Wales Anti-militarism Newswire Archive

21 September is World Peace Day. The occasion has been marked in Wrexham for a number of years, starting in a small way with a service at the Catholic Cathedral and picnics for peace in town, and has grown year on year.

For 2013, there is a full programme of six events for peace over three days organised by various groups.

The other night, we sat in a hotel bar in Pembrokeshire with the Welsh family of U.S. military prisoner Bradley Manning (now Chelsea Manning) as the young soldier they last saw outside prison walls over three years ago starts a 35 year sentence at Ft. Leavenworth. Kansas, U.S.A.

DRONAU MILWROL ALLAN O GYMRU
DIWEDD I LADD GYDA DRONAU

Dewch i ymuno a ni ar 9 Medi - a dywedwch wrth eraill!

MILITARY DRONES OUT OF WALES
END DRONE TERROR KILLING

Please do come to join us on 9th September - and tell others!

Around a dozen people showed up in Queens Square, Wrexham this morning at short notice in visible opposition to the threat of western military action in Syria. The government may have lost the Commons vote last night but there's every chance it won't be able to resist getting involved in some way if the US goes ahead with an attack.

Among those protesting today were two enthusiastic children who made sure the placards were displayed to their best advantage throughout the morning and a Syrian friend who has alreadly lost five cousins and numerous acquaintances in the conflict.

MP Ann Clwyd commented today on the verdict in the trial of Bradley Manning. She said:

"At this point I would throw out some questions... What about the people who sent Manning to Iraq? Let's hear some things about them..."

 http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/31/bradley-manning-uk-supporters

Good idea!

Some news from Bradley Manning's ongoing trial, expected to continue into August, a report and photos from yesterday in Wrexham, and a call-out for solidarity everywhere on Saturday 27 July, which has been called by the Bradley Manning Support Network as an International Day of Action.

The Wrexham Peace Day Group has co-ordinated local peace days in September for the past few years. In 2012 the group worked with St Christopher's school to put together a day of peace education and activities that was attended by over 300 children aged 7-19 from ten different schools, followed by two days for peace in the middle of town. Another schools day is planned for this year on Friday 20 September with a day in town on Saturday 21.

Thanks to generous offers of time and skills, we've also been able to offer sessions on peace related themes in schools during the summer term this year. A couple of weeks ago, children in two primary and two high schools learned about nuclear weapons and the peace movement in sessions delivered by Julia Herzog from Faslane Peace Camp; over the next couple of weeks, Camilla Cancantata from Footloose will work with children from two schools to create music for peace, while Fiona Collins will tell peace stories from different cultures to children in three more schools. This week and next, however, the focus is on Palestine, with Ann Farr of EAPPI and Rod Cox of CAPE speaking to local children about their work.

This exhibition of children's artwork from Gaza has been in Wrexham since the end of April and is currently on display at St Christopher's Community School. It will be moving to Oswestry, Shropshire in July.

See it at Hermon arts space on Saturdays 13 and 20 July and hear Rod Cox speak about the artwork and the lives of the children who created it on Friday 19 July at the same venue.

UK citizens must stand united if we are to be effective as a peace movement

On the final leg of my five day Bradley Manning solidarity tour of Bristol and south Wales, I headed west from Cardiff early Sunday morning, through Carmarthen and on to Haverfordwest, where members of Bradley's family still live. My aim was to have a solidarity presence in Haverfordwest as Brad's trial begins in the US. See previous reports from: Bristol | Bristol/Cardiff. This report covers Sun 2 and Mon 3 June, with a few photos of banners etc. to illustrate.

Bradley Manning's trial starts Monday 3 June and this weekend activists around the world have been taking action in solidarity, including in London [Photos here | Links to reports etc. here] where around 250 people from all over gathered outside the US Embassy to hear speakers including Peter Tatchell, Vivienne Westwood and Craig Murray, music including David Rovics. There was also an ill-fated banner drop in Bristol [Report here], a smaller one with a replacement banner in Carmarthen and a presence in Cardiff and Haverfordwest. This is a brief report with some photos from Bristol and Cardiff.

