was also addressed by Somnath Chatterjee of CPI(ML)-Unity Initiative, Koushik Banerjee of CPI(ML)-Janashakti, Kamal Tewari of Sramik Sangram Committee, Jayatu Deshmukh of CPI(ML)-Liberation and Kisan of SFPR. The meeting was concluded at 5 p.m. through the burning of effigies of the two most dreaded terrorists of the world people today – US President George Bush and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. 19th December 2002 would add Kolkata as one more example of international solidarity to the worldwide protests against the imminent war.

Another protest meeting on this issue was organized by our Party in Bankura on 3rd January 2003.