A proposal for a national anti-war action.
Harlequin | 15.11.2002 09:49
A group within the Stop The War Coalition has put forward a proposal of a national action to blockade major interections in London on the 21st December to grid lock the centre. The timing is that this is the biggest shopping day of the year and would have major economic effect of business.
They took this to the national STWC committee, were listened to politely and then ignored, surprise surprise.
This group has taken to petitioning the STWC committee to try to convince them that they should back it.
However, it appear that there are lot of people in the STWC up and down the country that are pissed off that the STWC national committee are sitting on their arses and only organising a conference in december and a demonstration in February by which time Iraq could well be under US/UK occupation
There are groups and individuals in the STWC such as CNDer's who have long tradition of direct action, and there are lots of students and other youth who got a taste for it on the 31st
I am not necessarily endorsing the Break the Bond action, though if you could get even 5,000 people doing nomadic traffic disruption/ blockades/ roving street parties in london I think it could work.
I do think that if the STWC won't organise a national action then someone else should. I think that if anarchist groups/federation and anti-capitalist groups were prepared to link up with CNDers, Green party people and others who are fed up of the SWP-sit-on-our-hands-we talk-about-direct-action-but-aren't-prepared-to-organise-it-STWC-line, then something could happen,
what do people think?
Given the massacre/destruction that is about to be unleashed on the people of Iraq and the need to do something more on a national scale than marching from A to B, haven't we all got a responsibility to put aside differences/choice type of actions and get together with anyone who is prepared to "do it in the road"
This group has taken to petitioning the STWC committee to try to convince them that they should back it.
However, it appear that there are lot of people in the STWC up and down the country that are pissed off that the STWC national committee are sitting on their arses and only organising a conference in december and a demonstration in February by which time Iraq could well be under US/UK occupation
There are groups and individuals in the STWC such as CNDer's who have long tradition of direct action, and there are lots of students and other youth who got a taste for it on the 31st
I am not necessarily endorsing the Break the Bond action, though if you could get even 5,000 people doing nomadic traffic disruption/ blockades/ roving street parties in london I think it could work.
I do think that if the STWC won't organise a national action then someone else should. I think that if anarchist groups/federation and anti-capitalist groups were prepared to link up with CNDers, Green party people and others who are fed up of the SWP-sit-on-our-hands-we talk-about-direct-action-but-aren't-prepared-to-organise-it-STWC-line, then something could happen,
what do people think?
Given the massacre/destruction that is about to be unleashed on the people of Iraq and the need to do something more on a national scale than marching from A to B, haven't we all got a responsibility to put aside differences/choice type of actions and get together with anyone who is prepared to "do it in the road"
Harlequin
Homepage:
http://www.internationalism.plus.com/
Comments
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I Think
15.11.2002 10:11
Lynch Mob
just one question
15.11.2002 10:30
kurious oranj
A Response To Critics Of Bristol-Stop-The-War
15.11.2002 10:44
Bristol-Stop-The-War has declared it will SHUT DOWN Bristol on the outbreak of war. Our detractors have criticised this as a green light to wait for war to begin. How fucking laughable is that?
Bristol-Stop-The-War are currently organising a regional demonstration of Fairford, Gloucester, in response to the arrival of the Stealth Bombers, details will follow in the next couple of days. People who want to take direct action & civil disobedience will be welcome to come with us.
The fact is that it's people within Bristol-Stop-the-War who are working flat out to stop this war, & have organised event after event & action after action this last year. People who think they've worked hard enough to criticise us need to get there facts right, & have some respect for those around them.
Our critics, like Angry Martha, ain't stopping nothing with their rants against those exhausting themselves. "Let us tear down the buildings that recruit, train, finance" Exactly how many times have you yourself done this Martha? Does it make you feel better to shit on us, your allies, at Bristol-Stop-The-War?
The truth is that there are a few riduculous people out there who think we should ONLY hold actions before the war, Bristol-Stop-The-War are in fact working on all fronts, & have been the first to make clear we do in tend to SHUT DOWN Bristol on the outbreak of War. How many other cities have made this declaration? Not many. So you're all slacking & need to work harder to stop this war.
Our detractors should get off their lazy butts.
James Venables
e-mail:
james@venables.plus.com
Yes, but . . .
15.11.2002 11:07
I note that some anti-capitalists are already planning some actions on the 21 December to 'commemorate' the first anniversary of the uprising in Argentina. This action is likely to be centred on Oxford Street.
This is a great opportunity to point out the relationship between commercialism (ie. Christmas shopping) and war. After all, the kind of crap people buy each other for Christmas is made in Far Eastern sweatshops and then transported halfway across the world in freighters that require millions of gallons of oil etc etc.
Maybe we should be thinking along the lines of a roving anti-war protest in the Oxford Street area, with no pre-arranged meet-up point in case the cops decide to surround us. Other groups can make their own arrangements and converge on Oxford Street at an appointed time.
While some activists take part in Direct Action (such as blocking traffic) others could give out leaflets or act as back-up in case the cops get heavy. I have a feeling the police won't want to come down too hard, since there will be loads of posh people around who might get distressed at the sight of a protestor getting a good kicking. But then again, you never know with the Met!
Anarchist Rioter
radicalise slowly but steadily
15.11.2002 11:13
These 400'000 were almost completely ignored by politicians and by the corporate media. This says a lot about our so-called 'democracy'. More or less the same happened on 31.October: those responsible simply do not answer.
So how do we react? Do we just shut up and sit at home, accept that we are powerless, that we don't count even tough we are the majority?
The anti-war movement should make it very clear that we are absolutely determined in our opposition to the war - because we are responsible for what is done in our name. If those in power try to ignore us and make us irrelevant, we have to step up our actions and make it more difficult to ignore us. But we have to make sure the government understands that we will not cave in.
