Non-Violent Resistance Network Newsletter
Posted: 10th October 2022
NON-VIOLENT RESISTANCE NETWORK NEWSLETTER
Published on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Address: NVRN, Mordechai Vanunu House, 162 Holloway Road, London N7 8DQ
Tel: 07539-321 118; e-mail: [email protected]
Editor: David Polden. October/November, 2022
Copy date for December/January edition, November 25th
STOPPING NEXT YEAR’S ARMS FAIR
A blockade at a previous DSEI arms fair
For the 2023 DSEI arms fair, STAF decided it would be best to start organising for the protest there early, so a day’s mobilisation and planning meeting was held on September 24th at Friends’ House, Euston, which I attended
To the organisers surprise about 40 people turned up, both young and old, and with rather more women than men. The day was well-organised and facilitated and the atmosphere was very positive with many good ideas for how to organise and plan for what the protest could involve were put forward. As to organisation, it was agreed to set up working groups to deal with different aspects of organising the protest, with a core working group to coordinate the work of the various groups. Because we want the working groups to be open to people all over the country most meetings will be on ZOOM. It was thought also desirable to have local working groups formed around the country. There will also be regular general meetings, on ZOOM, and working groups will be encouraged to choose representatives to take part in these. It was also agreed that new people wanting to get involved in planning for the actions next year should be asked to choose a working group to join, with membership of the core group kept more constant.
So, if you would to get involved in this campaign, please contact STAF on [email protected] and you will be sent a list of working groups, including the local one if there is one (so tell us where you live), with contact details so you can choose whichever group you would like to be part of.” David Polden
MARCHING ON PARLIAMENT TO CALL FOR ACTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE
On October 1st, weeks of action for the environment were launched by the We All Want to Just Stop Oil Coalition, demanding an emergency response from the government to end the cost of living and climate crisis by stopping government plans for exploiting new oil and gas reserves including digging new oil wells and allowing fracking. The coalition consisted of the Just Stop Oil campaign (JSO), Jeremy Corbyn’s Peace and Justice Project, CND, Insulate Britain, XR Rebellion and other groups.
On October 1st protests actions took place in many cities and towns in the UK. These included Glasgow, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Belfast as well as in smaller towns like Eastbourne, Hull and Hastings.
Blockading Westminster Bridge on October 1st
I was on the march,
a few hundred
strong, from Euston
(It would have been bigger if Euston Station hadn’t been shut because of a national rail strike) I helped carry a long yellow banner along the side of the march with a slogan reading, “Capitalism is the Enemy of Mother Earth” and there were many other banners and placards; also lots of music and slogan-chanting. We held a shortish sit-down blocking a major junction at Aldwych and a longer one completely blocking Lambeth Bridge where we got into groups for facilitated discussion on aspects of climate change and our campaign. While there we could see that Westminster Bridge, down river from Parliament was also blocked. I learnt later that Vauxhall and Waterloo bridges had also been blockaded by groups. Then we walked on to Parliament Square, joining up with another large marching group on the way, to find the square already successfully blockaded and we walked round the square before joining the sit-down. Later another large group arrived from the Westminster Bridge direction.
On the 1st, Just Stop Oil issued the following statement:
“Enough is Enough! This Government is making a criminal decision to gamble with our lives. We are done with asking politely. We are done with A to B Marches. We are done with this corrupt and lying system.
“From this moment, we declare Westminster a site of civil resistance. We call upon everyone to join us – to sit with us in the roads and disrupt the heart of power – and to stop this city from moving until this government takes immediate steps to meet our demands. To end the cost of living and climate crisis by stopping new oil and gas, to start a rapid transformation to a fairer society, decided by ordinary people and paid for by those who are profiting from humanity’s destruction.
This is not a one day event. This is not a symbolic day out, this is an act of resistance against this genocidal government. We will return tomorrow – and the next day – and the next day after that!
“The most important thing you can do is to call everyone you know and ask them to come and join us. We need everyone to stand up and be counted, and to say not in my name will they wilfully destroy everything we know and love.”
JSO CAMPAIGN UPDATE
Apart from the above, the JSO campaign against new oil and gas projects in the UK continues apace.
On September 4th three JSO supporters ended a 13-day occupation of one of two tunnels dug under approach roads to the Navigator oil terminal in Essex, aimed at obstructing heavy oil tankers crossing over them. On emerging they were immediately arrested.
JSO organised a week of action at the end of August.. This involved hundreds blockading oil terminals in London and Essex, as well as service stations on the M25 and across London. Some petrol pumps were also “decommissioned” by having display glass smashed or covered with paint. All this resulted in some 137 arrests.
