Oxford Anti-militarism

05-10-2006 15:23 | 0 comment(s)

B52 disarmers on trial this week

Update (11/10/06): The trial resulted in a hung jury, with the jurors unable to agree on a verdict after over 12 hours of deliberation!

The trial of two Oxford peace activists who attempted to disarm B52 bombers on their way to Iraq is taking place all this week. Toby Olditch and Phil Pritchard went into Fairford airbase just two days before the planes were used, hoping to disable the bombers and thus save civilian lives in Iraq and inspire others to action.

They were arrested before reaching the planes but have gone on to fight a high-profile legal battle, using their case to challenge the legality of the war and raise awareness. The upshot of this has been that various courts, up to and including the House of Lords, spinelessly (but predictably) refusing to allow arguments about the legality of the war. The legal argument for the trial now focuses on Phil and Toby's reasonable belief that they were acting to prevent war crimes.

Support at court is very welcome during the trial, either to come inside or with banners etc outside; Bristol Crown Court is on Small Street, off Corn Street, in Bristol town centre. Check the trial blog for the latest updates.

Margaret Jones and Paul Milling's trial for a similiar action resulted in a hung jury recently and they are awaiting a re-trial.

Meanwhile a Peace Picnic takes place this Saturday 7th October at RAF Croughton, a local US/UK spybase.

B52two trial blog | B52two homepage | trial report | press release

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29-04-2005 22:25 | 1 comment(s)

RAF Brize Norton Antiwar Demo and Peace Camp

A strange thing happened in the town of Carterton today (23/4/05)– a peace march, believed to be the very first ever protest march through the town.

Carterton is host to RAF Brize Norton - Britains main airbase for waging the war and occupation in Iraq. Most of the British Troops that fly out to Iraq do so from Brize Norton as does much of the supplies. Carterton community is heavily dependent on the base for work and thus heavily affected by British war casualties.

The demo explicitly aimed to interact with the people of Carterton: its message "The war/occupation is illegal and immoral - support the troops bring them home."

report | report+pics | more pics

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10-11-2004 12:09 | 0 comment(s)

Die-in makes a real impact in Cornmarket

Update 10/11/04: On Saturday the attack on Falluja started. Since then there have been protests and actions all over the UK, including vigils in Oxford. Keep an eye on the calendar for more protests or plan your own and tell us

Last Thursday, with the horror of the US build up to the attack on Falluja coming ever closer dead bodies in Cornmarket made a sombre impact. The public were noticeably moved to see a number of bodies, some of whom appeared to have blood on them. They were lying on the street in Cornmarket, the main shopping street in Oxford. All around them were statements chalked on the pavements giving information and explanations. This caused people to stop longer to read what they said. Others took the leaflets or read the posters which had more information.

This was a 'die in' organised by OSAN to remind people of the over 100,000 Iraqi's who have already died since the invasion. With a loud speaker Moslem women and others read out the names of those who have died, their age and how they died. For many of them the cause of death was shrapnel. While I was giving out leaflets I watched the public stopping and with puzzled stares look at the bodies while they listened to the names of the dead Iraqis. It was as if they could not move on and a great sadness seemed to hang over the street. Many people told me they were in support. Of course there were the others who said that it was a waste of time or that we were wrong but the main response was one of real sorrow, feelings of desperation and a need to show we do not agree with what is happening during this very illegal occupation.

report | report + pics | OSAN | NOW | Voices

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09-10-2004 16:02 | 0 comment(s)

Fairford Coach case in Court of Appeal

The Fairford coach case is at the Court of Appeal this week, on the 14 and 15 of October. The coach detainees will be taking the police to court once again over the basic human right to protest and the right not to be detained. The following press release recently appeared on the Fairford Coach Action website.

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16-04-2004 02:17 | 1 comment(s)

Youth March to Aldermaston

On 10th April, 50 young people set out on the 40 mile march to Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment. The march, organised by Youth & Student CND, was to protest against Britain's nuclear weapons.

The first day saw a short rally in Bonn Square, with speakers including Gawain Little (national committee, Y&S CND), the Rev. David Platt (Christian CND) and David and Rene Gill (Oxford CND), who had taken part in the very first march to Aldermaston in 1958.

Despite the overcast sky, spirits were high and we marched along St Aldates and out of Oxford, 15 miles to Wallingford.

The second day's march was from Wallingford to Reading, where we were received by the Reading Quakers. The march from London also arrived in Reading in the evening and we were able to share food and tales of sore feet!

