[Onthebarricades] Peace protests, October 2008

[global resistance roundup]

* US: New York - violent police attack on anti-war veterans
* US: Pakistani-Americans protest Obama attack comments
* US: Protester tries to arrest Karl Rove
* PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Hill tribes reach peace deal
* INDIA: Protests continue against nuclear deal
* PAKISTAN: Protest against US warmongering
* INDIA: Kerala - Indo-US naval exercise sparks leftist protests
* UK: Brighton - mass protest against arms dealer
* UK: Aldermaston - peace protesters blockade base
* UK: Bath - protesters call for peace jobs
* UK: Bristol - Raytheon rooftop occupation
* NORTHERN IRELAND: Sinn Fein protests army parade




http://socialistworker.org/2008/10/17/antiwar-vets-attacked

Antiwar vets attacked by police outside debate
Lucy Herschel and Hannah Wolfe report on how police met antiwar dissent 
with batons and horses at the last presidential debate in New York.
October 17, 2008 | Issue 683
Nassau County police injured several people in their assault on antiwar 
protests outside the presidential debate
WHILE BARACK Obama and John McCain were getting makeup touch-ups for 
their Wednesday night debate at Hofstra University, in Hempstead, N.Y., 
police outside made sure that the voices of antiwar veterans wouldn't be 
heard.
Officers of the Nassau County Police Department reacted with reckless 
violence to a protest organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) 
outside the debate site. Among several people injured in the assault, 
former Army Sgt. Nick Morgan was knocked unconscious and his cheekbone 
broken when he was trampled by a police horse.
"We were there to force the issue that the leaders of this nation are 
not listening to or are not caring about veterans," said IVAW member 
Matthis Chiroux, who was among several veterans and activists arrested. 
"And they couldn't have done a better job of proving us right. They 
stomped my friend Nick's face into Jell-o. I put this on both 
candidates, on the major press and on the Nassau County police."
The IVAW had sent a request to the debate moderator that they be allowed 
to ask their own questions of the candidates at the Hofstra event, but 
this was ignored--and so the third and final presidential debate passed 
without an antiwar voice being represented.
That night, IVAW organized a nonviolent demonstration to request entry 
into the debate. Marching in uniform and in formation, IVAW members led 
several hundred activists to an intersection in front of the Hofstra 
campus gates--where they were confronted by an army of mounted police 
and riot cops.
Ten IVAW members were arrested, apparently for no more than insisting on 
their right to be heard. Mounted police then pushed the crowd back onto 
the sidewalk, recklessly pulling their horses around and at times 
backing them into the crowd. The police continued to drive protesters 
back, pinning the crowd up against a fence.
Riot cops reached past the IVAW members at the front of the crowd, 
grabbing protesters behind them and dragging them into the street. A 
mounted cop leapt with his horse onto the sidewalk and trampled 
protesters, including Morgan.
Chiroux said the police took Morgan aside and bandaged him, but then 
placed him in a truck with other arrestees to go to processing and 
detention.
"He was incoherent, he couldn't even say his name," Chiroux said. "He 
had blood running down his face. We kept telling the police he needed 
immediate medical attention. One officer said, with a smirk, 'Get him to 
say it. He has to say it.' I said, 'He can't even talk!' The officer 
said, 'Tough luck.' Finally, we said, 'Nick, you have to say I need to 
go to the hospital.' We got him to say it, and they took him in."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
CHIROUX SAID that while they were detained, he and his fellow IVAW 
members were verbally harassed by police. "They called us traitors, 
cowards, idiots," he said.
Three women IVAW members who had been arrested were handcuffed to a 
bench, and "the male officers kept coming closer to them, verbally 
sexually harassing them," Chiroux said. "One kept holding up Marlisa's 
ID to her face and saying, 'Wow, you look like you came out of a Barbie 
magazine.'"
Morgan was brought back from the hospital, still incoherent and in great 
pain. He was left chained to a bench for five hours without further 
medical attention, Chiroux said. IVAW members repeatedly asked officers 
for their names (they weren't wearing badges) or to contact 
lawyers--they were refused on all counts.
When most of the IVAW members were finally released at 2:30 a.m. 
(according to reports, one vet remained in custody as this report was 
written), they went, still in uniform, to a nearby diner--where the same 
group of cops who had detained them were eating.
Chiroux went up to them and asked again for their names. One officer 
"got up in my face," he said, "screaming and waving his finger at me and 
saying, 'I'm gonna kick your ass if you keep asking that.'"
The IVAW members say they wanted to ask Barack Obama if he would support 
soldiers who refuse to serve in Iraq, since in the past, he had called 
the Iraq war illegal. They also wanted to question John McCain about his 
votes to cut veterans benefits.
"Neither of the candidates have shown real support for soldiers and 
veterans," said Jason Lemieux, a former sergeant in the Marine Corps and 
a member of IVAW who served three tours in Iraq.
"We came here to try and get serious questions answered--questions that 
we, as veterans of the Iraq war, have a right to ask--but instead we 
were arrested. We believe that the time has come to end this war and 
bring our troops home, and we will be pushing for that no matter what 
happens in this election."
IVAW members thanked activists for coming to support the march and for 
enduring the police violence.
"For many of our members, this was their first protest," said Hannah 
Fleury of the Campus Antiwar Network, which mobilized chapters from as 
far away as Boston for this protest. "Now that we see what we're up 
against, we're going to fight even harder on our campuses to end the 
war, and to support the veterans."
The New York Civil Liberties Union is asking for an immediate 
investigation into the use of horses at the demonstration. "It is 
shocking that someone who served his country would be treated so 
disgracefully by the Nassau County Police Department," Tara 
Keenan-Thomson, director of the group's Nassau County chapter, said in a 
press release.
As Chiroux said, "Both candidates claim they support veterans. And this 
is how we got supported last night: by being pushed back, trampled and 
arrested.
"We demonstrated to the country and the world that democracy is not dead 
in the United States--that the people in the U.S. still ultimately hold 
the power. They can try to force our voices to be silent, to block us 
out of the media, but we won't let these people shut us down."






