Widespread Calls for Civil Disobedience As Blair Commits To War
UK-Features | 17.03.2003 14:54
As Blair commits to a war against Iraq regardless of a 2nd UN resolution, there has been an unprecedented level of calls for direct action and civil disobedience against war - beyond the regular actions and widespread protests that have been occuring daily across the country.
At the Stop The War Coalition "People's Parliament" on wednesday 12th March where over 1000 anti-war campaigners met to discuss plans, there were calls to obstruct the military war machine, and to bring the country to a standstill when war is declared (see also resolutions). TUC and Trade Union representitives put their weight behind calls to engage in direct resistance to the war, while a national student day of action was called for Wed March 19th. The event followed an international meeting of anti-war groups from 26 countries in london on March 1st which mapped out a plan of escalating action over the coming weeks.
A week of action and disobedience "Obstruct and Resist" has been called and supported by several groups for 17th-23rd march (likely encompassing the start of war), with events including a nationwide 'die-in protest on March 17th, mass protests at USAF Fairford, and at Menwith Hill Listening Station. The week mirrors a similar protests scheduled in Washington. Prior to that on the 15th protests are planned throughout the uk and at Menwith Hill again, as well as Flyingdales, Chetwynd Barracks, and at Plymouth Dockyard, while demonstrations are expected America. In Ireland St Patricks Day (March 17th) has been called as the next major day of protest.
Campaigners are planning further protests at military bases throughout the country during the weekend of the 5th-6th April under the banner 'Reclaim The Bases', with protests already scheduled at 7 different bases.
In addition to plans from Stop The War Coalition groups and others around the country for immediate widespread civil disobedience on the day war is declared, there will also be actions in London the following day called by the Disobedients, as well as mass protests the following saturday. Meanwhile almost 4600 people have now signed the ARROW Pledge of Resistance to take action when war starts.
The peace movement has never been stronger. Championed for years by groups like CND, it has benefited from the new sense of international solidarity and communication networks established by the recent anti-globalisation movement. Existing campaigns like the annual blockade of Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base now expect to have significantly higher support, while 'Disarm DSEi', the campaign to shut down Europe's largest arms fair next september is expecting resistance to be massive - the arms fair was last held two years ago, when police were out in force to protect the arms dealers from protestors intent on disrupting the business of death; the date then was September 11th, 2001.
Reporting Resistance To War:
Indymedia is committed to reporting resistance to the war. We encourage everyone to participate by publishing your own reports of anti-war protests and actions (text reports, pictures, audio and video).
Do Indymedia!
A week of action and disobedience "Obstruct and Resist" has been called and supported by several groups for 17th-23rd march (likely encompassing the start of war), with events including a nationwide 'die-in protest on March 17th, mass protests at USAF Fairford, and at Menwith Hill Listening Station. The week mirrors a similar protests scheduled in Washington. Prior to that on the 15th protests are planned throughout the uk and at Menwith Hill again, as well as Flyingdales, Chetwynd Barracks, and at Plymouth Dockyard, while demonstrations are expected America. In Ireland St Patricks Day (March 17th) has been called as the next major day of protest.
Campaigners are planning further protests at military bases throughout the country during the weekend of the 5th-6th April under the banner 'Reclaim The Bases', with protests already scheduled at 7 different bases.
In addition to plans from Stop The War Coalition groups and others around the country for immediate widespread civil disobedience on the day war is declared, there will also be actions in London the following day called by the Disobedients, as well as mass protests the following saturday. Meanwhile almost 4600 people have now signed the ARROW Pledge of Resistance to take action when war starts.
The peace movement has never been stronger. Championed for years by groups like CND, it has benefited from the new sense of international solidarity and communication networks established by the recent anti-globalisation movement. Existing campaigns like the annual blockade of Faslane Nuclear Submarine Base now expect to have significantly higher support, while 'Disarm DSEi', the campaign to shut down Europe's largest arms fair next september is expecting resistance to be massive - the arms fair was last held two years ago, when police were out in force to protect the arms dealers from protestors intent on disrupting the business of death; the date then was September 11th, 2001.
Reporting Resistance To War:
Indymedia is committed to reporting resistance to the war. We encourage everyone to participate by publishing your own reports of anti-war protests and actions (text reports, pictures, audio and video).
Do Indymedia!
UK-Features
e-mail:
Imc-uk-features@lists.indymedia.org