Gulf Crisis Mobilisation Update

[greenscreen at mailexcite.com]

posted by:
==============================
Umit Ozturk 
Green Screen News
PO Box 10386
London E17 7RG, U.K.
tel: +44-(0)956-656937
email:  greenscreen at gn.apc.org
==============================

received from: "War Resisters' International" 
<warresisters at gn.apc.org> 


WRI/PEACE NEWS Gulf Crises Mobilisation UPDATE LIST

17 February 1998

PLEASE SPREAD FAR AND WIDE!

This list is compiled from emails we get from
pacifist organisations and activists around the
world who are protesting the military build-up
in the Gulf. It is a PARTIAL LIST and being added
to daily. 

Please help me keep it updated by sending short
and SUCCINCT additions,corrections, etc. 

Updates will be sent once or twice a week to this 
mailing list and anyone else who asks to be on it. 
(Send requests to warresisters at gn.apc.org, "Gulf 
mailing list" in the Subject line.)

There is a LOT happening in response to U.S. and
British aggression toward Iraq! Hopefully, diplomacy
will prevail and there will soon be no more need for
these updates... 

****************************************************
Report by Stephen Hancock -- Peace News
BRITAIN
There have been countless vigils across Britain in opposition to the
proposed bombing - and often also in opposition to the continuing economic

sanctions. In the event of bombing, people intend to hold candle-lit vigils

in their town and city centres. The National Peace Council has compiled a

list of local contacts for these vigils and other activities.
There are at least four coalitions I know of that have sprung up. This is

slightly confusing.
A public meeting in the Houses of Parliament on February 12th attracted
over 700 people and launched the Emergency Committee on Iraq (ECI) - an
initiative supported by several left-wing Labour MPs (Members of Parliament).

The National Peace Council Gulf Crisis Network (NPC GCN) organised a very

successful demonstration - at only one week's notice -- at the Ministry of

Defence buildings in central London on Saturday February 14th. Between 2000

and 3000 people attended. Following speeches by two Iraqi women, a member

of the United Nations Association and veteran left-wing MP Tony Benn, there

was a symbolic encirclement of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) buildings,
and, simultaneously, a spontaneous sit-down protest in Whitehall - the main

street running past the MoD and Downing Street. About 500 people blocked

the road for nearly two hours, before being moved on by police. Nine people

were arrested.
On Monday February 16th, a hundred activists blockaded Northwood (Britain's

Joint Rapid Deployment Force HQ in north-west London). Both gates were
blockaded for five hours, and no traffic entered the base (although police

broke the blockade at the main gate on three separate occasions - in order

to let workers out). There were three arrests.
Both Monday's and Saturday's actions gained significant press coverage and

firmly established that there is public opposition to current British and

US war-mongering.
Women in Black are holding weekly vigils in central London, and there is
a
regular Saturday vigil (12.00 - 13.30) opposite Downing Street (organised

by the proposers of the Ad Hoc Committee Against War in the Gulf - tel +44

171 436 4636).
Further nonviolent direct action is planned, including an imminent trespass

at Fylingdales - a US communications base in the north of England - and a

"citizens' inspection" of Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment is
planned for Friday (20th). In the event of bombing, as well as vigils,
there will be nonviolent actions - at British and US bases.
Two members of the London-based anti-militarist group, ARROW (Active
Resistance to the Roots of War) are currently in Iraq with members of the

US-based sanctions-breaking group, Voices in the Wilderness.
Peace News has produced an "Iraq Crisis" supplement detailing British and

international responses, and its next issue (out February 26th) will have
a
fuller round-up of activities - please send them details about what you are

doing or have done (and include clear contact details).
People were slow to wake up to this crisis, but now there is a lot of
activity. Some of the media talks about our protests alongside the
diplomatic efforts. Most of the media, though, spouts government propaganda

- but even some prominent militarists are saying that what is proposed
doesn't making sense.

Peace News, 5 Caledonian Road, London N1 9DY, England (tel +44 171 278
3344; fax 278 4040; email peacenews at gn.apc.org).
National Peace Council, 88 Islington High Street, London N1 8EG, England

(tel +44 171 354 5200; fax 354 0033; email npc at gn.apc.org).

****************************************************************

National Emergency Coalition to Stop the War Against Iraq
U.S. 
CONTACT: International Action Center
         39 West 14 Street, Room 206
         New York, NY 10011
         email: iacenter at iacenter.org

         http://www.iacenter.org

         phone: (212) 633-6646
         fax: (212) 633-2889

So far, demos have been held in AT LEAST 60 towns, cities, 
etc. - arrests only in DC that we know about so far...