The big pink 'FREE BRADLEY MANNING' banner has been displayed, without incident, all over the place in the past 18 months or so: Wrexham, Cardiff, Bala, Haverfordwest (where members of Brad's family still live), Chester, Liverpool, Oswestry, north Yorkshire, London, the summit of Snowdon. It's designed to be re-used, attached to railings with easy-to-undo tapes.

In Bristol yesterday, at the start of a five day solidarity effort leading up to Bradley Manning's trial which begins in the US on Monday, this banner and another - 'TRUTH ON TRIAL' - were seized by cops who told me they would be destroying them. In fact they had already badly damaged the banners by hacking them off the railings with a knife and ripping them instead of undoing the bows, having refused my offer to remove them. Since the incident led to an arrest and threat of summons, the banners are now in police custody as exhibits A and B, with the arresting cops announcing as they escorted me to the exit door of Trinity Road police station: ' and when it comes to court we're going to apply for a destruction order.'

Saturday 1 June is an international day of action for Welsh-American WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning, facing Court Martial on over 20 charges including 'Aiding the Enemy' and a possible sentence of life without parole or even potentially the death penalty if convicted. The trial starts on 3 June and is expected to last over two months. Bradley Manning dared to reveal the truth about US-led wars, US interference around the globe and much more, hoping that this information would trigger "worldwide discussion, debates, and reforms... if not... then we’re doomed as a species." He went on to say "I will officially give up on the society we have if nothing happens."

Brad still has many family members living in Wales. Cardiff Reds Choir/Cor Cochion Caerdydd is organising a solidarity event in Cardiff on 1 June. In London, there will be a protest outside the US Embassy . Worldwide events listed at bradleymanning.org.

Today, 17 May, is the 100th day of the current Guantánamo hunger strike, with most of the 166 remaining prisoners now refusing food, including British resident Shaker Aamer. Like most of the others, he has not been charged with any crime and has been cleared for release, but with no prospect of actually being freed. Aamer has been held at Guantánamo for 11 years and joined the hunger strike in March. Over 30 prisoners are now being brutally force fed. Some are close to death. A global emergency three days of action has been called.

 http://londonguantanamocampaign.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/what-are-you-doing-on-17-19-may-global.html

Loss of Innocence

This is an exhibition of more than fifty pieces of children's artwork “some funny, some tragic, many beautiful” collected by Rod Cox during a visit to Gaza with the Aid Convoy early in 2009 in the wake of Operation Cast Lead, a sustained attack by Israel which, according to Red Crescent spokesperson Dr. Khalil Abu Foul, "did not just have 1500 killed, or 5000 wounded. It has traumatised the entire population, all 1.5 million." The exhibition is going to be in Wrexham for the next few weeks, starting with the Cathedral until 17 May.

Around 60 people gathered at the Arc Statue in the centre of Wrexham at 5pm today to mark Maggie Thatcher's demise with a vigil for 'the workers and unwaged who are still living with Thatcher's legacy.' There was a silent vigil and then speeches.

Half a dozen members and supporters of Wrexham Peace & Justice Forum were out on the streets this morning as part of the Global Day of Action on Military Spending in solidarity with friends past and present who have the perseverance to continue to protest the wars in the face of widespread apathy. There have been actions today at Faslane (47 arrests), in Brighton, London and all over the place.

 http://demilitarize.org.uk/

One of over 60 protests around the world against the continued detention of Bradley Manning, incarcerated for blowing the whistle on war crimes.

Meet Queens Square, town centre, Wrexham.
10am - 11.30am

We held another drone information stall yesterday in Wrexham.

See also this indymedia report and photos from a previous stall and this recent protest at RAF Waddington from where British armed Reaper drones will be controlled.

There was another demonstration outside the Wrexham branch of Barclays Bank today in solidarity with the people of Gaza and in protest at and to help make people aware of Barclays' links with the arms trade and with Israel.