Thursday, October 09, 2003
Resist Bush! 19-21 Nov. Mass Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Buckingham Palace 19 Nov.
Hi everyone
At a London anti-war meeting last Thursday, it was decided to initiate proposals for open nonviolent mass actions to greet President Bush during his visit.
(This was a meeting of London GROW or Grassroots Opposition to War, a grassroots anti-war network which just organised the Grassroots Activist Conference in London 26-28 Sept.)
After a discussion at Saturday's London Social Forum, several activists (from JNV and other groups) decided to (a) call some meetings and (b) make a proposal for a framework.
Name for this initiative is currently, 'Resist Bush'.
1) OPEN PLANNING MEETING: RESIST BUSH
7pm, Thursday 16 October, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London (near Holborn tube). Most likely the first of several meetings.
2) PROPOSAL: Buckingham Palace, Day 1, 19 November
We are suggesting that there be a day of action centred on Buckingham Palace on the first day of Bush's visit. We are suggesting
(a) an open, mass action with announced gathering point(s) (despite all the downsides of this, we think there are people who are just starting out on nonviolent civil disobedience who would appreciate this kind of opportunity)
and, in parallel, (b) a call for autonomous affinity groups to carry out nonviolent actions around, at and maybe inside Buckingham Palace during the day.
3) NONVIOLENCE / OPENNESS
We would stress that this is a call for NONVIOLENT action. A proposed definition of 'nonviolence' is 'action which does not harm or degrade any human being'.
There are two other days to think of other parts of London, other focuses and (maybe) other styles of action. If you have suggestions for these other days, please come on the 16th for us to sort out coordination/keeping things distinct.
We should also stress that this is an open planning process. We realise that a lot of covert (probably small-group) actions will take place independently of this process. We propose that these meetings are only for discussing open actions, and for sorting out the coordination/distinction stuff.
4) SUPPORT REQUESTED!
So this proposal is supported right now by Justice Not Vengeance (JNV) and by the Pledge of Resistance. If your group would like to support it, please subscribe to our email list
resistbush@yahoogroups.co.uk
We hope to have a website up soon, if you can help with this, please let us know via the e-list!
5) PREPARATION / TRAINING
We are aiming to circulate the details of people willing to preparation/nonviolence training/legal briefing for affinity groups coming to Buckingham Palace. It's safer and more fun if you come in an affinity group: please think about setting one up if you haven't already got one going, and having a preparation session.
Many thanks
Milan Rai and Jonathan Stevenson (JNV), Gabriel Carlyle and Sian Glaessner (Voices in the Wilderness UK), and others.
Hi everyone
At a London anti-war meeting last Thursday, it was decided to initiate proposals for open nonviolent mass actions to greet President Bush during his visit.
(This was a meeting of London GROW or Grassroots Opposition to War, a grassroots anti-war network which just organised the Grassroots Activist Conference in London 26-28 Sept.)
After a discussion at Saturday's London Social Forum, several activists (from JNV and other groups) decided to (a) call some meetings and (b) make a proposal for a framework.
Name for this initiative is currently, 'Resist Bush'.
1) OPEN PLANNING MEETING: RESIST BUSH
7pm, Thursday 16 October, Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London (near Holborn tube). Most likely the first of several meetings.
2) PROPOSAL: Buckingham Palace, Day 1, 19 November
We are suggesting that there be a day of action centred on Buckingham Palace on the first day of Bush's visit. We are suggesting
(a) an open, mass action with announced gathering point(s) (despite all the downsides of this, we think there are people who are just starting out on nonviolent civil disobedience who would appreciate this kind of opportunity)
and, in parallel, (b) a call for autonomous affinity groups to carry out nonviolent actions around, at and maybe inside Buckingham Palace during the day.
3) NONVIOLENCE / OPENNESS
We would stress that this is a call for NONVIOLENT action. A proposed definition of 'nonviolence' is 'action which does not harm or degrade any human being'.
There are two other days to think of other parts of London, other focuses and (maybe) other styles of action. If you have suggestions for these other days, please come on the 16th for us to sort out coordination/keeping things distinct.
We should also stress that this is an open planning process. We realise that a lot of covert (probably small-group) actions will take place independently of this process. We propose that these meetings are only for discussing open actions, and for sorting out the coordination/distinction stuff.
4) SUPPORT REQUESTED!
So this proposal is supported right now by Justice Not Vengeance (JNV) and by the Pledge of Resistance. If your group would like to support it, please subscribe to our email list
resistbush@yahoogroups.co.uk
We hope to have a website up soon, if you can help with this, please let us know via the e-list!
5) PREPARATION / TRAINING
We are aiming to circulate the details of people willing to preparation/nonviolence training/legal briefing for affinity groups coming to Buckingham Palace. It's safer and more fun if you come in an affinity group: please think about setting one up if you haven't already got one going, and having a preparation session.
Many thanks
Milan Rai and Jonathan Stevenson (JNV), Gabriel Carlyle and Sian Glaessner (Voices in the Wilderness UK), and others.
