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May 13, 2008Czech protest against US military radar site enters third week
From Louise's blog on the Greenpeace UK site:
A group of Czech Greenpeace activists are set to begin their third week occupying the site of a proposed US 'Son of Star Wars' base in the Czech republic. About 20 Greenpeace activists broke into the Brdy military zone south of Prague on April 28th. After establishing a base camp in nearby woods, they entered a wooded area inside the military installation and hung a 60 ft banner carrying the message "We don't want to be targets" across a series of tree-platforms.The US want to build an X band radar at Brdy - like the one the Labour government controversially gave go ahead for at Fylingdales in Yorkshire - as part of the European end of their proposed 'Son of Star Wars' missile defence system.
The plans have sparked major opposition in the Czech Republic - where polls have repeatedly shown that more than six out of 10 Czechs oppose hosting the US facility. The Greenpeace occupation is one of a whole series of protests against the plans over recent weeks and months.
Despite this opposition the Czech and US governments still appear to be closing on a deal to place the radar base in Czech territory, although the last minute cancellation of the signing ceremony by US Secretary of State Condoleza Rice earlier this week have raised hopes of opponents.
If you can read Czech, all the latest updates are on the Greenpeace Czech Republic site. I've been able to puzzle a few words out. I bet "radaru" is radar, "aktivisté" is activist and "fotoblokada" (photo blockade) is where you can upload photos to support the protest. Pretty cool.
Also found a news story in English here or press release here. There's been a big protest in Prague as well.
Diego Garcia: whose homeland? whose security?
"There are times when one tragedy, one crime, tells us how a whole
system works behind its democratic facade, and helps us understand how
much of the world is run for the benefit of the powerful"
John Pilger - Stealing a Nation. Oct.2004.
What do former Greenpeace ship's crews and captains do in their spare time? If you're Martini Gotje, Jon Castle, and Pete Bouquet, among others, you found your own organisation, buy a boat, set up a website, and set out to right a great wrong: the forced displacement of the Chagossian people from their islands.
Jon Castle and Pete Bouquet are currently under arrest (that's not the first time those words have been written over the years) for sailing into the waters of Diego Garcia uninvited. Those waters are off limits not only to Jon and Pete, but to the people who lived there generation upon generation, but were evicted in the 60s and 70s as part of a secret deal between the US and the UK -- the US would get to use the Chagossian islands (Diego Garcia is the biggest) as a military outpost in their cold war with the Soviet Union. The UK would get knock-down prices on Polaris submarines. And the indigenous people of the islands, who the UK government described as having “little aptitude for anything except growing coconuts,” would simply be kicked out. As told at the People's Navy website:
The Government split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, which was heading toward independence, and created a new colony – the British Indian Ocean Territory. It proceeded, in violation of the UN Charter, to remove the islanders through trickery, intimidation and force, by encouraging them to take trips then refusing to let them back, by shutting down the plantations and stopping supply ships.Some were taken to the Seychelles. The rest were consigned to a life of poverty and unemployment in Mauritius. Many turned to alcohol, drugs and prostitution. Some died from malnutrition. Several committed suicide. They staged demonstrations and hunger strikes, but to little avail. In 1982 the Government awarded the exiles a paltry £4 million – less than £3,000 a head – in compensation, provided that they renounced their right to return.
Few could read the documents that they signed with thumb prints.
Since then, UK courts have repeatedly decried the displacement as illegal. But Diego Garcia is now a key outpost in the Bush Administration's war on terror. It certainly is fitting that planes full of prisoners on their way to illegal detention at Guantanamo Bay should be refueled at a military base created by the illegal eviction of its residents.
So far, the only permission that has been granted to the Chagossians to return is for cleanup and maintenance of their ancestral burial grounds.
Jon and Pete are in jail because they believe in a Quaker concept, bearing witness, which was a founding principle for Greenpeace. It's the belief that witnessing an injustice and calling the attention of your community to it is a fundamentally moral act. You can choose to act or not, but you cannot ignore the imperative to choose.