http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/USA/15_protesters_arrested_at_US_presidential_debate_venue/articleshow/3601978.cms

15 protesters arrested at US presidential debate venue
16 Oct 2008, 1018 hrs IST, AP

HEMPSTEAD, New York: Police say 15 people have been arrested during 
anti-war protests outside the Long Island university campus where the
presidential debate was held.

Nassau County Police Lt. Kevin Smith says the 15 protesters were 
arrested on disorderly conduct charges Wednesday night outside the gates 
of Hofstra University in Hempstead. He says they identified themselves 
as Iraq war veterans.

Police say they were arrested trying to get onto the campus after they 
had been turned away from a university gate. They say one person may 
have received a minor injury and has been taken to a nearby hospital.

About 350 people had gathered outside the campus in the afternoon and 
were met by mounted police and officers in riot gear.






http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/oct/10/local/chi-pakistani-protest-10-oct10

Archive for Friday, October 10, 2008
Pakistani-Americans ask Obama to ease rhetoric about bombing targets in 
Pakistan
By Noreen S Ahmedullah
October 10, 2008
A group of Pakistani-Americans and anti-war activists delivered a letter 
Thursday to the Chicago office of Sen. Barack Obama, calling on him to 
cool political rhetoric about bombing targets in Pakistan.

“We are particularly concerned with your public pronouncements earlier 
this week in support of violating the borders of our ally, the country 
of Pakistan… . You must understand the sweeping dismay that your avowed 
support for U.S. military incursions into Pakistan … has elicited among 
untold numbers of Pakistani-Americans and peace activists across the 
country,” the letter stated.

During his debate Tuesday with Sen. John McCain, Obama said he was not 
calling for the invasion of Pakistan. But Obama added, “If Pakistan is 
unable or unwilling to hunt down [Osama] bin Laden and take him out, 
then we should.”

Ifti Nasim, host of a Pakistani radio show in Chicago called “Sargam,” 
said the U.S. was “making a mistake” by “attacking Pakistan and making 
Pakistan your enemy.”

He and other protesters criticized U.S. military incursions into 
Pakistan’s tribal areas in the northwest part of the country to attack 
Taliban and Al Qaeda targets. They also decried the Bush 
administration’s use of unmanned military drone aircraft, which have 
resulted in civilian deaths.

Nasim said McCain wants to continue the policy. The group plans to send 
a similar letter to the Arizona senator.

