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Anti-war activists maintain a 'peace presence' at Armed Forces Day in Wrexham

wpjf | 22.06.2014 18:49 | Anti-militarism | Terror War | Wales

After a fortnight of fruitless communication with Wrexham County Borough Council over its support for and promotion of an event that we knew would be used by military recruiters to target young children, a small group gathered on Llwyn Isaf on Saturday with a 'Peace Presence' at Armed Forces Day.

At the War Memorial
At the War Memorial

Celebrate Chelsea Manning
Celebrate Chelsea Manning

Meet and greet
Meet and greet

The first casualty of war is truth
The first casualty of war is truth

Royal Welsh - using guns to target kids
Royal Welsh - using guns to target kids

joan hands out flyers
joan hands out flyers

small child plays with gun
small child plays with gun

another small child plays with gun
another small child plays with gun

showing them how to shoot
showing them how to shoot

how the army targets kids
how the army targets kids

banner in front of shooting stall
banner in front of shooting stall


Remember all the victims of war

After a brief stop at the War Memorial to remember all the victims of war, banners reading WAR IS NOT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT and THE FIRST CASUALTY OF WAR IS TRUTH were displayed along with peace flags on the railings of the library field. Hundreds of leaflets making the link between weaponry children have been invited to play on and the innocent victims of those weapons were distributed. The leaflets also outlined the greater risks to the mental health of those who sign up as children, a risk compounded for recruits from disadvantaged backgrounds.

If you're going to celebrate, celebrate Chelsea Manning

A placard for Welsh-American whistleblower Chelsea Manning also attracted interest: ON ARMED FORCES DAY CELEBRATE CHELSEA MANNING WHO HAD THE COURAGE TO TELL US THE TRUTH ABOUT THE WARS. Supporters in Wrexham are involved in ongoing solidarity with Chelsea who is serving a 35 year sentence in a US military prison and look after a fund to help Welsh family members with the cost of transatlantic prison visits.

The Royal Welsh, guns and kids

The protest on the field was later moved to a recruitment stall on Queen's Square where members of the Royal Welsh Regiment were showing small children how to fire a range of guns. This is precisely the sort of activity the military sees nothing wrong with and why Wrexham Peace & Justice Forum and others were making representations to the council about Armed Forces Day.  Protesters stood in front of the stall with the banner WAR IS NOT FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT, handed out leaflets to everyone in the vicinity and engaged in more conversations to explain their actions, particularly to assembled parents.

Still waiting for a proper response from the council

Wrexham County Borough Council has still to provide a satisfactory response to the concerns raised by over 100 individuals and groups on 8 June. 'Armed Forces Champion' Cllr. David Griffiths did issue a statement last week, but failed to address the central concern over military recruitment activity aimed at children. (see this previous post for full correspondence and details).

Impressions of the day

Some of those involved have given their impressions of Armed Forces Day.

Joan Meredith: "pure violence"

I came away from the Armed Forces Day in Wrexham yesterday feeling very fearful of the kind of future that lies in store for our young children. As a nation we already rate low when, compared with other countries, in the way we educate, treat and care for our children. There was no sense on Saturday that our children were being urged to fight for peace, justice and democracy. The pervading values were adult ones of pure violence. Children as young as three years old were being exploited. I came away feeling ashamed to be British.


Averil Wood: "the horror of 'the children's corner'

A lovely sunny day in the park, bands playing,choirs singing  families picnicking on the grass, some groups of very young cadets,  looking a little as tho' they  wondered what it was all about.  Some people were very happy to talk to us about why we were there and share their views and all this spoiled by the horror of 'the children's corner' quite a discreet distance from the main park but very busy with 'the military' enthusiastically demonstrating guns and other killing machines to very small children, I found it obscene and just staggering that parents seemed not to realise that their children were being brainwashed. This would only have been acceptable if they'd balanced it with a realistic mock up of the horrendous injuries so many young soldiers experienced - if they managed to come home at all.   Perhaps that should be our project??


George Miller: "Leave those kids alone!"