You can follow the progress of the campaign (Pete Bouquet's son, Sam, is also on his way toward the island in a separate ship), voice your opposition to the eviction, and drop a note of support to Jon and Peter at the People's Navy website.
UPDATE 17 March 2008: Jon and Pete are being deported. Only Jon was charged, but by refusing to pay the fine he forfeits the Musichana and its contents. His appeal can only be heard in the UK.
See the Chagos blog for a full update, and please consider helping out Jon and Pete financially:
Account name: Chagossian Support Group Waiheke Island
Bank ANZ
Branch Waiheke Island
Address Cnr Oue St & Ocean View Road
Waiheke Island
New Zealand
Account Number 115351-0037094-011
Stripping down for a nuke free Middle-East
Excerpts from the Greenpeace Mediterranean press release:
The activists exposed themselves seconds before the president of Israel, Shimon Peres, started his speech in the Tel-Aviv University. Greenpeace activists opened three big banners reading "Strip the Middle East of Nuclear Technology" and "A New Middle East = Nukes Free Middle East "."We asked the organizers of the conference to a have an unbiased and more balanced panel to discuss the real nuclear challenges in the Middle East, instead of having a panel full of ‘security’ specialists, only justifying the Israeli need for nuclear weapons", said Sharon Dolev, Greenpeace Mediterranean Disarmament campaigner in Israel.
Bush administration spending priorities
Someone just sent me a highly amusing/depressing post about how the Bush administration is spending US taxpayer's money. I can't really sum it up here. You'll have to read the original on Daily Kos.
Be sure to read all the way to the bottom for the punchline. (Thanks Page!)
Remembering Hiroshima today
"The struggle of people against power," wrote Milan Kundera, "is the struggle of memory against forgetting." Washington dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima 62 years ago today, resulting in the deaths of over 140,000 people, almost all of them civilians.
In his speech at the Peace Memorial Park this morning the major of Hiroshima criticized America for failing to disarm it's nuclear weapons, and warned his own government to keep to the "no war" tradition enshrined in Article 9 of Japan's Constitution.
Though the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock says it's five minutes to midnight, there are also some signs of hope. A friend now working in Greenpeace in Japan wrote to say that the documentary “White Light, Black Rain: The Destruction Of Hiroshima And Nagasaki” made by Steven Okazaki will be shown on prime time television in the United States this week. Significantly, this is the first time such a large U.S. audience will be exposed to such an in-depth recount of experiences of living and dying under the atomic clouds of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Meanwhile peace activists around the world continue exposing and disrupting nuclear weapons sites with the same creative confrontation Greenpeace earned it's name for.
The beautiful photo of floating umbrellas was taken at the 50th commemoration of the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. The river was used by victims to try to cool their burns.
Israeli nuclear whistle-blower convicted again: for talking
Mordechai Vanunu, who exposed Israel's secret nuclear weapons programme to the world and went to jail for eighteen years for it, was convicted yesterday of the crime of speaking to foreign journalists. At issue was not what he said, but the simple act of speaking to them. His lawyer's comment says it all: "We do not consider this appropriate for a democracy in the 21st Century."
Tony wears his heart on his sleeve, and it looks like he'll get his WMD
It's all been rather anti-climatic really. We didn't expect yesterday's vote to replace the UK's nuclear weapons would be defeated, so there was no surprise when Tony Blair got his way and the vote to replace Trident went through. Tony gets to go ahead and build his new weapon of mass destruction – the Blair Bomb, his legacy. But only because of help from the Tories. That somehow feels hollow too.
“It’s not the end of the story by any means,” said Labour MP Jeremy Corbyn immediately following the vote. “This is a very big rebellion.”