The National Emergency Coalition comprises over 40 organisations
and individuals and is sponsoring local protests in more than
50 cities between February 17-24 prior to the mass demonstrations 
on February 28. The Coalition is sponsoring a February 17 
protest at 5 pm at Times Square in New York. The group will 
also rally at Times Square on February 21.

For Immediate Release
Press Contact: Brian Becker/Deirdre Sinnott/Kadouri Al Kaysi
Attention: News Editor (212) 633-6646

Thousands will Demonstrate on February 28 in First National 
Protests Opposing New U.S. War on Iraq. The newly formed 
National Emergency Coalition to Stop the U.S. War Against 
Iraq has set two national anti-war protests on February 28,
1998, for New York City and San Francisco. 

The Coalition includes over two hundred groups and prominent 
individuals from anti-war, civil rights, labor union's, women's, 
student, lesbian, gay, bi and trans, veterans, and religious 
organizations.

The New York City demonstration on February 28 will include 
a mass march from Times Square to the U.S. Mission to the 
United Nations. The Times Square rally will begin at noon. 
Demonstrators in San Francisco will assemble at Dolores Park 
at 11:00 AM.

*******
ISKD
TURKEY

CONTACT: Serdar Tekin
         Izmir Savas Karsitlari Dernegi
         Izmir War Resisters' Association
         Tel: + 90 - 232 - 464 24 92
         Fax: + 90 - 232 - 464 08 42
         e-mail: osi at info-ist.comlink.de


ISKD will make a press statement on the street on 
February 13 and will protest the attitude of USA and its 
supporters. 

There is no concrete plan now. One idea is to write an 
anti-war manifest and try to distribute it widely, get 
signatures from well-known intellectuals, artists etc to 
create publicity.

ODP (Ozgurluk ve Dayanisma Partisi - Freedom and Solidarity 
Party) started a march from Ankara to Incirlik, an American 
military airforce unit in the south of Turkey which was used to 
bomb Iraq in 1991. 
 
*******
Eugene Peaceworks
U.S.

CONTACT: Jen & Michael. 541-343-8548, 454 Willamette, 
Eugene, OR 97401  <eugpeace at efn.org>

We are having a rally today, Wed. 2/11 from 4:30-5:30 asking 
people to call the president and our two senators (Ron Wyden,
up for re-election & Gordon Smith on the Foreign Relations 
committee) to encourage creative diplomacy. 

We are still planning future actions.  An ongoing educational 
and letter writing campaign likely, getting peace activism 
going again at the University of Oregon, etc.  Possibly 
weekly Rallies.  

*******
Peter Jones
AUSTRALIA

CONTACT: Philip White in Adelaide <philshiro at hotmail.com> 
and Shane Guthrie in Perth <camperth at odyssey.apana.aorg.au>

There are Gulf actions in Canberra, Perth, Armidale (NSW) 
and Adelaide that I know of.

*******
Maggie Helwig
CANADA

CONTACT: Maggie Helwig <maggie at web.net>
527 Markham St, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M6G 2L4,
+1-416-537-7290 (tel/fax, but phone first)

An ad hoc group of about 15 people (including members of 
Veterans Against Nuclear Arms, the Quakers, Toronto Action 
for Social Change, the Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, 
and me, plus Ken and Simone) took part in a 30-hour sit-in 
at the office of Canada's "Defence" Minister Art Eggleton, 
from 11 am Feb 9 to 5 pm Feb 10, while Cabinet was deliber-
ating on Canadian participation in the US action.

We held a press conference with representatives of several 
religious and ethnic communities in Mr Eggleton's office on 
the morning of the 10th.

We did call, on the radio, for people to occupy the offices 
of their MPs... I can guarantee we will have other actions...

...the Canadian Arab Federation has made good statements to 
the press, as has the Canadian Iraqi Coordinating Committee 
(they're an anti-Saddam, anti-military-intervention group). 
CAF can be reached at 5298 Dundas St W, Toronto, Ontario, 
Canada, +1-416-231-7524. CICC I'm not sure about. 

*******
Ernst Guelcher
Green Group in the European Parliament, Peace and Disarmament
BELGIUM

CONTACT: Ernst Guelcher <eguelcher at europarl.eu.int>

...next week in Strasbourg the European Parliament is 
debating the crisis situation and will hopefully adopt a 
strong resolution against military attack on Iraq. 

*******
Forum voor Vredesaktie
BELGIUM

CONTACT: Eloi Glorieux, fax: +32-2-640 07 74, tel:
+32-2-648 75 83, or e-mail <forum at vredesaktie.ngonet.be>

Forum will organize a first meeting with other peace 
organisations (For Mother Earth-Belgium; Vrede; ...) on 
Sunday 15 Feb in Antwerp to see what kind of direct non-
violent actions could be done the next week.

