Friends, after what was a difficult week, and with a little time
between the intervention I am now in better place to reflect regarding
the planting of Vine and Fig Trees and my subsequent imprisonment.
On eve of the 62nd anniversary of the bombing of the people of
Hiroshima, the 'Vine & Fig Tree Planters' went to the Saab Microwave
factory at Mölndal, Sweden to plant more vine and fig trees. We
planted near to the factory walls and looked for deep rich dark earth
for good growth.
Following a period of silence, prayer and reflection and after
finishing our planting and watering in of the plants near to the
factory walls, we were able restfully welcome, and offer grape juice,
figs and grapes to the attending police and security guard guests who
came to see what was happening.
They were pleasant and surprised to see us calmly enjoying the plants
and sitting in the new garden we had made, however they arrested us to
ask more about this. Fellow Vine and Fig Tree Planters' Herngren and
Johnnson were released after about an hour however it was decided that
I ought to interviewed and investigation further. I introduced myself
and went willingly into a police detention center into what turned out
to be solitary confinement for three nights.
My main pastimes during the time in my cell was much silence, rest,
reflection, a bit of basic salsa practice and to read a uniquely
poignant book, permitted to me in the cell. This book "The Prison
Journal of a Priest Revolutionary", by Phillip Berrigan, documented
reflections of his own imprisonment (between 6th – 9th August 1967) as
part of the Catonsville four (addendum 1)in resistance to the draft of
serviceman to Vietnam in 1967, 40 years before.
This subversive book had been given to me by a catholic Worker/
ploughshares Priest Fr Martin Newell who himself had been imprisoned
for preventing the conveyance and delivery of nuclear warheads from
RAF Wittering to Faslane for deployment in 2000, it was given to him
by his co-conspirator Dutch Catholic Worker Susan Van De Hijhden.
I set myself a task to make and distribute 40 peace cranes from this
disintegrating book for random distribution to ordinary people I met,
police officers, members of the public and friends alike and so retell
the story of the prophecy of Micah, the plantings at SAAB and our
ongoing resistance to war, distress and poverty today.
Planting the Vine and Fig trees was for me something that seems to
have gotten into my blood. I felt annoyed personally that my rights
were taken away, that I was being told nothing nor could make even a
phone call and more broadly that also others lives are taken away in
war zones. I decided in response to my emotional state to fast both
food and water (which I did for two days). The last time I had done
this was outside 10 Downing Street with Voices in the Wilderness (UK)
to resist the imposition of sanctions on Iraq. Iraq got into my blood
too, into my heart its people and especially its current sad
circumstances.
I went to Iraq to proactively break the sanctions (2001) with UK
Voices in the Wilderness and now I had planted Vine and Fig trees at
weapons factories with others and the trees themselves seem to
challenge the very necessity of these dangerous places in ways people
with placards, and blocking roads never can.
At the police detention center I recall one detective was particularly
humane and friendly, she reflected on the rising violence in
Gothenburg suburbs amongst young adults who carry weapons and how the
police are now expected to wear armored padding against knives and
guns, I reflected that weapons factories do not give citizens correct
messages about what is acceptable. She kindly got me a blanket
confiscated from me by police wardens me for my resistance to some of
their demands.
A preliminary hearing for remand was held on the anniversary of the
bombing of Nagasaki in a Gothenburg courtroom. I was released after
explaining with the aid of an interpreter that I would be only too
pleased, and was seriously committed to returning to Sweden and court
at their convenience to retell the story of planting these Vine and
Fig Trees at places such as SAAB microwave.
These planting interventions are motivated by and completed as
creative civil disobedience rather than as protest. Rather than
protest we choose to show and initiate resistance with creativity not
complaint. We start the process and invite others wherever they are to
continue the transformation of other weapons factories themselves.
There is surely a paradigm shift between what is protest and post
protest, I am committed to the latter.
Pictures from the planting:
http://ickeveld.net.net/vineandfigplanters/bilder20070806.htm
Addendum:
Notes:
The Vine & Fig Tree Planters have abandoned protest and the language
and behaviour of protest, no negative catchwords are used, instead
they try to put focus on creative activity. Perceived leaders are not
asked to do the job for us. Henry David Thoreau's writings indicate
that he believed that the problem is not the government, but those who
protest and still obey. Here he sows the seed for nonviolent
resistance that is built on completely different logic than protest or
being against, utter dissatisfaction, being reactive.
between the intervention I am now in better place to reflect regarding
the planting of Vine and Fig Trees and my subsequent imprisonment.