Indeed, we’re counting on you rebels. The vote passed with 409 in favour and 161 against. That’s 88 Labour MPs voted against Trident replacement, 95 voted for the rebel amendment earlier, that's the biggest since the Iraq war. Blair’s proposal also prompted MPs to quit their posts. We might yet convince ourselves this is good news.
And those Labour rebels are right to be concerned. By going head with Trident today, in 20 year's time not only will the UK have a new nuclear weapon, there will be more nuclear weapons states in the world. Blair cannot preach to other states to ‘do as I say, not as I do’. Far from making the world a safer place, Blair’s lust for nukes will encourage others to follow his dangerous and unnecessary example.
And secondly, only 24% of the public support the government's plans to replace Trident and 51% think that the final decision to replace the Trident should be made through a public referendum.
You're right Jeremy, it is far from over. It may have Blair’s name on it, but Gordon Brown, prime minister in waiting, is going to pay the price.
No to Trident....
More of a press release than a blog post, but do tell your friends...
The campaign against the Governments proposed Trident Nuclear renewal will take to the Thames tomorrow (Thursday) when The Greenpeace Arctic Sunrise docked in the shadow of Tower Bridge plays host to a 50 strong choir.
The choir ‘Sense of Sound’ will perform a piece composed by Damon Albarn. Entitled "5 Minutes to Midnight" the performance will represent a peaceful demonstration against renewing Trident and against Britain possessing nuclear weapons. Directed by Hannah Eidinow with visuals designed by Robert del Naja of Massive Attack, and contributions from Brian Eno, "5 Minutes to Midnight" follows the launch of www.no-bomb.com an anti trident website, announced last week.
"5 actors will join the choir on the Arctic's deck in a cycle of meditations using public statements, quotations, reports and statistics on the British government's part in this debate," said director Hannah Edinow.
Opposition is growing to the government's efforts to rush through a decision on Trident renewal, with a House of Commons vote expected on Wednesday March 14th.
Greenpeace director John Sauven said: "It's not too late to stop Tony Blair wasting billions on new nuclear weapons. Trident is a cold war relic designed to destroy Russian cities and has no place in 21st century Britain".
The event is planned to start at 6.30pm at Shad Thames, Southbank, SE1 and will broadcast live on the internet from 7.00pm see www.greenpeace.org.uk where it can be accessed for 24hrs
The crew are free but the ship is not
The good news is that everyone arrested at Faslane last Friday has been released from jail. More than 20 activists spent 3 days locked up having broken bylaws while blocking the UK's nuclear submarine base for an entire day. The Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise is still being held by the Ministry of Defence in the UK.
Check out Rebeccas's blog here, which covers the whole ordeal and find out how to play pea basketball in prison!
Nuclear weapons base blockaded in Scotland
By Rebecca on the Trident: We don't buy it tour
I’m sitting on the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise. We have a flotilla of smaller Greenpeace inflatable boats at our bow – six inflatables and some canoes - and are steaming towards Faslane nuclear weapons base in Scotland to blockade it.
Right now, we’re trying to manoeuvre ourselves into position, diving between military police boats and inflatables. We want to blockade Faslane until tomorrow, when Labour MPs are coming up here for a jolly on one of the submarines.
The MPs will be voting on whether to replace Trident in March, and we’re here to tell them that Trident is illegal, immoral and unwanted - £76 billion worth of posturing by a government that wants to flaunt its muscle on the international stage. The move to replace the UK’s nuclear arsenal would be a dangerous departure from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, a provocation that may kick-start a new global arms race, and a monstrous distraction from the real threat to the UK and every other place on earth: climate change.
I’ll keep posting updates on this blog as I get the chance, and if you're in the UK please don’t forget to take action.
Rainbow Warrior too dangerous to allow into Iran
Mike Townsley is aboard the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior, which was just refused permission to enter Iran as part of our Middle East Peace Tour. --b
'Yes, yes, everything is ready, we are just waiting on one more piece of paper,' our ships agent, Sam, told us last Wednesday. This was on the day before Iran's weekend, which falls on a Thursday and Friday.