The already scheduled meeting of the Abolition 2000 coalition 
in Belgium, on Monday 16 Feb in Brussels, will be used to 
prepare some common public actions against the deepening 
crisis.

On Tuesday 17 Feb there will be a great symbolic action 
"PEACE IS OVER - WAR CAN BE" in front of the NATO headquarters 
in Brussels (at 3 p.m.) organized by Forum voor Vredesaktie
in collaboration with the Flemish Theater groups STAN and 
DITO-DITO, with the active support of Frank Vercruyssen, Tom 
Lanoye (famous writer), Benjamin Verdonck, Willy Thomas and
other personalities from the world of culture, theater and 
cinema. 

Many other organisations are planning actions (e.g., Pax 
Christi)

*******
Jan Smiley (organisation - ?)
U.S.
CONTACT: Jan Smiley <vine43 at aol.com>

Protest Demonstration in Orlando, Florida on Saturday, 
February 14, 1998, Valentine's Day.  The theme is "Have a 
Heart, Spare the Iraqi Children." We will meet at Wall 
Street Plaza, at 1:00 p.m. Then we will march peacefully 
through the downtown area toward Church Street, passing out 
"valentines" to people urging them to join the protest.

*******
American Friends Service Committee
U.S.

CONTACT: Mira Tanna, St. Louis
         (314) 862-5773
         mvtanna at artsci.wustl.edu



We are organizing the following activities:

February 27, 1998  Rally in front of the Federal Court House
at Market and Tucker Blvds., from 4:30 - 6 pm. We will be 
alerting the US attorney to violations of international law 
by the United States. American and Iraqi speakers will 
address the impact of the sanctions on the people of Iraq
and the impact another war would have.

DAY OF US ATTACK  Candlelight vigil will begin at the Robert 
Young Federal Building on Spruce and Tucker at 8:00 pm on the 
day that bombing begins.

Also, we are organizing daily briefings for the press on 
different aspects of the crisis in Iraq beginning on February 
16th.

*******
Jonah House
U.S.

CONTACT: Disarmnow at aol.com


We witness at the White House on a regular basis through-
out the year and frequently at the Pentagon regarding Iraq.  
Tomorrow we will participate with faith-based people in 
civil resistance again at the White House to call 
attention to the new escalated threats of bombing.

*******
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker
U.S.

CONTACT: Bill Frankel-Streit 202-882-9649
         Max Obuszewski   410-323-7200 or <maxo at igc.apc.org>
         503 Rock Creek Church Road, NW, Washington, D.C. 
         20010

CATHOLIC BISHOPS  JOIN WHITE HOUSE PROTEST AGAINST WAR IN 
IRAQ 

Washington, D.C. Protest  on Thursday, February 12 at White 
House at 12 noon

*******
The Student Political Responsibility and Awareness Collective 
(SPARC) at University of Vermont
U.S.

CONTACT: Greg Guma, editor of Toward Freedom 
         <MavMedia at aol.com> 

SPARC has planned a teach-in to unravel the sordid history 
of US policy in the Persian Gulf at 7 p.m. on Thursday, 
Feb. 12, in room 105 of the Votey building on campus. 
Organizers oppose both the ongoing UN-backed blockade and 
the current rush to war.

*******
Ithaca chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America
U.S.

This organisation opposes the use of force in Iraq. Several 
members sent an e-mail message opposing bombing to all US 
senators and congresspeople who have e-mail addresses. ...
I can make the list available <jec13 at cornell.edu> 
or <je.coleman at utoronto.ca>.

CONTACT: Sylvia Wahl, coordinator, Phone: 607 257-2520

*******
ETAN Washington Office 
U.S.

CONTACT: <etandc at igc.apc.org>
         ...for more information on the International Days 
         of Protest

There will ... be demonstrations at the White House at noon 
on Wednesday, February 11, and Thursday, February 12 (a 
national day of protest on the anniversary of bombing of 
Amariyah shelter).

In DC, Womens Strike For Peace and other groups have called 
for a protest at the White House on Thursday, February 5th 
at Noon.

*******
One Million Signatures Campaign
Egypt and U.S.

CONTACTS: 
 Egypt: Sohair Soukkary, Tel: 011 20 2 525 3810; 
 Fax: 011 20 2 342 0661

 United States: Rania Masri, Tel: 919 848 4738; 
 Fax: 919 846 7422; E: IAC at leb.net

 Dr. Mohammed Mehdi, Tel: 212 972 0460; Fax: 212 682
1405

On Tuesday January 13, 1997, a coalition of Egyptian and 
international organizations will deliver almost 18 million
signatures demanding an end to the sanctions on the Iraqi 
people. The One Million Signature Campaign, which began in 
July 1997, far exceeded its expectations by raising almost 
18 million signatures, all united "to save the children of 
Iraq, and ban economic blockades as weapons of mass 
destruction." ... The ceremony <took> place at 3:00 p.m., 
on Tuesday January 13, at the Cairo Official Stadium.

