The power of peaceful protest is well proven, which is why dictatorships are so afraid of the interweb, but may I offer a word of warning?
I laud the sentiment and intent which I share fully, and I acknowledge humbly the pain and anger of those who have lost relatives and friends as well as colleagues, but we must be extarordinarily careful that this does not backfire. May I draw our attention to the Principles of War? The undeniable success of the Arrse NIMBY campaign relied on a single, clear, achievable aim. The Coppers' cry was not open to misinterpretation. What exactly is this protest saying?
What is the desired outcome in terms of influencing the opposing forces? Who, in fact, are they? If the politicians are guilty of failing to provide the resources and taking our professionalism, can do attitude and sacrifice for granted, then our senior officers are guilty of complicity in admiring the Emperor's New Clothes. Please do not forget that the politicians and the politicised seniors are not capable of feeling guilt or remorse (only embarrassment). Before we undermine the credibility of those rare few who actually do care more about their people than their Knighthoods or future directorships, let us be absolutely sure of avoiding unintended consequences.
We will need planning, leadership, and careful co-ordination between all the disparate supporters and we need the message to be clear, simple and unassailable. I know, Chappie, that you are well aware of all this, but it needs to be said.
I suggest that the elephant is too big to eat all at once. Over a decade of neglect cannot be reversed overnight. The politicians could ignore us as they did the very large Liberty and Livelihood marches. A good turnout is, in itself, not enough. Please do not forget that there are those within politics and the media who will twist this for their own ends.
Please can I urge you to get in touch with the UKNDA whose professed aim is
the non political highlighting of the pressing need for proper resources to be put into the Defence of the Realm. They have a committee structure and existing dialogue with Government and the MoD, together with media savvy and a sufficient standing to be able to unite veterans, families, industry, and serving personnel under the one banner.
Good Luck!