Excellent! Armed with -- if that's not too militaristic a term for a peace ship -- a couple of briefings and a dream of a green and peaceful future, we were really looking forward to meeting the people of Bushehr. We were really looking forward to talking to the people and authorities about the massive opportunity for renewable energy in their country. Looking forward to sharing with them a new Greenpeace report showing how Iran could meet its energy needs, save some money, reduce its environmental impact and completely forget about using nuclear power.
But, it wasn't to be! The final piece of paper never came, the final signature was not penned.
Stars protest Nuclear Weapons
Pop culture has been a-political for too long.
Arctic Sunrise in the UK to sink Trident replacement
While all the whale love is in full swing around the world, here in the UK there's a marine project of a slightly different nature under way, although in this case our focus is on submarines. Nothing cute about them, particularly the variety that carry nuclear weapons around the world.
In a few weeks, the UK government will be voting on whether to replace the current Trident missile system when it reaches the end of its working life, and it's no secret where Tony Blair's sympathies lie. Should it go ahead, the project will cost billions of pounds, money that could be better spent on tackling - oh, I don't know - climate change. Then there's the outrageous hypocrisy in replacing our own nuclear arsenal while rattling sabres at any other states foolish enough to seek entry into the nuclear club.
Court-martial begins of war objector Lt. Watada
He's not a pacifist, he's ready to serve, he doesn't even blame the Army for going after him, but as a matter of conscience he would rather do the four years in jail than go to Iraq.
Every news story you read about Watada will have the charge that he is "emboldening the enemy". Maybe, but I doubt it. The enemy seems pretty "emboldened" already. What I do know for sure is that he's inspiring people who still believe in our country. His actions support the idea that people in the US can ultimately be counted on to do what's right rather than what's easy.
Before you judge him one way or another, I strongly suggest reading today's LA Times article, particularly the second part, to learn about how and why he made his decision:
Warmongering? Fight climate change instead!
I've just been reading a fantastic blog by George Monbiot - on the strange things going between the UK government and defence industry. Or maybe they're not strange at all... maybe it's the same old malarkey.
"On Friday, the National Audit Office published a report which appeared to congratulate the [British Ministry of Defence] for going only 11% over budget on thirty acquisitions, such as attack submarines, destroyers, Eurofighter aircraft and anti-tank weapons. This overspending – a mere £3bn or so – is a heroic improvement on the ministry’s usual efforts. The story was spoilt a little when we discovered that it would have looked much worse were it not for some creative manouevres by the 1st armoured accounts division, confounding the enemy by shifting money between different parts of the budget."
"But what the audit report failed to answer, or even to ask, was why we need attack submarines, destroyers, Eurofighter aircraft and anti-tank weapons in the first place. Are the Russians coming? Is Angela Merkel preparing to mobilise a few Panzer divisions? It is preposterous to suggest that we face the threat of invasion, now or in the foreseeable future."British writer George Monbiot: Defence Against What? »
This is all very interesting - the article appars to focus on conventional weaponary, and Monbiot argues that the British military-industrial complex has effectively shot itself in the foot - in terms of going on another 'adventure' any time soon. But, as you may recall, the British government and military establishment are busily building some new Weapons of Mass Descruction - last week, weapons inspectors went to visit Aldermaston to check out the situation.
Citizens inspection of nuclear bomb making factory at Aldermaston, UK
© Greenpeace
Hundreds of citizen weapons inspectors - including our British colleagues - have just spent this morning patrolling through the muddy fields of England. They came from all over the UK, converging on the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) facility at Aldermaston. They arrived from all directions, by bus, train, bicycle and on foot.
Their mission? To carry out the world's largest ever inspection of a nuclear weapons factory, following reports that Tony Blair is building a new nuclear weapon.