According to Said Umar Khan, his hometown of Mardan outside Peshawar in 
Pakistan’s troubled North-West Frontier Province has seen a wave of 
displaced people escaping fighting in the tribal areas.

On Thursday, Obama campaign officials restated his comments from the 
debate this week. They said Obama understands Pakistan is an “important 
ally” and is calling for a partnership with the South Asian nation 
through increased U.S. aid for health, education and security.

Pakistani-Americans and other immigrant and anti-war groups such as the 
Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism are planning an anti-war march 
at 2 p.m. Saturday at Devon Avenue and Leavitt Street.






http://www.postchronicle.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=101&num=180758

Published: Oct 23, 2008 Share This Article | Send Us A Tip

Photo and Video: Karl Rove Arrest?! Protester Tries Handcuffs for Treason
by Jim Brogan

Former Bush Administration aide Karl Rove was "arrested" by an anti-war 
protestor for "treason"!
Karl Rove was speaking at a San Francisco mortgage bankers' association 
meeting Tuesday when an anti-war protestor decided to attempt to 
handcuff Rove.
She was not successful.
Fox News reports: A statement by the group Code Pink identified the 
woman as 58-year-old Janine Boneparth, who tried to handcuff Rove in 
what she called a citizen's arrest for "treason." In total, five Code 
Pink members were removed from the hall during Rove's appearance. The 
organization says none of the five women were charged.
So what did Karl Rove do during this mess? He elbowed Miss Boneparth as 
she was removed from the stage.






http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2008/10/22/rove/index.html?source=rss

Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2008 12:50 EDT
Protester tries citizen's arrest of Rove
A member of the antiwar group Code Pink attempted to place former Bush 
advisor Karl Rove under arrest as he was speaking at a mortgage bankers 
meeting in San Francisco Tuesday. She moved to put handcuffs on him, but 
Rove managed to keep her away and then security escorted her offstage.
Video, via Think Progress, is below. The protester, who has been 
identified as Janine Boneparth, comes onstage about 40 seconds in.






http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/200810/s2384715.htm

PNG hill tribes negotiate peace deal
Updated Tue Oct 7, 2008 10:36pm AEST

In Papua New Guinea, at least 30 warring hill tribes from the Southern 
Highlands have agreed to lay down their arms and cease generations of 
fighting in what's being described as the regions first peace agreement. 
The so-called Tari District peace deal has taken 5 years to negotiate 
through a series of peace building activities organised by a team of 
local and international volunteers lead by a former Philippines born nun 
now living in Australia.

Presenter: Claudette Werden
Speakers: Joy Balazo

BALAZO: In 2003, we started with the Young Ambassadors for Peace 
workshops, and that was involving members of opposing tribes, of warring 
tribes. When they had finished with the workshops they found out that 
there's a way of resolving a problem without having to kill each other.

WERDEN: And how did you manage to get the 32 warring tribes to agree to 
a peace agreement?

BALAZO: It was when these two tribes agreed to go into mediation, they 
started to talk about what was the cause of the conflict and why this 
person killed that person and all those issues that are related to it 
and then when they decided they did not want to go anymore into 
fighting, so we throw the question back to them, what do you want to do. 
In their culture they have to have what they call compensation, if you 
kill five of my people, you as the leader will have to compensate the 
relatives of those people who have died, so the whole thing boils into 
compensation and what to do next, so it's really them who decide whether 
to finish with the fighting and start the peace building, our role their 
is to see whether they really want to go into peace, so when they say 
they want to go for peace, that's when we go into mediation and we 
facilitate it.

WERDEN: And how has this peace agreement been received in Papua New Guinea?

BALAZO: It's been, people really couldn't believe the fighting going on 
for 20, 11 years is over. Even for them to see these fighters even if 
they have not seen them they know their names because its a common 
knowledge that this "Peter" has been fighting and everyone has been 
scared to hear their names that they're around and they couldn't believe 
that things are finished and the other manifestation that they have 
accepted it really well is that so many people coming together and the 
following day after the signing you could see the whole of Tari was full 
of people just walking around leisurely without that fear that was there 
when we started the initiative Ambassador of Peace in 2005, you could 
hardly see a person walking on the road because everyone is just so 
scared and now it's just so different.

