‘Sub-Zero’ Reception for Defence Secretary’s ‘War Tour’



Hoon Blockaded in Labour Club by Non-Violent Peace Campaign



Jan 31st 2003

By UCMOVIC Cymru



‘War Tour’ Parachutes into Connah’s Quay

Last night the Secretary of State for Defence, Geoff Hoon was on the North Wales leg of his UK ‘war tour’ that aims to reassure grassroots Labour activists about a military attack on Iraq.



Hoon was in Flintshire to speak at a closed meeting for Labour card-holders in Connah’s Quay Labour Club.



Following the meeting he was blockaded in the building by peace protesters who had a warrant for a citizen’s arrest of Hoon for his possession and threat to use weapons of mass destruction.



Hoon narrowly escaped the citizen’s arrest with the support of a massive police operation that involved over 80 uniformed officers, bodyguards and undercover agents.



The Journey of a ‘Wanted’ Man

Earlier in the evening as Mr Hoon was chauffer driven to this meeting he will have passed and seen dozens of anti-war placards, posters and banners pasted up on boards, walls, bus stops, and bridges along his route in three Deeside towns (Queensferry, Shotton and Connah’s Quay).



There was also a street mural on white building boards in Shotton High Street that read “No Blood for Oil!” It was painted in red and black, with ‘red blood’ dripping from the giant letters.



Outside the Meeting: Eclectic Anti-War Rally

Outside Connah’s Quay Labour Club was an eclectic mix of people and anti-war activities from 5.30pm onwards. In the sub-zero temperatures over 100 people gathered chanting and holding candle-lit lanterns, banners, and placards. People of all ages were all united in their vision for justice and peace and their opposition to war.



Speakers included Rev Owen Hardwick from Wrecsam, a retired priest and outspoken critic of war. He said, “The US and UK governments speak about the ‘liberation’ of the Iraqi people, yet they are preparing to rain down cruise missiles on Iraqi towns and cities that will kill thousands and thousands of the very people that they are pretending to help.”



One of the protesters interviewed by the media was an Iraqi woman who now lives in Flintshire. She explained that she could not support a war. Although she recognises the brutality of Saddam’s regime, she fears that a war would be devastating for ordinary Iraqis including her family in Baghdad.



UCMOVIC present warrant for citizen’s arrest to MP

At the rally were civilian weapons inspectors, dressed in white anti-contamination suits, from UCMOVIC Cymru (United Citizens Monitoring Verification and Inspection Commission in Wales). Prior to the meeting in the Labour Club, the inspectors presented a warrant for Mr Hoon’s arrest to Mark Tami, Alyn and Deeside MP. Hundreds of ‘Wanted’ posters were also circulated to members of the general public and even to Mr Hoon’s bodyguards.



The inspectors were prepared to exercise their legal powers for a citizen’s arrest (enshrined in section 24 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984). They had compiled a dossier of evidence proving that Mr Hoon:

(a) Is plotting to bring death and destruction to thousands of innocent human beings in Iraq.

(b) Is destabilising the world with his blatant warmongering and threats of premptive military attacks.

(c) Possesses Weapons of Mass Destruction and is refusing to disarm.

(d) Is fuelling a new global arms race by supporting the multi-billion dollar Son of Star Wars programme.



Hoon Blockaded in Labour Club

The meeting was scheduled to finish by 8pm. The inspectors, with support of at least 40 peace protesters, braved the cold weather and remained until the end. Gathering at the front and rear exits of the Labour Club, they waited for Mr Hoon to leave.



By 8.40pm Mr Hoon was still blockaded inside the club, unable to leave without having to endure a face to face encounter with the non-violent protesters.



With much of the protesters attention focused on the back door, Mr Hoon managed to make a quick getaway through the front door of the club to a vehicle, with dozens of police officers guarding his path.



One female weapons inspector managed to lie down in the road and block the exit of Mr Hoon’s Range Rover. She was dragged away by the police before extra (non-violent) reinforcements could arrive. Hoon sped away.



Inside the Meeting: Hoon Unconvincing

There were around sixty people inside the actual meeting with Mr Hoon. Mark Tami MP attempted to pitch the closed meeting as a consultation exercise, stating that these meetings are important for representative democracy. Ironically, earlier in the day Minister Tessa Jowell had banned the Feb 15th anti-war rally in London from taking place in Hyde Park, a direct attack from the government on the right to demonstrate and a denial of freedom of speech.



After the meeting with Mr Hoon, the Labour members who had been inside commented that Mr Hoon did not answer their questions and he resorted to the evasive answers of most politicians. Even when presented with a question firmly rooted in historical fact (ie in relation to US sponsored terrorism in Nicaragua in the 1980s) Mr Hoon stated that the questioner was simply wrong. All of the 25+ questions that were put to Mr Hoon were critical of government policy.



The Labour members were extremely disappointed in Mr Hoon’s performance; he failed abysmally in his attempt to whip up support for war. In sharp contrast, Labour members were inspired by the strength of opposition to the government’s war plans both inside and outside the meeting.