A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Sabotage the war effort!

Donald Rumsfeld | 15.12.2002 19:38

Activists attack Menwith Hill spy base. Its time to stop the war!

On Saturday night a number of peace activists attacked targets within the Menwith Hill spy base causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage. Menwith Hill is the intelligence hub for co-ordinating the war effort against Iraq and is totally unaccountable to people in the UK. Activists broke through the security fences and disabled key elements of the base's covert listening apparatus. The damage will severely limit the base's ability to intercept communications and cost the US thousands to repair. We need to attack the US's ability to wage war which will lead to the inevitable deaths of 1000's of people. We can stop this war, we can stop star wars. Talking is not enough; marching is not enough; we cannot ask and expect the state to respond. This action was taken in order to inspire others to take the action necessary to stop this war.

Donald Rumsfeld
Homepage: http://cndyorks.gn.apc.org/mhs/

Comments

Hide the following 15 comments

An army recruiting office was attacked too!

16.12.2002 11:54

T.W.A.T.T.S. stands for The War Against The Terrorist System.

Night time, Dec. 8th – The Armed Forces recruitment office in central Bristol was attacked. All windows were smashed, locks glued and walls splattered with blood-red paint. “NO WAR” was the spraypaint message.
We call on any young people who may be thinking of a career in the armed forces to think about the reality of war. Destroying and killing is not a good job. This is direct action against state terrorism and social control. It is also a call to the anti-war movement to begin serious, effective resistance. The genocidal system is not challenged by marches, rallies and petitions. Polite protest poses no threat to the war machine. It is time now to get in the way and do some damage. We encourage direct action to sabotage the war effort. Pick your targets and fight back. Anyone can take direct action. Try it yourself.
Some ingredients : paint, hammers, glue, friends, anger, offensive building ….. (use your imagination – find your own!).
AGAINST ALL AUTHORITY – ALL GOVERNMENT IS TERRORIST.

Harelquin

Nonviolent direct action

16.12.2002 16:07

Have you people never heard of non-violent direct action? Direct action doesn't mean vandalism (if you think a few thousand dollars of work will slow the war machine you are deluding yourselves, as well as risking a prison sentence for it). Read up a little bit about Gandhi and Martin Luther King. Direct action means confronting them face to face and showing that your humanity, your morality is greater than their's. It is a public act of witness, not an adolescent stunt committed under cover of darkness.

PeaceandJustice

Action needs planning first

16.12.2002 16:51

I think worrying about a bit of property destruction when the lives of thousands are at stake is more than a bit petty. Property destruction is telling the state that there will be no war. We are not politely requesting. Laws on property are for the very purpose of preventing us (ordinary people) taking control of what the government does on our behalf, in our name and keeping them in power.
Having said this, I think it is important to look at implications that an action might have. Will it turn off other protesters? Will it result in arrests? Will it actually damage the war effort?

If destroying property will not damage the war effort, what do you propose we do?

Nhoj

Re: Nonviolent direct action

16.12.2002 17:13

Yes, they/we have...
You have one definition of non-violent direct action (NVDA).

I (& of course others) define it as not being violent to living beings, a pretty straighforward definition in my book (but things never are simple).

Damage to property is NVDA, as well as other forms of action.
People have read up about Gandhi and Martin Luther King, and many other historical struggles, similar and different, most successful in a variety of different ways.

You stick to your definition by all means, but act on it and organise, rather than judging others NVDA as if you know their "adolescent" "delud[ed]" motives. Morality and humanity are big words to bandy about so simply. And if it's about avoiding a prison sentence like you mention or physical violence, which it isn't always, staying around and saying "I dunnit" tends to get you arrested and/or beaten up more so than trying to get away with it.

Diversity is strength. Respect is essential.

Peace&Justice too

Cheeky fucker!

16.12.2002 21:04

Yo, Peaceanjustice! Don't sit at your computer telling other people who've got off their arses that they're doing it wrong!

Do your OWN actions and leave others to do as they see fit. Respect to all the saboteurs.

Sean Knighton

respect?!?!?!

16.12.2002 21:09

RESPECT WHOM?!?! THE STATE?!? THE MEDIA?!? OR MAYBE THE WAR MACHINE?!?!

NO RESPECT FOR THE ENEMIES OF FREEDOM!

we cannot understand you guys! you speak about violent action being the same as property destruction!?!?! then if property destruction is indeed violence as you "pacifists" believe, you should be called legalists actually, then whats the whole war effort of the US and UK governments? what's the repression of the national and global security forces? the murders of immigrants? the exploitation of workers by capitalism? THAT'S VIOLENCE!

so we are calling you legalists because you call violent whatever goes against the laws of the ruling classes and against the "anti"-terrorist bills of the US and EU. So you accept the way of how the mainstream media and the government thinks and how they want you to think... and finally you end up just going around in circles (and not only you but that's a critisism of the whole anti-war movement) and repeating the same old tactics again and again with no real and effective outcome... it even lost its symbolic meaning.