On September 15th, 51 JSO activists were remanded to prison for at least a week the day after being arrested during a blockade at Kingsbury oil terminal in Warwickshire and charged with breach of injunctions banning them from the terminal, imposed after a previous action there. They were remanded after deliberately failing to comply with court proceedings. They joined three other JSO activists previously remanded in prison for JSO actions, two since July 7th.
Also on September 15th, JSO reported that over 1,350 people had so far been arrested during their campaign of obstructing oil terminals which had begun in April.
Of those arrested on the 14th, 39 appeared before Birmingham Magistrates between 21st and 23rd September. Of these 28 were given sentences of up to 5 weeks, suspended for two years plus court costs awarded against them. Another six were remanded in custody, five after pleading not guilty, refusing to plead or refusing to recognise the authority of the court, and one for again refusing to comply with court proceedings. He was sent back to prison to await trial. And two, Rajan Naidu, a civil rights advocate, and Dr. Sarah Benn, a GP, were given 34-day prison sentences, both for a 3rd breach of the injunction.
Some JSO activists are facing long periods on remand before trial. Josh Smith, a stone-mason, one of those remanded to jail on July 7th to await trial, has had his trial now scheduled for 1st of February, giving him six months in prison before trial. Smith has been arrested 24 times at protests in a year and refused to give an undertaking to stop demonstrating. At least six other JSO activists are reported to be on long-term remand.
Info: https://juststopoil.org
A THIRD SUCCESS FOR PALESTINE ACTION (PA)
It was reported in the August/September edition of this newsletter that London offices and a factory owned by Elbit had both closed down after sustained campaigns by PA. On 16th August PA was able to report another apparent victory for its campaign of direct action against premises connected with Elbit, the Israeli company that produces the military drones deployed by Israel in its attacks on Gaza. This was the shutting down of the Birmingham offices of Elbit’s landlord, Fisher-German, the target of many actions by PA.
And PA’s campaign continues. On 26th August a camp was set up outside the factory at Shenstone in Shropshire of UAV Engines, an Elbit subsidiary, as the base for continuing demonstrations there. On 11th September, ahead of a planned mass mobilisation action, the camp was raided by police, with 14 people arrested and charged with “conspiracy to commit criminal damage”. 13 were subsequently bailed on condition they did not go near Elbit sites or encourage others to cause damage to Elbit property, while the 14th was remanded till trial for breach of bail conditions imposed after an earlier action.. The planned demonstration nevertheless went ahead with 150 participants including British-Iranian rapper Lowkey.
As a result of these actions, at the time of writing, PA
is reporting some 50 activists are awaiting trial on various charges.
The Elbit Eight outside court (some hidden?)
On the bright side, in a case in which five activists were due to appear in court on September 23rd for a plea hearing on charges of criminal damage and aggravated trespass at Shenstone in July, the charges were dropped just before trial on the grounds of there was an “unrealistic prospect of conviction”. See PA website: https://www.palestineaction.org
EXTINCTION REBELLION (XR) IN PARLIAMENT
Five XR members Surrounding the Speaker’s Chair in the House of Commons
booked themselves on a tour
of Parliament on the 2nd
of September, while
Parliament was in recess, in
order to demand from
inside Parliament a
citizen’s assembly on
climate change. So when
the tour reached the
Commons chamber, three of
them glued themselves in a
chain around the Speaker’s
Chair while two
others held large banners
reading, “Citizens
Assembly Now” and “Let
the People Decide”.
They also delivered a speech
to the empty chamber calling
for action on climate change by the government.
At the same time two other protesters D-locked themselves by their necks to the gates to the MPs’ car park, another climbed up the scaffolding currently around Big Ben to display a banner repeating the banners inside, “Let the People Decide: Citizens’ Assemblies Now” and another glued himself to the ground in the members’ car park All eight involved were arrested. Six were charged with trespassing on a protected site and the two who locked onto the fence with failing to comply with an order to cease their protest.
And around the world
XR reports in its newsletters and website on action against climate change all around the world. Two major protests it reports on in its current edition took place in Sweden and Germany. Contact: https://rebellion.global
“NOT MY KING”
Amid the outpourings of grief for Queen Elizabeth following her death, a few brave souls attempted to show dissent from the view that monarchy and monarchs were something to support and admire.
