Trident Ploughshares: XRPeace Meeting notes
Posted: 10th January 2023
TP is a part of XR Peace and the XR Peace Council have just had a zoom meeting and agreed to support the XR initiative to try and get 100,000 people to surround Parliament for days on end starting on 21sdt April. I have put below our XR Peace discussion and agreements and also my brief summary to XR Relationships Group and their reply so you are all in the information loop.
You will see that all the peace groups included in XR Peace will start mobilising now. It would be good if TP also mobilises as many people as possible for the 21st April and also for as many of us who are able to commit to continuing the peaceful demonstration to show people’s demands for an end to the fossil fuel era and for sane and sensible policies for a peaceful and secure future for all life on earth.
Please can you mobilise as many of your friends and relatives and other groups in your area to join the peace bloc of this important initiative. You can see our call out on the XR Peace website at
Please let me know if you are willing to participate in any way at all so I can get together a list of supporters for 21st April onwards and we can be in touch about plans as they become firmed up.
Love Angie (Zelter).
XRPeace Meeting notes from 5 January 4.30 pm
Present- Angie, Ali TP, Brian CND Cymru, David C, Rowland TP Bristol, Hilary MAW, Ginnie GWE, Jim D, Ros C, Sara CND, Kim Hereford Peace, Ailsa AWPC, Jenny WILPF, Rebecca (Facilitator). Notes by Jenny and Rebecca.
Summary with Action Points
- The agenda covered discussion on XR’s current plans; what we as XR Peace want to do for 21st April and beyond; what 2 demands we prioritise to add to the bigger XR pot of demands; how
- All groups support mobilising for big turnout for 21st April.
- Strong support to mobilise for CND day of action on ‘Stop Military Emissions’* during the XR fortnight (date to be determined) and also for XRPeace to organise an additional ‘Build Climate Security & Peace’* day of action during the XR fortnight (dates to be determined). [*theme not title].
- About half would also be keen to try to maintain a visible presence near MoD/Parliament for successive days after 21st April. Discussed concerns about feasibility, capacity and effectiveness, but decided to try to mobilise and see if we can make this work, maybe through rotas (a la F365)
- Mobilising needs to start now – as well as organising collectively as XR Peace, we should encourage decentralised, autonomous organising locally or ‘affinity’ groups, including practicalities.
- We’ll hold fortnightly zoom meetings from now on – next on Thursday 19th Jan at 4.30pm
1) XR Plans so far
Angie- As many people as possible to be encouraged to attend 21st April. XR negotiating with police in line with their new policy. Could be Parliament or Whitehall. Not clear yet.
To include as many groups as possible, each is likely to have its own demands and ideas. They can sign up to the Relationship Group- XR
Angie should be informed how long each group expects to stay in order to co-ordinate.
Sara- 10,000 people fit on Parliament Square, we don’t need to hold the space, XR intends to comply with the police. A mix of vigils, rallies, speakers and die-ins etc
In addition to 21st April, CND wants to organise a day against weapons, especially nukes, on themes of ‘Stop Military Emissions’, Save the Planet. This idea was enthusiastically supported.
Ros- 21st is the anniversary of Polly Higgins of Ecocide-this group to be included too.
Earth Day is 22nd April.
2) Ideas from XR Peace perspectives
Angie Do we want to hold the space for 2 weeks or encircle Parliament? Could take space near MoD as before? Hopes for XRPeace to mobilise to stay as long as possible. Can we aim for 2 weeks- the time will depend on each group and how they organise themselves. What 2 demands do we want to add into a joint pot of demands?
It needs to be striking. We want to hold our own People’s Assembly.
David- if we should expect to stay there throughout or arrive morning and leave late evening for 2 weeks? Angie- continuous if possible depending on numbers and commitment, but that groups would need to be flexible and as self sufficient as possible. Rebecca- we could cover the 2 weeks with a rota from different groups as we did for F365 – can decide nearer the time whether to cover days only or stay overnight. Also proposed having a specific XR Peace protest day on the theme of ‘Build Climate Security & Peace’. This could be held in the second week if CND’s day of action is held during the first week. Strong support for this idea to connect peace and security in terms of what we want to achieve, not just what needs to be stopped.
There was discussion about inviting activists and artists to build a sculpture depicting what we want to build. Enthusiasm for idea of building a sculpture to illustrate ideas as building blocks for peace, but not much support for the suggestion to ‘decorate a fence’ as ‘we want to take fences down’.
Angie will ask XR for this day of action on building peace and real security to be included. CND is liaising directly with XR on their proposal for a day of action against military’s climate bootprint.
3) Messaging and objectives
Reb- XR offshoots like Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain successfully have short sharp effective ‘branding’ for their actions – putting the aim as our title, such as ‘Build Real Security’ ‘Militarism destroys climate’, ‘Stop military destructivism’… doing this would make media and politicians keep repeating our aims when they are reporting the actions, even when criticising us – can we do this for XR Peace activism in April?
In the brainstorm that followed, almost everyone contributed ideas on various ‘headline demands’ that connect peace, real security, justice, sustainability etc, highlighting militarism as a destroyer of the climate as well as our security and lives. Some comments
Hilary- Branding needs clarity, that military emissions bad for the planet.
Brian- and they are not counted in the carbon total. Message to be that in all aspects of militarism and war - transportation of arms and personnel, destruction of people’s lives and homes, and rebuilding afterwards – these cause climate destruction
David Move the money from warfare to where it is needed.
Ros- Ensure we say nuclear power not an answer and is a threat.
We agreed to keep brainstorming with our groups to try and find very short sharp messaging for our banners and groups.
4) How are we going to organise ourselves?
Angie - Let’s share ideas and talk to our groups. We each need to organise on our websites asking people to make contact if they’ll rake part. We need to have peoples assemblies for people to take part in and we can take part in others assemblies.
We need to sort meeting places. Each group needs to have a rep so they can go to each others meetings. We will need buckets for loos in the night
Reb We need to be realistic about what we can do, and if we want to hold space for days we’ll need enough commitment and resources. we will need to negotiate with XR and police.
If we aim for 2 weeks, people and groups can plan how many days and/or nights - we will need a rota. Whether or not we try to stay overnight as part of 2 weeks, each group to sort out own travel and accommodation for London.
Ros Building peace should include what people need link with ecocide law.
Kim Supports having at least two days of action, one on linking militarism and climate and the other on how to achieve peace and climate security.
People who are unable to come may be able to contribute in other ways-resources.
Conclusions:
- All agreed to hold at least 2 days of action as well as 21st April, to highlight on ‘Stop military emissions’ (CND) and on ‘Build Climate Security & Peace’? [XR Peace AGREED].
- Need to take these notes and ideas back to our groups and reach out to further local XR and peace groups to participate.
- Reb and Angie will liaise and convene XR Peace Council zoom meetings every two weeks to keep up momentum and exchange info on plans, messaging, expectations on numbers, whether there is capacity to keep visible presence over 2 weeks etc.
- Facilitation and notetaking volunteers requested for future meetings
- Angie will ask XR for this day building peace day to be included.
Next meeting Thursday 19th Jan @ 4.30pm