Monday began with a gathering at Broad St, Reading, where around 200 people awaited the London march. By the time the procession left Burghfield, there were around 1000 people marching. The atmosphere was tremendous, with people tired, but proud of the distance they'd marched and eager to make their protest heard.

Well done to everyone who marched - let's make it even better next year!

Reports [1] [2] | Youth Student CND

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05-02-2004 15:35 | 12 comment(s)

No More Whitewashes!

Nine members of the public decided to use Prime Minister's Question Time today to question directly Tony Blair on the important issues of the occupation of Iraq, and the real reasons that the United Kingdom went to war. Refusing to be silent on hearing the Prime Minister's evasions on these important issues, each stood up and made one simple demand: "No more whitewashes, Tony!"

The Oxford residents are all furious at Parliament's inability to hold the Government to account over its war, which resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 Iraqi civilians, and the subsequent occupation which has killed thousands more Iraqis, as well as hundreds of American and British soldiers. The protestors were keen to point out that the war on Iraq, as well as the occupation, was illegal under international law, regardless of the presence or absence of weapons of mass destruction.

The disrupted speech came several hours after demonstrators dressed as judges poured white paint over downing street's gates in a protest against the government's persistant clearing of itself of any wrong-doing.

Press Release | Report | Solidarity statement and "heckling guide"

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16-01-2004 01:00 | 4 comment(s)

Oxford Man in Afghanistan

An Oxford citizen has left in September for Afghanistan, where he is now a United Nations volunteer. He reports about the deterioration of security, the lack of democracy, the American control of Afghanistan and the UN incompetency. As British politicians talk about how democracy is being supported and security is maintained in Afghanistan, this personal point of view from inside the UN, from someone on the ground in Afghanistan is very interesting and disturbing.

Here are his reports:

Afghanistan: Optimism, Fragile Peace and Foreign Agendas (03/04/2004) - with pictures
No good news from Afghanistan (23/03/2004)
Afghanistan Diary (08/03/2004)
Afghanistan: 500 women march to register (22/01/2004) - with pictures
Afghanistan: elections in the North... (17/01/2004) - with pictures
Down the bunker in Afghanistan for the second time (12/01/2004)
Down the bunker for the first time (12/01/2004)
Afghan diary (29/11/2003) - with pictures
Don't believe Bush on Afghanistan (20/11/2003) - with pictures
Afghanistan from inside the UN (16/11/2003) - with pictures
Oxford man in Afghanistan (12/10/2003)

For more information about the state of affairs in Afghanistan after the war, visit this feature from Cambridge IndyMedia.

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20-11-2003 00:09 | 2 comment(s)

Oxford Protest Against Bush

On the evening of November 20th, around 2000 people turned out to give Dubya the two-fingered salute in Oxford city centre.

Reports: [1] [2] | [Pictures and report]
Click Read more for a detailed report and lots of pictures.

Other actions in Oxford or by Oxford activists:

Die-in and staged wedding between Bush and Blair [pictures]
"Bush Free Zone" banner hang in London [report and press release] [pictures]

11-11-2003 14:13 | 1 comment(s)

Bemused Oxford shoppers meet with walls and checkpoints

On the 9th of November, as part of the international day of protest and action against Israel's 'security wall', protesters in Oxford (wearing huge white cardboard boxes on their heads) attempted to give the local weekend shoppers a glimpse of life in occupied Palestine.

People gave leaflets, talked to people and shouted slogans. The 'wall' was seen making its way through the Westgate and Clarendon shopping centres - to the annoyance of security guards, culminating by a walk down Cornmarket and a visit to Marks and Spencer's. Finally, a 'checkpoint' was built on a nearby (pedestrianised) street, until the 'soldier' announced he was taking the 'prisoners' into custody and the wall was taken apart and dumped in a nearby bin. If only the real thing was as easily dealt with...

[Report | Photos]

[Stop the Wall] | [Palestine Campaign] | [Wall that breaks Rafah's heart]

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30-10-2003 14:55 | 0 comment(s)

Albright Visit In Oxford Disrupted By Protests

Madeleine Albright, former American Secretary of State, who (amongst many other things) presided over genocidal sanctions in Iraq, had her speaking and booksigning tour disrupted in Oxford by a variety of actions and protests.

Pickets, vigils, leaflets, banners, die-ins, debating, heckling, poetry, binbag barricades, sit-downs and cacerolazo (pots + pans) all combined beautifully, causing her to meet huge opposition, especially inside Borders (the bookshop) and be delayed 40-60 min for her talk at the Oxford Union (elitist debating society).

[report] | reports with pics: [ 1] | [2] | [Video]

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