Such dissent was generally not well received and people were arrested for expressing it. One such dissenter was Symon Hill who was reported as saying that he was walking home from church in Oxford on September 11th when he passed a proclamation ceremony for Charles III and heard a speaker tell the crowd to accept the King as their “only lawful and rightful Liege Lord”. In response he shouted, “Who elected him?” and was met with cries of “shut up” from the crowd. He was then pushed backwards by security guards and led away by police officers, arrested and handcuffed and put in the back of a police van where he was kept for 30 minutes and then told he was being de-arrested but would be contacted to be interviewed later and possibly charged. He learnt later he had been arrested under the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022. Symon said he is considering suing the police for unlawful arrest over the incident.
In Edinburgh at least three people were arrested for breach of the peace for expressing anti-monarchist opinions during when the funeral procession from Balmoral arrived there on 12th September. (In Scotland, unlike in England, “breach of the peace” is a criminal offence.) One man was arrested for holding up a sign reading “Fuck Imperialism. Abolish monarchy”. A 22-year old man after shouting “Andrew, you’re a sick old man!” at Prince Andrew as he passed in the procession, after being attacked by two men, was arrested. The two men were later charged with assault. And a barrister tweeted footage of himself being threatened with arrest after he held up a sign saying, “Not my King”. The following day at an anti-royalty rally in Edinburgh blank sheets of paper were held up in protest at police repression but this didn’t stop police harassing the demonstrators, presumably for the anti-monarchy thoughts they were presumed to be expressing by their action.
ISRAEL RAIDS SIX RIGHTS GROUPS IN WEST BANK
On August 18th Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank raided the offices of six Palestinian human rights groups which Israel had previously labelled terrorist organisations. The six were al-Haq, Addameer, which advocates for Palestinian prisoners, Union of Palestinian Committees, Union of Agricultural Work Committees, the Bisan Centre for Research and Development and Defence for Children’s International- Palestine. The offices of a seventh Palestinian group, The Union of Health Work Committees seem also to have also been raided.
During the raid, property belonging to the groups was taken and doors sealed up; in al-Haq’s case they were welded shut and a statement in Hebrew was attached to the door, saying the doors would remain closed for “security reasons”. Al-Haq staff later removed the metal sheet welded over the door and said they would go back to work there in spite of the seizure of computers and other equipment. The day before the raids, the Israeli defence ministry reiterated its claim that the groups were front groups for the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which has a paramilitary wing. EU countries for the most part have not accepted there is any such connection and continue to work with the groups.
Four days after the raids indeed the Guardian reported that a classified report by the CIA, no less, stated that it was unable to find any evidence to support the claim that the six groups were terrorist organisations.
At the end of September, 30 Palestinian detainees initiated a new collective hunger strike protesting at Israel’s use of administrative detention and torture. They are demanding that Israel release all Palestinian political prisoners held in occupation prisons, including those held in detention without charge or trial.
PALESTINIAN VILLAGERS TAKE REFUGE IN A CAVE
In the 1980s, a rural area of the south Hebron Hills, known as Masafer Yatta, inhabited mostly by Palestinian herders, was designated by the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) as a military training zone. This led to years of legal battles and harassment of inhabitants, including destruction of water cisterns, solar panels, roads and buildings because they didn’t have building permits, which are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain.
In April this year, the Israeli Supreme Court, in its wisdom, refused to overturn the designation of Masafer Yatta as a military training zone, accepting the IDF argument that the Palestinian inhabitants are illegal occupants of the land since they couldn’t prove they were residents of the area before the zone was established.
Subsequently, the demolition of Palestinian buildings in the area, including homes and animal shelters, by bulldozers under the supervision of the IDF has accelerated. New army checkpoints have been set up to stop people entering or leaving the area without permission from the IDF, it having been made a criminal offence.
A Guardian reporter reported on 29th September that he had been told by local shepherds that they are regularly moved off grazing land which is then taken over by Israeli settlers. Also it is claimed about 60 “unlicensed” cars have been confiscated and many families have gone back to using donkeys for transport.
The Guardian reporter described how at least one family have been driven by demolitions of their home to live in a cave previously used to house their sheep and goats.
UK DELETES PLEDGE ON ABORTION
The UK hosted a conference of more than 20 countries on “freedom of religion and belief” in early July and signed the agreed statement which came out of the conference. This included a commitment to the repeal of laws that “allow harmful practices, or restrict women’s and girls..sexual and reproductive health and rights [and] bodily autonomy”.
However, when it came to publishing the official text of the agreement in the UK a week or so later, mention of sexual and reproductive rights or bodily autonomy are missing. The number of signatories had also been reduced to six, and included the signature on behalf of one country, Malta, which was neither at the conference nor one of the original signatories. But it just happens to be a country in which abortion is illegal.
