There was a small seize in Whitehall, at the gates of Downing Street, on Saturday as a thousand or two protested against the Afghanistan War which close to that day reached a milestone.
Ten years ago the war on terror was launched. And ten years on the protests, if smaller than some, have not gone away.
From noon there was a rally in Trafalgar Square where celebrities, former soldiers and activists made speeches calling for the troops to come home. Black balloons where released in to the air above Nelson's Column with the same message, after a register of some of those who had died in the conflict was read.
Civilians and combatants. Some dreadfully young.
Anything that lands from 30,000 feet above the earth will do a lot of damage. Even if not packed with high explosives.
And war has long since left the field where there were rules. Of engagement. And even some honour. This simple, quietly dignified, assembly met to say that the killing is wrong. And, they declared, it was not made in their name.
Many in the crowd were old. They, perhaps, are best able to testify how things change but somehow manage to stay the same. The words of the warmongers are modernised. The ancient lies remain. We were reminded of this by Hetty Bower a lady who, at 106 years old, can recall the outbreak of the First great War. And the lies told then to galvanise a country in to the killing zone.
At 4 o 'clock the rally became a march and headed out, south following Nelson's gaze, into Whitehall.
By ten past there was a picket outside the British prime minister's front gate.
And there it stayed for the next two hours. A delegation was let in, passed the armed guards, to make a case for peace.
Superintendent Paul Hudson, in command, for the most part, pulled back his officers from forcing the protestors out of the way. He was heard to say on seeing a line of constables attempting to clear the street 'Who told them to push?' The police seemed unusually good humoured. Posing for pictures with home made birthday cards and even placards opposing the cuts. An inspector who made the first arrest, for a public order offence, explained patiently to those who asked for his views, how he and his wife will be a thousand pounds worse off because of the 'savings'.
The march never quite reached the Cenotaph where the glorious dead are commemorated. For six hours, however, in London, a war ten years in the making and all of its casualties and all of its fallen was not forgotten.
