Petition Instead of air strikes, Government should call for and support mass peace rallies against Syria

Air strikes are planned for Syria, but such action has seldom worked if ever, and in this instance, has the potential to escalate an already tragic situation. Violence met with violence seems such a naive and uncreative response.

By such actions, Assad's barbarism can only be diluted and our moral stance against his regime weakened.

I suggest that the Governments of the UK, US and European partners instead call for their people to hit the streets in mass demonstrations of the worldwide disgust at the use of chemical weapons, and indeed, the ongoing tragedy in Syria.

If Assad then refuses to heed the voices not of Governments but of the millions of ordinary people calling for peace, he will only become all the more isolated, and we will have retained the moral initiative. Force may be necessary, but only after the voice of the people has been proven to be disregarded.