On eve of the 62nd anniversary of the bombing of the people of
Hiroshima, the 'Vine & Fig Tree Planters' went to the Saab Microwave
factory at Mölndal, Sweden to plant more vine and fig trees. We
planted near to the factory walls and looked for deep rich dark earth
for good growth.
Following a period of silence, prayer and reflection and after
finishing our planting and watering in of the plants near to the
factory walls, we were able restfully welcome, and offer grape juice,
figs and grapes to the attending police and security guard guests who
came to see what was happening.
They were pleasant and surprised to see us calmly enjoying the plants
and sitting in the new garden we had made, however they arrested us to
ask more about this. Fellow Vine and Fig Tree Planters' Herngren and
Johnnson were released after about an hour however it was decided that
I ought to interviewed and investigation further. I introduced myself
and went willingly into a police detention center into what turned out
to be solitary confinement for three nights.
My main pastimes during the time in my cell was much silence, rest,
reflection, a bit of basic salsa practice and to read a uniquely
poignant book, permitted to me in the cell. This book "The Prison
Journal of a Priest Revolutionary", by Phillip Berrigan, documented
reflections of his own imprisonment (between 6th – 9th August 1967) as
part of the Catonsville four (addendum 1)in resistance to the draft of
serviceman to Vietnam in 1967, 40 years before.
This subversive book had been given to me by a catholic Worker/
ploughshares Priest Fr Martin Newell who himself had been imprisoned
for preventing the conveyance and delivery of nuclear warheads from
RAF Wittering to Faslane for deployment in 2000, it was given to him
by his co-conspirator Dutch Catholic Worker Susan Van De Hijhden.
I set myself a task to make and distribute 40 peace cranes from this
disintegrating book for random distribution to ordinary people I met,
police officers, members of the public and friends alike and so retell
the story of the prophecy of Micah, the plantings at SAAB and our
ongoing resistance to war, distress and poverty today.
Planting the Vine and Fig trees was for me something that seems to
have gotten into my blood. I felt annoyed personally that my rights
were taken away, that I was being told nothing nor could make even a
phone call and more broadly that also others lives are taken away in
war zones. I decided in response to my emotional state to fast both
food and water (which I did for two days). The last time I had done
this was outside 10 Downing Street with Voices in the Wilderness (UK)
to resist the imposition of sanctions on Iraq. Iraq got into my blood
too, into my heart its people and especially its current sad
circumstances.
I went to Iraq to proactively break the sanctions (2001) with UK
Voices in the Wilderness and now I had planted Vine and Fig trees at
weapons factories with others and the trees themselves seem to
challenge the very necessity of these dangerous places in ways people
with placards, and blocking roads never can.
At the police detention center I recall one detective was particularly
humane and friendly, she reflected on the rising violence in
Gothenburg suburbs amongst young adults who carry weapons and how the
police are now expected to wear armored padding against knives and
guns, I reflected that weapons factories do not give citizens correct
messages about what is acceptable. She kindly got me a blanket
confiscated from me by police wardens me for my resistance to some of
their demands.
A preliminary hearing for remand was held on the anniversary of the
bombing of Nagasaki in a Gothenburg courtroom. I was released after
explaining with the aid of an interpreter that I would be only too
pleased, and was seriously committed to returning to Sweden and court
at their convenience to retell the story of planting these Vine and
Fig Trees at places such as SAAB microwave.
These planting interventions are motivated by and completed as
creative civil disobedience rather than as protest. Rather than
protest we choose to show and initiate resistance with creativity not
complaint. We start the process and invite others wherever they are to
continue the transformation of other weapons factories themselves.
There is surely a paradigm shift between what is protest and post
protest, I am committed to the latter.
Pictures from the planting:
http://ickeveld.net.net/vineandfigplanters/bilder20070806.htm Addendum:
Notes:
The Vine & Fig Tree Planters have abandoned protest and the language
and behaviour of protest, no negative catchwords are used, instead
they try to put focus on creative activity. Perceived leaders are not
asked to do the job for us. Henry David Thoreau's writings indicate
that he believed that the problem is not the government, but those who
protest and still obey. Here he sows the seed for nonviolent
resistance that is built on completely different logic than protest or
being against, utter dissatisfaction, being reactive.
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