The anti-war movement is extremely diverse and the various groups differ greatly in how far they are prepared to go in their actions to stop the war. The government will try to use this to divide the anti-war movement. I don't know what Harlequin's motivations are, if s/he wants to discredit the StWC with the more radical wing of the anti-war movement.
I know that all in the anti-war movement feel very strongly about the war against Iraq, it is an issue that unites people with different causes. The most important thing is that we emphasise what unites us, that will not be divided by the question of tactics. This can be achieved if the less radical elements accept the actions of those that are more radical ; but also radicalise anti-war actions in small increments. Such a steady increase will show that we are determined to stop this criminal war, even if it takes a general strike, the occupation of military bases and the stroming of parliament to achieve this.
"Make no mistake: we are responsible for what is done in our name." (Tony Benn, 28. September)
pir
For xmass I would like ...
15.11.2002 11:49
So please satan .. er I mean santa ... can I have a day out in london to see the bright fires ... er I mean lights ... and the beautiful shimmering glass shards everywhere ... er I mean beautiful shimmering glass balls ... and to here the cry of a thousand thousand angry anarchists ... er I mean carol singers ...
Perhaps I could do some xmas looting ... er I mean shopping.
a bad little boy
Time Is Running Out
15.11.2002 12:13
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I accept the incremental argument up to a point, but time is running out. The National Coalition is in fact an elected committee, who face re-election on 7th Dec. As they've adopted a 'do nothing' policy until mid-february, they should be rightly voted out on the 7th.
The incremental argument only works if we have continuous events to gain incremental skill through. This has been rejected by the Steering Committee in favour of a total failure of nerve. War will most probably be underway by the time their Demo is held.
Bristol-Stop-The-War has been following the incremental policy. Our last event on Halloween attracted 700 people (making us one of the largest anti-war groups in the country in terms of population size) with a march upon the Central Territotial Army Centre.
Our next incremental step is now in play. We are now organising a regional demonstration of Fairford, Gloucester, which houses the Stealth Bomber. Oxford, Bristol, Gloucester & Swindon already seem to be on board. We will be asking the National Coalition to advertise this as the National Event which they have failed to organise.
James Venables
e-mail:
james@venables.plus.com
Homepage:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bristol-stop-the-war-coalition
This action's been planned by a loon
15.11.2002 12:15
Tim D Jones is a relentless self-publicist who is interested in nothing other than promoting himself. He's a nutter and his plan proposals should be ignored by all. Sure if you think the idea's good do something like it, but do not have anything to do with this muppet.
And Harlequin is someone who has posted numerous inaccurate stories on here, as well as expressing a variety of right-wing opinions (as illustrated above re: firefighters).
icepick
All Criticism Is Valid
15.11.2002 12:32
Also, while I myself wholeheartedly support the Fire Fighters strike, it is not a precondition to being 'allowed' to be active in the anti-war movement. It's a disgusting smear the above individual has engaged in.
James Venables
er but hang on
15.11.2002 16:56
How come Harlequin's criticisms of StW are valid, yet my question to him is a 'disgusting smear'?
kurious oranj
er, hang on?
15.11.2002 17:15
James Venables
er, hang on again
15.11.2002 17:20
James Venables
Let's do it!
15.11.2002 17:25
The 21 is also the Winter Solstice, taking to the streets will be such a lovely way to celebrate it!
chiara lauvergnac
e-mail:
chiaralauvergnac
CND in solidarity with Argentina?
15.11.2002 17:37
John
The Mayday action was similar and a success
15.11.2002 18:23
I think that the proposal for the day of action on December 21st is an excellent idea as it would be dead easy to block major road junctions in central London with a few thousand people using the same tactics we used on Mayday.
By the way the firefighters dispute is another matter, all I said about it was that a 40 per cent pay rise was way to high and extreme. They should be prepared to moderate their pay demand and accept a reasonable deal instead of stick to the 40 per cent demand with no compromise at all! Even the left wing Daily Mirror agreed on that with its give the firefighters 16 per cent statement!
Harlequin
mirror left wing?
15.11.2002 20:37
mike tv
By the way the date is the 31st of December!
16.11.2002 17:33
Harlequin
Homepage:
http://www.internationalism.plus.com
Firefighers vs firestarters.
16.11.2002 21:49
Harlequin says that the demand for a 30k wage is "too high and extreme". An Evening Standard headline I clocked the other day said that the average price of a house in London is 250k; I live in Brum, and the average price of a terraced house is about 110k. The point I'm making here is that you couldn't get a mortgage even on a 30k wage; so the "high and extreme" wage the firefighters are asking for isn't even enough to guarantee a roof over their families' heads. Is there any particular logic to say that someone who spends a good part of his working life helping people out of burning houses shouldn't get so above himself that he thinks he's actually got a right to LIVE in one of those houses?
Blair bleats on about the "fact" that no one could demand 40% as a rise- hoping we won't notice that he voted himself one last year. He then says that "the country" couldn't afford to pay public sector workers what they're asking- much less what they're worth.
But suddenly there appears to be limitless, untold wealth whenever a war looks good for business; precisely how many firefighters- or nurses, or teachers, or whatever- does Harlequin reckon could be paid for out of the price of ONE stealth bomber?
The issues ARE connected, and we need to keep sight of that. We need to highlight the fact that there is a choice. Socialism or barbarism?
Jay-B
The problem then is lack of cheap housing!
17.11.2002 18:40
One idea then could be the setting up of a national campaign to demand more affordable housing especially where house prices are very high!
Harlequin
"Selfish campaigns...?"
17.11.2002 22:28
Jay-B