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local weapons manufacturers highlighted at Gaza demo

agitator | 04.01.2009 23:41 | Anti-militarism

Weary of the prospect of a symbolic (and mostly ineffective) demo, activists in Manchester took the opportunity to remind the crowd of the possibilities for direct action.

With little chance for advance preparation, we settled for leafletting those attending with useful grassroots news sources and ideas for action. We were taken aback by the large turnout, having only produced a few hundred leaflets; these went quickly.

We reproduce it below in the hope of inspiring further action:

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News From Gaza

"The life in Gaza is very difficult. Actually we can’t describe everything. We can’t sleep, we can’t go to school and study. We feel a lot of feelings, sometimes we feel afraid and worry because the planes and the ships, they hit 24 hours. Sometimes we feel bored because there is no electricity during the day, and in the night, it is coming just four hours and when it comes we are watching the news on TV. And we see kids and women who are injured and dead. So we live in the siege and war."
-Suzanne, 15, from Gaza (via the blog of an international activist)

more at:  http://talestotell.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/from-the-kabariti-kids

Some useful sources of information and eyewitness reports:

 http://talestotell.wordpress.com/
 http://activestills.org/
 http://www.palestinechronicle.com/
 http://livefromoccupiedpalestine.blogspot.com/

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Ideas for action

1. Target your local weapons manufacturer. Companies like BAe, EDO, and others supply Israel with the aircraft, tanks and components they need to carry out these murderous attacks - and have offices and factories right here in the UK:

Brimar (make components for Apache attack helicopters)
Greenside Way, Middleton, Manchester, M24 1SN

BAe (supply F16s to Israel)
MBDA, Station Road, Bolton, BL6 4BR
Shared Services, Brisance House, Euxton Lane, Chorley, PR7 6AQ
Military Air Solutions, Woodford Aerodrome, Chester Road, Woodford, SK7 1QR
Land Systems UK, Leeds Valley Park, Leeds, LS10 1AB
more at:  http://www.baesystems.com/WorldwideLocations/UnitedKingdom/Locations/

Or get involved in an existing campaign...
...against Heckler & Koch, Nottingham:  http://nottsantimilitarism.wordpress.com/
...against EDO, Brighton:  http://smashedo.org.uk/

See:
 http://www.stoparmingisrael.org/info/companies.php
for more ideas and:
 http://www.caat.org.uk/issues/israel.php
for more background.


2. Donate to grassroots groups taking action in Palestine:

 http://www.freegaza.org Free Gaza Campaign organises ships to break Israel's siege of Gaza, taking humanitarian supplies, doctors and activists in by sea, and need donations to continue these missions.

 http://www.awalls.org Anarchists Against the Wall (AATW) is a direct action Israeli group working in cooperation with Palestinians in a joint popular struggle against the occupation. All of AATW's work in Palestine is coordinated through villages' local popular committees and is essentially Palestinian led. They are appealing for donations to cover legal costs.


3. Get involved in local groups:

Anti-war -  http://www.mancsagainsttanks.co.uk
Palestine solidarity -  http://www.psc-manchester.org.uk

...or if those groups aren't doing what you think needs to be done, get some like-minded people together and organise your own!

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agitator

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Too quick to dismiss demos

05.01.2009 10:37

It's brilliant that there is information and encouragement being put out about possible targets for direct action and other campaigning, but knee-jerk doctrinaire anarchist reactions against large demonstrations are just as 'wearying' as bloated Trot speeches. The same activist in Gaza that your quote comes from has also repeatedly said that the knowledge that thousands turn out on demos is a massive morale boost for people in Gaza and one of the few sources of encouragement they experience, and I have had the same experience under attack in the West Bank.

Fawzia

Spreading this information...

05.01.2009 11:01

You might want to take this information and suggestions to this meeting about what might be done in Manchester:

"Just to let you know, there'll be a vigil for Gaza outside the BBC
tomorrow (Monday 5th) at 5:30pm. Please be there and invite your
friends/workmates/family. This will be the first vigil we've had since the
Israel's ground invasion of Gaza began so its important to keep up the
momentum of our show of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Also, on Tuesday (6th) there'll be another meeting in Falafel (Wilmslow Road)
to report back on the London, Manchester and Preston demonstrations
this weekend and plan what we can do next in our campaigning. Please come
along and bring your ideas."

Sal

point taken

05.01.2009 15:12

Fawzia: I agree; demos do have some value, and raising the spirits of people in Gaza is worthwhile in itself. Certainly in these circumstances I would rather people went on a demo than sat at home doing nothing (we did, after all, attend the demo ourselves). Nevertheless, many of us are impatient to do something more concrete towards dismantling Israeli military power, hence the urge to point out other possibilities.

agitator

stuff to do

07.01.2009 01:31

yes - there is more to life than demos - like is that the only way to send hope??

No - it isnt and its unlikely it really is making hope real and alive.

I agree totally, you cant make desisions in large groups not fairly/really:
...or if those groups aren't doing what you think needs to be done, get some like-minded people together and organise your own!
...or if those groups aren't doing what you think needs to be done, get some like-minded people together and organise your own!
...or if those groups aren't doing what you think needs to be done, get some like-minded people together and organise your own!

Another load of ideas:
- wean yourself of protest and get involved in nonviolent cal, transformative interventions of dangerous places - weapons factories,
- show israeli / palestinian films (with a compassionate bias) in your homes, and
- feed people (create a network for proactive actions at weapons factories).
- bridge with local jewish community for dialogue they can have immense input into change if they see differant perspectives other than hostile anti israeli which can morph into anti - jewish ones.
- promote planting olive trees in Palestine - this promotes in some instances civil disobedience
hold candle lit vigils to photo messages to people in Palestine / Gaza (in arabic): غزة

LHM

thanks for info

10.01.2009 03:02

we're using this for leafleting tomorrow at the local demo near us, cheers for posting

s