'Guns are toys, war is fun, and you’re never to young to get started.' That was the clear message coming from the Armed Forces Day in Wrexham yesterday, as troops of youngsters paraded in their smart uniforms, and kindly, avuncular soldiers from the Royal Welsh explained the workings of rocket launchers and sub machine guns to children as young as five or six, photographed by proud parents. There were no health warnings. No one explained to the children that thousands  just like them, who might have been their friends and playmates, had been killed or maimed by these weapons, or reminded the parents of the many hundreds here, and thousands in Iraq and Afghanistan, who are mourning the loss of their loved ones in unjust wars that have achieved only further violence and suffering.  Cllr David Griffiths, Armed Forces Defender, gave a stirring address,  but we peace protesters were the ones who truly had the interests of our service people at heart, for the young to be protected from what can only be described as a form of child abuse,  and more people to understand the true nature, costs and consequences of today’s military agenda. As expected we got a few verbal brickbats (one outraged patriot told me I was a terrorist and should be in Guantanamo), but we were not without support. An old soldier, who’d joined up just after the war and served in many places, was very sympathetic, and described a recent British prime minister as a war criminal who should be sent to the Hague. Well we all have our point of view – but keep the children out of it. LEAVE THOSE KIDS ALONE!


Genny Bove: "still time to ask questions and intervene"

What everyone else said about the Royal Welsh, guns and children. Apart from that, the thing that made the biggest impression on me yesterday was a conversation I had with a woman whose father had been a conscientious objector in World War II and who she said was "so brave" to stand up for what he believed in when so many people condemned him for doing so. She described how he had steadfastly stuck to his belief that Christians must be pacifists, had gone before a court in London where it was acknowledged that his objection was conscientiously held. He was granted CO status and went to work on the land for the duration of the war. Like many such stands though, his actions resulted in problems for the whole family who were ostracised and suffered material deprivation. The woman described the distress of seeing her mother queue with her ration book along with everyone else in a local shop only to be turned away when she reached the front of the queue, not because supplies had run out but because her husband was a CO.

What we did yesterday in Wrexham isn't just a local issue - the questions we have raised about Armed Forces Day, military recruitment activities and children apply across Britain. Most places are 'celebrating' Armed Forces Day next Saturday, 28 June. There's still time to ask questions and intervene.



More photos and a short video clip on flickr.

wpjf
- e-mail: wrexhamsaw [AT] yahoo.com

Additions

A few more pictures from the event

23.06.2014 21:16

talking peace
talking peace

military band leaves
military band leaves

celebrate chelsea manning on armed forces day
celebrate chelsea manning on armed forces day

another small child encouraged to play with weaponry
another small child encouraged to play with weaponry

.

wpjf


A comment from a parent

24.06.2014 09:20

Front of flyer
Front of flyer

Back of flyer
Back of flyer

We received this email from Louise Youens, a parent from Wrexham. Reproduced here with her permission:

I would just like to thank you for your presence at the military day in Wrexham. It was good to see the true side of war being represented. We are conditioned to feel grateful to our military despite the injustices that are faced by so many as a result. As a well informed parent it is hard to battle against the daily glamorization of the army in the media.

On Saturday I had taken my son for a trip to the library. On our way out he was excited to see all of the goings on in the field. I was adamant we would not be joining in as the thought of his dreams of being a hero one day exploited is unbearable. I had previously explained to my son of the lies we are often told about war and the reasons for it but am not sure he understood. I reminded him of this conversation but he was still upset that we would not be joining in.

After requesting a leaflet from one of the ladies and passing it to him. The harsh reality of the words and photographs on the leaflet really made him think. As a mother I am so very grateful to you for this support.

wpjf


Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Good stuff

27.06.2014 06:30

Well done guys. The photo where the army bloke is smiling whilst the kid plays with a machine gun is sickening.

Crow


letter in the guardian

02.07.2014 07:06

2 July 2014

 http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jul/01/plenty-opponents-militarisation-schools

Giles Fraser writes about the expansion of cadet programmes in schools and remarks "how little fuss has been made about this". Fuss is being made in some quarters. Here in Wrexham, we have previously challenged military activity days for schoolchildren, also the practice of bringing weaponry into the town centre for children to play on. This year, we protested on Armed Forces Day after the council failed to take seriously our concerns about recruiters targeting children – including soldiers showing small children how to fire guns.

For the past two years we have marked International Peace Day with children from several local schools who come together to discuss some of the issues around militarism and to explore the practice of peace.

If we really want to build a better world, the government should invest in peace education, not use schools to boost military recruitment.

Genny Bove
Wrexham Peace and Justice Forum

reposter