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Photos from RAF Brize Norton A12

bring the war home | 13.08.2006 13:22 | Lebanon War 2006 | Anti-militarism | Oxford

Anarchists, peaceniks, sambistas and hula-skirted murderers in the heart of Oxfordshire.

Cardiff Anarchist Network at the main gate.

Rythyms of Resistance at the rear gate.

War is a serious business.

The star attraction.

Thames Valley Police Forward Intelligence (sic).

Where there's muck, there's SERCO.

Plain clothes police. (Out on a limb?)

Remberance of occupations past.

Danger, serious organised criminals at work.

Do your bit for the war effort.

On arrival at Carterton's little staging post for the War of Terror we were warned by a shocked protester that if we went through the gates we would be photographed and might be breaking the law. "We weren't told it was illegal, we should have been told."

Cardiff Anarchist Network were blocking the main gate apparently undettered by such potential pitfalls.

At the rear entrance the barriers were lowered and the gate locked at the mere threat of samba, and a who's who of repression lined up just in case - SERCO private security (operators of Colnbrook immigration prison), RAF Police, MOD Police on the inside, and Thames Valley Police eventually outside.

Two plain clothes cops approached some demonstrators, enquiring if they'd "been to Mildenhall yet" and "What group are you with? You don't look like Swindon Stop-the-War".

Inside the gate a group of confused looking hawaiian-shirted & hula-skirted partygoers stood around refusing to dance.

This time the gates were reopened after a couple of hours and a few arrests, but next time...

bring the war home

Comments

Hide the following 8 comments

"You don't look like Swindon Stop-the-War"

13.08.2006 15:11

What on earth do they think Swindon Stop the War look like anyway? Or do the FIT team think they've already compiled a complete photo directory of all our supporters, past present and future?

From my (Swindon-centric) point of view, both the sambatistas and the Cardiff group were totally unexpected, and most welcome as well. A couple of small independent actions meant that the day achieved far more than I was expecting. Well done everyone :-)

Simon

Nice one!

13.08.2006 18:13

Thanks for the comments of support. It was great to take part in this demo, and it is nice to know our actions were welcome :)

Buendia
Homepage: http://cardiff.revolt.org/

we are all swindon stop the war

13.08.2006 18:48

given the current trend i think we can safely say:

WE ARE ALL SWINDON STOP THE WAR!

Coul Srew

It is the soldier ...

13.08.2006 21:54

It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.

It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Charles Michael Province, U.S. Army
(c) 1970, 2005

Vikster

uhm

13.08.2006 23:37

...No, the soldier isn't giving us those things, we have those things. They have just chosen not to take them away at this exact moment.

it is the soldier

"You don't look like Swindon Stop The War"

14.08.2006 02:07

To which you reply

"No we're from Kent Stop the War"

So the inteligence team go back and file a report about about how Kent and Swindon are combining and run off to have a look where the link is and how they can gain more information about the groups.

They may sound friendly and helpful but don't make conversation with the police and if you do don't give them the correct information ;)

in peace and poetry

14.08.2006 08:56

Peace Chorus Line

we soldier on
in complex world
burning with fury
war raged in our name

while
soldiers take the blood and blame
business politicians show no shame
we soldier on all the same

soldier and protestor
shoulder to shoulder
different sides of same fence
burning with fury

we try to shoulder responsibility
for our actions
we protest that others follow
fair division of name, shame, blame

while war business does thrive
and war-torn children writhe
we will not toe the business-politician line
we’ll sing samba in the Peace Chorus Line

Tony Hillier, Swindon’s Community Poet
in response to “It is the soldier” poem by soldier Charles Province published on Indymedia re Brize Norton Protest of 12 August 2006

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/08/347824.html?c=on#comments

Tony Hillier
mail e-mail: tony.hillier@ntlworld.com

Resolution

14.08.2006 18:46

You fight us
because we fight hatred
while you feed on hatred and violence
for strength.

You curse us
because we don't give man a label
and turn a gun barrel on him.

You condemn us
because you can't use our blood
in paying off your debts of greed;
because you can't budge us
from man's side,
where we stand to protect all life.

And you murder us
just because we bow our heads
before man's love and reason;
because
we steadfastly refuse
to identify him
with the wolves.

thich nhat hahn

UK Indymedia