On March 11th, 2009, CIA agents Bonya and Lilith II particpated in the weekly vigil in Faslane, Scotland, the home base of the British nuclear submarines.

The weekly vigil is a completely peaceful and legal gathering that involves a bunch of people and 1-3 cow agents putting up banners and hanging around the front entrance of the base in lousy weather, greeting and waving to workers leaving the base and explaining to Ministry of Defence  police offers working at the base why nuclear weapons are dangerous and what peace alternatives exist.

Until recently those meetings went on rather undisturbed. Recently, police have been taking pictures and asking questions in a rather aggressive way. An anonymous source claims that the government, which is coming under increasing criticism for lacking intelligent ways for tackling the financial crisis, has now decided to gather loads of any intelligence whatsoever, hoping that this way they can maybe come up with an intelligent solution after all. No evidence for these claims has been put forward so far.

Sergeant Joe* (face changed for privacy reasons)

At yesterday’s weekly vigil, intelligence gathering Sergeant Joe* insisted on taking pictures of all new people he did not recognize,   asking them for their first name, surname, address, e-mail, website, asking them to take their hat off in pouring rain (presumably so that he could take a  picture of their hair), asking where they go next, if and when they will go on a protest and any other privacy question he could think of.  No questions of relevance to the prevention of war crimes, crimes on humanity and terrorism (i.e. for the scrapping of nuclear weapons) were asked by the seargeant.

Evidence thus suggests that police spying work about as counterproductive for the common good as the work done by certain banks. The chances of Seargeant Joe being offered a bonus for his untiring work to help create more databases and destroy the little remaining the privacy of peace activists are thus rather slim.  He therefore must be fuelled by something else than a promised bonus and the money refused to bankers does not seem to be paid to government spies instead. Maybe cows would have a chance if they applied?

*name changed to protect privacy

PS:

Helensburgh Eyecare Notice - 13 March 2009

The CIA has discovered that a new eyecare facility will be opened near the base soon, so even if no intelligent ways of disposing of nuclear weapons are found, at least can the captains of nuclear submarines now can get their eyes checked  more easily, which might possibly reduce the risk them bumping into other nuclear submarines (we are aware that this proposal is of course complete nonsense, but so is suggesting that various submarines full of deadly nuclear weapons travel the oceans without them being able to see each other – or making them visible and liable to attacks – the only way to make them safe is to take them off patrol immediately and decommision them).

More information on the spying on peaceful protesters: Revealed: police database on thousands of protesters

The 5 women were being prosecuted by „the crown“, presumably the one of Queen Elisabeth II, although neither the queen, her crown or indeed, any crown were present.

This did not seem to bother the judge, he was quite content with the physical presence of the five women. He was less content with their physical presence in the road outside the Aldermaston weapons factory on October 27th and declared them all guilty.

Whether they would have been found not guilty if they had worn a crown while they were lying in the road and thus disrupted the production of the bombs that cost billions of pounds and can kill millions of people is still being investigated.

More information about the 27/10 Big Blockade

Children aged under five living within a 3-mile radius of a nuclear power plant, are more than twice as likely to get leukaemia.

This has been confirmed by the German Commission for Radiation protection on October 9th, 2008.

While the German Commission for Radiation protection has confirmed the increased cancer risk, it cannot explain it. Neither can the CIA explain why the British and other governments still want to build new deadly nuclear power plants.

Nuclear power increases child leaukaemia risk

Strahlenschutzkommission bestätigt erhöhtes Krebsrisiko in der Nähe von Atomkraftwerken

Bildquelle

The publicly announced civil inspection was met by a massive amount of police who were so nice as to close the headquarters for us. 500 nonviolent protestes and 2 nonviolent cows were arrested. The cows decorated their cell door with a peace flag, were let free in the evening, slept a couple of hours and continued with a conference on military globalisation and nonviolent resistance in Europe.

Without Europe’s help the Iraq war would not have been possible – at least not that easily. Both troups and arms were sent to Iraq from Europe. Without NATO, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Turkey and Italy would find it much easier to get rid of the 240 US nuclear bombs on their territory. Without a military alliance that prepares war crimes and allows the first strike of nuclear weapons (e.g. for attack, not for defense), police in Belgium could spend their time for better things than arresting nonviolent peace activists. That’s why the CIA decided to participate in NATO – Game Over on March 22nd, 2008.