*******
The 11th Hour Peace Coalition

CONTACT: Larry Jackson, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, 
         NY 12866, (518)-581-6051
         <ljackson at skidmore.edu>

Public Fast

The 11th Hour Peace Coalition will sponsor a public 24 hour 
fast beginning Friday, January 30 at 12 noon.

Students at Skidmore College, founders of the peace 
organization, will lead the fast.

Students are using the fast to protest sanctions in Iraq and 
the threat of impending military force.

The fast is inspired by the recent statement of opposition 
issued by 54 Catholic Bishops against the sanctions in Iraq. 
...Three of the Bishops have begun an indefinite hunger
strike with the demand of meeting with President Clinton.

*******


*******
ORGANISATIONS THAT HAVE MADE STATEMENTS

1. IFOR (International Fellowship of Reconciliation),
NETHERLANDS and U.S. FOR (Fellowship of Reconciliation)

IFOR CONTACT: Anke Kooke, IFOR General Secretary
              <office at ifor.ccmail.compuserve.com>
              Fax: +31-72 515 1102

FOR CONTACT: Doug Hostetter <dhostetter at igc.org>

2. International Peace Bureau (IPB)

3. Committee on the Middle East


4. Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation
We have made a statement on on the Gulf crisis to the Swedish 
Government, to not give US support if US acts without the 
support of UN Security Council. The statement was made 
together with the Swedish Peace Conucil.

CONTACT: Isak Svensson <i.svensson at ekuc.se>


5. American Friends Service Committee, St. Louis, U.S.; 
CONTACT: Mira Tanna, St. Louis  (314) 862-5773 
<mvtanna at artsci.wustl.edu>

6.  





*******
OTHER REFERENCES...

1. Anti war-on-Iraq homepages and websites

A number of U.S. peace movement groups have pulled together 
a site to track on the Iraq Crisis and provide weekly 
commentary and opinions. Hosted on the Nonviolence Web, home 
to dozens of U.S. peace organizations, it is linked to back-
ground pieces, action alerts, a "what you can do" section, 
and a discussion board. Perhaps most importantly, there's a 
section where participants can list local demonstrations and 
start building a grassroots movement against military action 
in the Gulf. The "Iraq Crisis Antiwar Homepage" is located at:

http://www.nonviolence.org/campaigns/iraq.htm


You may also find these useful:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/ug/greenrd/project/nowar.htm

http://www.middleast.org/iraqhtm.htm  
http://www.pgs.ca/pages/iraq91.htm 
http://linux.clare.cam.ac.uk/~saw27/casi/


2. Two other nonviolent activist organisations in Austria:
The Aktionsgemeinschaft "Christinnen und Christen für die 
Friedensbewegung"
Oeverseestr. 2c
1150 WIEN

Center for Encounter and active Non-Violence
Postfach 504, (Wolfgangerstr. 26 )
A-4820 Bad Ischl, Austria 
fon/fax: +43 6132 24590

3. For information on the plan to wear black armbands
as a sign of solidarity with the people of Iraq:
<atdmckenna at hotmail.com>

4. Another German organisation with information:
WRI-AG der FoGA                             
Tel.: +49-441-17436
Fax: +49-441-2489661
Alteneschstrasse 15                        
D- 26135 Oldenburg      
email: WRI-AG.FOEGA at OLN.comlink.apc.org


5. Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq (CASI)
CASI now has an email discussion list, for free discussion of
issues relating to the sanctions and Iraq. At the moment, the
topic is unsurprisingly focused on the bombing of Iraq. To join,
contact Seb Wills <saw27 at cam.ac.uk>.

6. For information on actions in Italy:
Saluti pacifisti,
p. COMITATO GOLFO
(Walter Peruzzi, Piero Maestri, Paolo Limonta)
Milano


*******
War Resisters' International is a network of pacifists
and nonviolent activists on every continent who work
on national, regional, and international levels, as well 
as in local communities, to end war and the causes of war.
Founded in 1921, WRI is based on the declaration made by
each member: "War is a crime against humanity. I am there-
fore determined not to support any kind of war and to 
strive for the removal of the causes of war." For more
information on joining WRI or making a donation, please
ask for a WRI leaflet. WRI, 5 Caledonian Rd., London,
U.K. N1 9DX (warresisters at gn.apc.org).



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