Norway and Denmark have protested to the Foreign Office that these changes to the text that had not been agreed with the other signatories, and in an open letter to Liz Truss, then foreign secretary, more than 20 human rights, pro-choice and international aid groups, including Humanist UK, the British Pregnancy Advisory Service and Amnesty International UK, demanded that the government restored the deletions and explained why the deletions were made.
COMING EVENTS
October 10th, Essex, 10am: start of trial of “Elbit 8” at Snaresbrook Crown Court. For details see under the “Palestine Action” report above.
October 18th, London, 6pm: “The Coming War on China.” Film followed by session with John Pilger about what we can do to help stop it. At Prince Charles Cinema at 7 Leicester Place.
October 18th, Leeds and Online, 7pm: “Common Security – the way forward for a failing world?” The Olof Palme Peace Lecture 2022. With Anna Sundström, co-author of Common Security 2022. Chaired by Dave Webb, chair of Yorkshire CND. At Lecture Theatre D, Rose Bowl Building, Leeds Beckett University, Portland Way, Leeds LS1 3HB. Organised by Leeds CND, the University, Mayors for Peace and Leeds Council Peace Link. Registration: www.tinyurl.com/peacenews3825
October 20th, London & Online, 6.30pm: “Landscapes of Environmental Racism.” Lecture on the racist effects of colonialism and capitalism reflected though the work of indigenous artists. Venue: Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, Houghton Street WC2. Info: [email protected].
October 26th, Essex, 9.30am: Maria Gallastagui and others on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court on serious charges arising from the anti-HS2 camp in front of Euston Station. Info: [email protected]
October 28th to November 26th, Manchester: “Loving Earth: Textile Project.” 76 individual decorated textile panels have been made, to “create a way of engaging with climate change and thinking up solutions”. They are ondisplay at six venues around central Manchester. Org. by Manchester and Warrington Quakers. Info: /www.manchesterquakers.org.uk/news-events/loving-earth-venues/
October 29th, Oxford, 11am: “War and Climate Emergency.” Day school for climate and peace campaigners, with contributors from people from Scientists for Social Responsibility, the New Weather Institute, a nuclear weapons expert and others. At West Oxford Community Cente, Botley Road. Org. by Movement Against War, Oxford CND, Oxford FOE and others. Entry: onations welcome; unwaged and poor free. Registration: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/war-and-climate-emergency-a-day-school-for-… Info: [email protected]
November 5th, London, “Britain is Broken” protest march and rally against government policies regarding welfare, taxation, the climate, fuel policies, public services, local government and peace. CND is taking part. Assemble noon on Embankment, on river side of Embankment tube station. Organised by People’s Assembly,
https://thepeoplesassembly.org.uk
November 7th, Stafford, 10am: start of trial of the “Shenstone 6” before Stafford Crown Court. For details, see under “Palestine Action” above.
November 11th, London, 10am: start of trial of the “Kingsway 5”. The are appearing at Southwark Crown Court. For details, see under “Palestine Action” above.
November 11th, London, noon(?): Remembrance Sunday white poppy ceremony for peeace at the Conscientious Objectors memorial in Tavistock Square WC1. Organised by the Peace Pledge Union, www.ppu.uk
November 13th, Bromley, assemb1e 10.30am: Bromley’s annual White Poppy Remembrance Ceremony at Bromley War Memorial. Org. Bromley Peace Council. Info: [email protected]
Every Tuesday, Menwith Hill, 6-7pm: vigil outside main entrance to US base. Org. by Menwith Accountability Campaign. Info: Sarah [email protected]
Every Wednesday, London, 6-7pm: Women in Black silent vigil against militarism and war by the Edith Cavell statue in St. Martin’s Place, London WC2. Wear black. Info: https://www.facebook.com/womeninblack.london
Every 2nd and last Friday each month, London, 11am-12.30pm: “No Fukushimas Here.” Vigil outside Japanese Embassy, 101-104 Piccadilly. Organised by Kick Nuclear. Info: [email protected]
Every Saturday, London, noon-2pm: demonstration in support of Julian Assange outside Belmarsh Prison. Take a 244 or 380 bus from outside Woolwich Arsenal station. Organised: Don’t Extradite Assange, www.dontextraditeassange.com
1st Saturday each month, Menwith Hill, 2-3pm: Quaker meeting at Nessfield Gate, on the B645. Bring a chair. Org. by the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign. Info: [email protected]
1st Saturday each month, Norwich, noon-12.30pm: socially-distanced and masked Vigil for Peace outside St Peter Mancroft Hay Hill, NR2 1QQ.
2nd weekend, every other month, Friday to Sunday, Aldermaston: women’s peace camp. [email protected]
Listings largely taken from Network for Peace, with thanks. (Network for Peace include meetings which are ZOOM-only.)