The CIA arrived in Brussels from Switzerland with 3 cow agents, 1 dog journalist and 2 human friends on Thursday evening. The Belgian peace activists had done fabulous work: they had organised a meeting place, a sleeping place and a vegan kitchen team for the around 150 international activists. Since we had given away our cow banner from last year’s CIA Easter action, Renate brought a white pillow cover, which we painted and dried it on the heater. We were now fully equipped.

Friday was dedicated to a 1-day action training, where we met two ladies from England and another two from Italy. We managed to recruit them for our affinity group, i.e. the small group of people that look out after each other during big demonstrations. A friend from France, arrived in the evening and also agreed to join our group. We checked who of us was ready to go over the fence, hugged each other, bonded and went to bed.

The next day we were briefed on the action, all got an arm band that made it clearly visible that we intended to get into NATO to check war crimes and then set of guided by a highly visible green flag. Surprisingly enough we did not see any police until shortly before the 2m-high NATO fence, which had been reinforced by a roll of barbed wire on the ground. Our guess is that the Easter rabbit had hidden lots of chocolate eggs near NATO so police wanted to stay close to ensure nobody took their eggs.

Moreover we think that the police inside the fence did some kind of contest entitled „How can I show my masculinity in the most ridiculous way“. We awarded the first price to the three police officers that tore our Swiss guy from the fence and jumped at him all at the same time. The second price went to the security guard who pulled one of our Italian ladies, who was trying to climb down the fence in a way that made her foot get stuck so that it did take her a much longer time to get down that she would have needed if he had left her alone.

The second pseudo-masculinity contest (from what we could gather) was „How can I use violence in the most unnecessary way, just because I am too lazy to carry a nonviolent peace activist?“. All the prices of this category went to the group of police men who strangled our French guy with a police baton, when he sat down nonviolently on the ground instead of walking with them. When he became unconscious they let their dog bite his leg and then kicked him in the back. When he then decided to walk one of them said „See, that’s what you have to do, he now walks“.

The third contest was: „Why tell the truth, when you can lie“ and Renate fell for it, because she always believes everything she is told, such as: „Don’t worry about your friend, he is fine“ (talking about our French guy during the pseudo-masculinity contest).

Fortunately there also was a „Smile and be friendly contest“ on, and a number of police officers participated in it. We did, too, especially in jail, where we eventually ended up. There were five nice vertical bars in the door so we attached our peace flag and squeezed us two cows inbetween. Before they eventually let us out, a picture was taken of all arrested people and cows and Renate was threatened that they would keep her for 12h in jail if she did not sign a paper that she was not legally obliged to sign. Abuse of power, not the first time it happens to her. It did irritate her somewhat, as did the fact that they refused to offer translators to the peope who did not understand French or Dutch and lied to them about what they had to sign. Luckily she read 15 pages of Martin Luther King texts today, which were full of explanations as to why it is important to love all people and has now calmed down.

Once out of jail us cows and Renate decided to wait for the others of our group. Police threatened to not let out anybody any more if we continued to wait. We did not give in, because being there for each other when we are released is part of our nonviolent approach based in love for each other. Together with a nice German girl we waited patiently in the freezing street until everybody was out – even those who had refused to sign and were kept in until the very end.

Back at the meeting place, warm vegan food was waiting – and all the other international peace activists as well. We ate, wrote reports, looked at pictures of the action, hugged each other and went to bed at 2 AM. Got up again at 8, did an evaluation and all went to a conference on military globalisation.

At the conference we heard loads of information that made us even more committed, esp. about military bases, such as Vicenza in Italy – where our Italian ladies have been active in the past – and Diego Garcia in the Pacific – to which Renate’s friend Jon has sailed to alert the world population to the plight of its evicted population (see Chagos People’s Navy).

With so much to do all over the place, we decided to post our cow agents to different places in need: Dragiza got the mission to cover peace observers in Palestine and Dahu will from now on report about nonviolent resistance in Italy. Ludmilla, alias Lilith III was placed in Switzerland. After many kisses the cows and humans parted and returned home with their head chock-full of impressions and information.

Three more cows have been recruited since and are looking forward to the next CIA adventure. It might well be the blockade of the nuclear weapons factory in Aldermaston on October 27^th.

On Easter Lilith II and other CIA agents are going to Brussels for a civil inspection of NATO-Headquarters

What’s it all about?

Brussel hosts the political headquarters of NATO – a centre of worldwide war planning.
NATO creates more problems than it solves. We don’t need a military alliance that threatens the rest of the world.