Reporting Illegal Weapons of Mass Destruction in Europe
Citizens summons and complaints are being filed all over Europe to demand the enforcement of international humanitarian law by dismantling Nuclear Weapons.
Didn't know that Nuclear Weapons are illegal? Well now you know. The International Court of Justice delivered an Advisory Opinion in 1996 that the use or threat to use nuclear weapons is contrary to international law, because they cause unnecessary suffering and are indiscriminate in their destruction: two tests of the humanitarian conduct of war, if you can believe such a thing exists.
On top of that, the 480 US weapons in Europe violate one of the provisions of the Non-proliferation Treaty, which says that all nations are supposed to keep their nukes in their own damn backyards.
So anti-nuclear troublemakers Vredesactie and Bombspotting decided to do the obvious thing, really. Call the cops!
They uploaded a bunch of citizen complaint forms, and people are filling them out and handing them in to bobbies and carabinieri and the like... The forms are the same kind of thing you bring to the police whenever you've got an issue with, e.g., your neighbour being destructive and un-neighborly and threatening to incinerate your home and make your entire town glow like a radium watchface.
You know the ones...
The War of the Words
Just spotted this via P45, a biting multimedia satire of the conservative armchair bloggers that have supported the invasion of Iraq and the search for the mysterious "weapons of mass destruction".
The War of the Words: The Story of the 101st Fighting Keyboarders »
"When America needed them, they were there. They had honor. Courage. And a lot of spare time. A Documentary by Paul H. Henry"
The War of the Words: The Story of the 101st Fighting Keyboarders »
No escape
The Bush administration has just asserted it's right to militarise space. The new US space policy states
"The United States is committed to the exploration and use of outer space by all nations for peaceful purposes, and for the benefit of all humanity. Consistent with this principle, 'peaceful purposes' allow US defence and intelligence-related activities in pursuit of national interests."
The Register have the details
Nuke Pub Quiz - Nuclear Weapons in Europe
Email to a friend »
Help get US Nuclear Weapons out of Europe »
Greenpeace at the Mirno More
© Greenpeace/Ingrid Frankhauser
Just been looking at photographs from the Mirno More peace fleet trip on the Greenpeace Austria website, with lots of happy faces on board a Greenpeace yacht in the Adriatic.
Mirno More means "peaceful ocean" in Croatian, and is organised every year by an Austrian social NGO, Started 15 years ago following the Yugoslavian war, to give refugee children from the war regions a possibility to hook up with their origins while spreading the peace message.
Korean nuclear weapons test: Now What?
Rémi Parmentier, longtime Greenpeace activist and once branded as a "nasty little agitator" writes today in his blog:
When I read that the North Korean authorities claim that their underground nuclear test has not "resulted in any leak of radiation", what comes immediately to my mind is this photo of the venting of the US Baneberry "underground" test in the Nevada desert in 1970. Greenpeace was the first, in 1981, to leak this now iconic picture; it was Allan Thornton (from Greenpeace at the time) who put his hand on it in Washington DC.
And now from the "This is NOT a joke" Department
(AFP report) British arms manufacturer BAE Systems is designing "environmentally friendly" weapons, including "reduced lead" bullets, "reduced smoke" grenades and rockets with fewer toxins, The Sunday Times said...
Massive oil spill in Lebanon
This caught my eye on the Mother Jones Blog this morning:
It looks like an eco-nightmare is taking place on the beaches of Lebanon. Reports coming in say beaches are being clogged with oil because five out of six oil tanks at the electricity plant in Jiyeh were destroyed by Israeli bombs.
It sounds like a combined health, economic and environmental disaster. I checked up on it via Google news and found a story by the Lebanon Daily Star:
Wishing you safety and peace
Slade, on board the Esperanza, has posted a note from the crew about how much they are thinking of our colleagues in Lebanon and Israel. I am sure this is true for the crew on all of our ships, and Greenpeace staff worldwide.
I have met and worked with staff from both offices, and their safety has been on my mind as well.
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