DIRECT ACTION AGAINST WAR... VIOLENT OR NON-VIOLENT, IT DOESN'T MATTER! THAT'S A FAKE DILEMA.

with @ greetings
Aberdeen Anarchist Resistance

AAR
mail e-mail: resistanceab@yahoo.co.uk
Homepage: http://www.geocities.com/resistanceab

Re: Non Violent Direct Action

17.12.2002 12:19

I guess part of the reason people disagree with property damage is that it crosses a line where your actions become directly threatening to the state and so the risks to you personally are increased. What we shouldn't forget is the violence our government commits in our names. Depleted uranium shells, cluster bombs and chronic sanctions have lead to the deaths of nearly a million Iraqi's since the last Gulf war. Property damage hurts no one and is the best tool we have in withdrawing our consent from our government's actions. The risks are higher but personally I'd rather go to jail than live in a country that commits the kind of acts we do in the UK.

Bertie

Property destruction is easier

17.12.2002 16:07

I'm not sure actually. The punishments are no doubt higher for property destruction, but you're far more likely to get arrested lying down blocking a road during a daylight protest than smashing up a recruitment office at 3am or whatever. Don't flatter the police too much, alot of them are pretty stupid!

Nhoj

methods

18.12.2002 00:31

There are many ways to be effective. form an affinity group any carry out whatever kind of action you feel is right, and find other affinity groups to cooperate with. Ghandian protests were actually very successful in changing Indian society. it is worth thinking about the issue of accountability, of making yourself arrestable for an action like damaging military hardware, to argue in court why you did it, generating more publicity. this could be very effective if done en masse.
In some instances it may be better to use covert methods . A danger here might be becoming too "underground" or faceless, theres no need for people generally to hide the fact that thet oppose war. that would suck.
Another danger might be getting too egotistical about being a cool urban guerilla. don't dis others who oppose the war, but act in other ways, that arent as cool, like vigils or petitions.
I've done anti war graf ,been arrested for obstructing highway, marches, written letters, and talked to me mum. so just get on with it eh.

kyro

something to do

18.12.2002 01:13

theres a weekend of NVDA training , demonstration, mass civil disobedience, welcoming autonomous NVDA groups , focussed on Northwood military base, London, where the UK military HQ is. 18-19 January 2003
something for everyone eh.
www.j-n-v.org

kyro

NVDA link

18.12.2002 01:28

kyro
Homepage: www.j-n-v.org

for sean knightly etc. etc.

18.12.2002 18:30

to be sung to the tune of Oh tannenbaum (Oh Christmas tree) which maybe a few of you folks might still know as the Red Flag:

"agent provocateursagent provocateurs
you smell like lumps of pig shit
agent provateurs agent provocateurs
although you claim you're anarchists

we've seen and heard you all before
calling for violence blood and roar
agent provocateurs agent provocateurs
you smell like lumps of pigshit"

(By the way, the rest of you, have a look at the wording of the Terrorism Act of 2000, to see the games that are being played)

Willothewisp

variety in methods

19.12.2002 03:32

I agree that someone shouldn't become "underground" or faceless, but act mostly in public. But all of us who strugle against the capitalist system have to think seriously that when we call someone violent for destroying state or military property, we actually reproduce the capitalist propaganda. And furthermore it is good to see a variety in the tactics used by people who resist.

As about the proffesional leftish like the guy with the idiotic song above... it's well known that they see as a provocateur anyone who acts not according "the line" of the party. Aren't you tired of slandering our comrades all over the world??? Back to your rotten ratholes! Make us a favour and go back in time, meet uncle Stalin and stay for ever with him.

an uncontrolable provocateur

one tool in a box

19.12.2002 11:38

I'm working at the moment in a wide and diverse anti-war group that holds meeting of up to fifty to sixty people fortnightly. We are buddists and church people, old peaceniks, students, young hippies, squatters, anarchists, socialists of varying splinters, people who just want to get involved and one communist. The only way we can pull together aganist the war to to avoid ideaology and focus on the practical nature of opposing the governemnts warmongering. We have done everything from letter writing,lobbying the council to stalls everyday, concerts, legal demos, illegal demos that blocked roads and took over our city with a rampage for the night and ended in some of us trying to sue the police for thier heavy handed tactics, critcal mass bike rides to disrupt the city, pickets, union orgainising and we all went to Fairford at the weekend and encouraged direct action. through this all we have managed pretty much to stay away from squabbles by looking at what we can do together. Some people are so set in thier ways that they cannot see diversity and are so self important that they see every action as thier business. I dont want to lobby our M.Ps but I dont tell peope that do that they are wrong and liberal, equally I dont stick myself up on the moral highground of old school NVDA and slag off other peoples actions (nice one Menwith hill people!) the only way we can win is to work together. Direct action should be toolbox from which you think carefully about which tool to use for which situation in hand, not one blanket rule for every time. Lets leave the backbiting and slagging to the political parties and the mainstream Media.

sarah

Re: one tool in a box

22.12.2002 18:12

nice one Sarah (& others you work with) - what town is this group in, if you don't mind saying?

Why I ask is because so often people don't manage to work together, and building a healthy group is a skill but also fraught with problems. It'd be great if you could get in touch with the Blatant Incitement Project, and chat with them about how you managed it. It could be useful to share further afield than where you live. Their contact is doinitATnematodeDOTfreeserveDOTcoDOTuk

a BLINCer
Homepage: http://www.eco-action.org/blinc

UK Indymedia