• We don’t need a machinery for global military interventional

• Security is too important to leave it to the military

• We want to make the resistance against military globalisation visible again.

It it time to question the legitimacy of military power tools.

Sa 22.3. NATO Game Over
Su 23.-Mo 24.3. Seminary on military globalisation and nonviolent resistance in Europe

What will we do there?

‚NATO – Game Over‘ is not an ordinary demonstration, neither is it a game. It is a nonviolent and resolute attempt to close NATO. Up till today, every nonviolent direct action at or around NATO’s headquarters was met with large numbers of police, miles of barbed wire, prohibitions,… This will not stop us. Through nonviolent direct action we try to prevent wars and stop war crimes. Our basic conditions for taking part are openness, active nonviolence and a strong sense of responsibility.
Together we will head to the NATO headquarters, five years after the start of the war in Iraq, to close it down. Literally we will shut its gates and access roads. We are nonviolent and determined. Bomspotters will enter and inspect the terrain where the preparation for the use of nuclear weapons occurs in order to stop war crimes.

What does this have to do with our countries?

The NATO has deployed 350 US nuclear weapons in Europe. It permits the use of nuclear weapons against states who do not posses nuclear weapons themselves.

Every nuclear weapon is a threat to safety and undermines international efforts towards nuclear disarmament. Every bomb is a potential target for acts of terror and brings with it an unacceptable risk of accident.

How do we organise ourselves?

We form an affinity group (or several of them), which participates in Game Over with a common goal. We take decisions by consensus. We share the various roles (press, legal support, first aid,…) within the group, in a way that suits all . Every one of us has a „buddy“ during the action – both remain together for the entire action and look out after one another.

Practical stuff

Accomodation will be organised and we – and all the others – can stay there with our sleeping mats and sleeping bags.

Schedule

Thu, 20.3. Travelling to Brussels, sight-seeing at NATO headquarters, meeting with local people who have taken part in past bombspotting actions

Fr, 21.3. Preparation of the action, nonviolence training

Sa, 22.3. Game Over at the NATO headquarters

23.3.- 24.3. Seminary on military globalisation and nonviolent resistance in Europe

You can also arrive on 21 March and just take over the decisions taken by your group until then and be part of the decision-making from the moment you arrive.

Legal information

Trespassing on a military base without permission is a crime according to Belgian criminal law and is in theory punished with a prison sentence of maximal 5 years. During the ten years that the Bombspotting-campaign has taken place, the Belgian courts have not sentenced anyone for these actions. In practice, the only consequence of participating in a Bombspotting-action is an arrestation for several hours.

Although the legal situation makes it doubtful that any legal consequences will follow, we can not guarantee that. We provide legal support and make sure you do not end up isolated in court, but in case of prosecution it is still you facing the courts. Be aware that in such case the action is not finished on 22 March but after a court procedure. Civil disobedience is never a risk-free activity.

Background

What is a bombspotting action?

A Bombspotting-action is a mass action of civil disobedience by trespassing and inspecting military bases and headquarters. It is strictly nonviolent.

Reasons for the action and its timing

The use and threat of use of nuclear weapons is illegal according to an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice. This also applies to NATO nuclear weapons in Europe.

The 22 March is the fifth anniversary of the beginning of the war in Iraq. Through NATO, Europe is involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. European states train military forces for the NATO Response Force and due to NATO the US still maintains bases in Europe used for military interventions worldwide.

At the beginning of April NATO has a very decisive summit in Bucharest. NATO is discussing its future and an important step will be the review of its Strategic Concept, which will start on the Bucharest summit. A new Strategic Concept will shape NATO policy for the next ten years. This makes the coming year very important for the future of NATO. Will NATO remove its nuclear weapons or do they get a new role towards the Middle East? Will NATO become a global military alliance? Will NATO legitimate the US missile defense system? With the NATO Game Over-action we hope to create international political pressure targeted at these decisions.

Seminary on military globalisation and nonviolent resistance in Europe

5 years ago, the Iraq war enlarged the public awareness of Europe’s role in the military globalisation. In 2003, all over Europe nonviolent direct actions took place against the deployment of troops to Iraq. Meanwhile, several military bases are met with a lot of local resistance.

On this seminar we bring together the local resistance against bases and nonviolent direct action groups from several European countries to share knowledge on the military complex and to build partnerships and common strategies.

More Infos: http://www.vredesactie.be/dossier.php?id=21

Any questions? Ask Renate ugatza@gmx.net

Download Flyer NATO – game over (pdf 110 kB)