December 16th 2004

Iraq Plunder Promoter Targeted Again!

Four anti-war activists dressed in business suits entered and occupied the building housing Iraq plunder-promoters Windrush Communications yesterday.

Windrush Communications organise conferences (Iraq Procurement  http://www.iraqprocurement.com/ ) which allow for the sell-off of Iraq’s assets, properties and resources – all in contravention of international law.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1079563,00.html These conferences amount to organised pillage and lay the groundwork for the stealing of the futures, possibilities and potential of generations of Iraqis to come. The last two were held in Jordan in November and London last April. The next is taking place in Jordan again in June.

These conferences are indispensable to the looting of Iraq; they manage the bomb-paved corporate gold-rush; they form an integral part of the free market fundamentalist crusade ripping through Iraq. These conferences are sponsored by arms dealers, mercenaries and oil giants such as Erinys, Raytheon, Shell, Chevron and Bayer.

The survival of these war profiteers depends on death, destruction and perpetual war. As a result, Iraq Procurement conferences and their supporting trade events, despite their luxury hotel locations, eloquent presentations, soft chatter and safety, socialising and champagne, are incredibly violent.

The activists, two women and two men, made their way up to the top floor, where Windrush have a low-profile office space with a plain brown wooden door and no plaque to denote their presence. Employees refused to answer the door despite the protestors insisting on a meeting to show them the international laws they were breaking and the illegality of Order 39 on Foreign Investment passed by the occupation. Each activist had a copy.  http://www.iraqcoalition.org/regulations/20031220_CPAORD_39_Foreign_Investment_.pdf

A legal briefing (see attachment) was pushed under the door and pictures of the effects of the ongoing massacre in Fallujah were stuck on the surrounding walls and door.

Police were called, at which point the activists asked them to launch a criminal investigation into the activities of Windrush. Asked to leave, the activists refused and occupied the landing outside the office for three hours, depriving employees of their lunch break and causing them considerable irritation. Activists repeatedly quoted Hague Regulations and Geneva Conventions at the employees and referred to their activity as plunder. One employee, at around 2.30pm was heard exclaiming ‘My body wasn’t made for no food!’ to which one of the protestors replied, ‘Neither were the kids starving now in Fallujah’.

Four squad cars, two vans and over 25 police were called to the scene. The protestors despite multiple warnings were arrested for ‘Aggravated Trespass’ - the same charge levied at two activists who disrupted April’s Iraq Procurement Conference in April. These charges were later dropped and the defendents acquitted a few weeks ago in what was understood as a politically motivated decision.  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/11/301892.html

Neither the government nor Windrush want to face up to the fact that that their work, their conferences and the orders they are following are illegal and amount to war crimes.

A group of four police officers had to physically carry each protestor down four flights of stairs and out across the square and into waiting vans following the arrests.

Meanwhile a successful protest picket carried on outside with participants dressed as pirates engaging not just members of the public but employees sharing office space with Windrush Communications. Many were shocked to hear who they where sharing a building with. School kids were also totally on-side and joined the picket, reading the info leaflets with great interest. Action pics can be viewed at:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/12/302836.html


After being held for over eight hours and remaining silent during CID conducted interviews at Shoreditch police station all four protestors were released without charge (bailed to return in January). The decision not to press charges proves again that Windrush are running scared and afraid of negative publicity and the legal consequences of their unlawful activity.

VICTORY!

Anti-War Protestors 2 Plunder Promoters 0

Windrush can be visited at:

Windrush Communications Ltd, The Clergy House, Mark Street, London, EC2A 4ER, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7613 2098, Fax: +44 (0) 20 7613 4804, Email:  media@w-global.net

They are located on the top floor of the building. They have re-named themselves on the doorbells as GKNG (or something to that effect. Further investigation of this apparent re-branding will follow)

 http://www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=533026&y=182335&z=1&sv=mark+street&st=1&tl=Mark+Street+(off+Paul+Street),+EC2&searchp=newsearch.srf&mapp=newmap.srf

for more information contact  stopthepillage@yahoo.co.uk

Video and photographs available from 07815042452