WERDEN: And that's not the first peace agreement you've helped 
negotiate, you've been involved in peace negotiations in Sri Lanka, 
Indonesia..

BALAZO: That's true, yes, been involved in peace building in Sri Lanka, 
in Solomon Islands, in Ambon Indonesia but this is the first in Papua 
New Guinea, that's what they said in the Highlands, because it is in 
their culture that once you are enemy you are enemy forever.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/06/stories/2008100657930300.htm

Tamil Nadu

CPI protest held
NAGAPPATTINAM: A protest against the nuclear deal was organised by the 
Communist parties at Avuri Thidal here on Sunday evening. CPI and CPI(M) 
leaders M. Selvaraj and A.V.Murugaiyan participated in the protest.
A large number of cadres belonging to the Communist Party of India 
(Marxist) led by Neelamegam, Thanjavur district secretary of the CPM, 
staged a black flag demonstration near the railway station in Thanjavur 
on Saturday condemning the Indo-US nuclear deal and urged the Centre to 
give up the deal.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/06/stories/2008100658240300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Demonstration staged
Staff Reporter
— Photo: M.Balaji

Voicing protest: Members of CPI (M) staging demonstration in Tirupur on 
Saturday, to protest against the Central Government’s decision to move 
forward with the nuclear deal .
Tirupur: Members of Communist Party of India (Marxist) staged 
demonstrations at 20 places in the city on Saturday evening, to protest 
against the United Progressive Alliance Government’s decision to move 
ahead with nuclear deal.
They held the agitation on the day when US Secretary of State Condoleeza 
Rice arrived in New Delhi for the high-level talks on nuclear deal with 
top leaders of the country.
Terming it as ‘Black day’, the agitators alleged that the Central 
Government had sacrificed the nation’s foreign policy at the doorsteps 
of United States of America by going ahead with a deal which was 
‘against the interests of the people’.
The CPI (M) members expressed apprehensions that the reverting 
provisions of Hyde Act would put additional burden on full civilian 
nuclear co-operation.
They said it was indeed annoying that the country was committing itself 
to buy 10,000 MW worth of reactors from the dying nuclear industry that 
had not received any fresh order for the last 30 years.
According to them, the move is unviable considering that the nation have 
to pay Rs 2,80,000 crore to obtain these reactors about eight times the 
capital cost of establishing a thermal power plant.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/04/stories/2008100453610300.htm

Kerala - Kollam

Demonstration against nuclear deal
KOLLAM: Protesting against the signing of the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal, 
the district unit of the Federation of State Employees and Teachers 
Organisations (FSETO) will hold a demonstration in front of the civil 
station complex here at 1 p.m. on Saturday. FSETO district convener 
Basil Joseph has requested the participation of all teachers and 
employees in the demonstration. —Staff Reporter.





http://www.dawn.com/2008/10/06/local21.htm

HYDERABAD: Protest against US policy

Bureau Report

HYDERABAD, Oct 15: Activists of the Fundamental Rights Commission of 
Pakistan, Shia Ulema Council and members of civil society burnt an 
American flag during a demonstration held outside the press club on 
Sunday in protest against the US foreign policy.

The chairman of the commission, Abdul Jabbar Rehmani, and other speakers 
said that Bush was trying to take its war into Iran and Pakistan to hide 
its defeat in Iraq and Afghanistan.

They said that the US had violated the sovereignty of Pakistan through 
aerial bombardments despite the fact that Pakistan had always supported 
American policies.

They said that innocent people, including women and children, were being 
killed in tribal areas in flagrant violation of the charter of the UN.

Pakistan’s foreign policy based on unrealistic theories had pushed the 
country towards isolation, they said and cautioned that the government 
should not depend solely on the Friends of Pakistan group for help 
because the country would not get anything from this group.

They proposed advised the government to convene a conference of the 
heads of Muslim countries to seek their financial help. Later, 
provincial president of Shia Ulema Council, Allama Altaf Hussain 
Al-Hussaini led a collective prayer for the solidarity of Pakistan.






http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/25/stories/2008102555880700.htm
Kerala

CPI(M) protest against Indo-U.S. naval exercises
Special Correspondent
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPI(M) organised rallies at various coastal 
centres across the State on Friday to protest against the joint 
Indo-U.S. naval exercises off the Malabar coast and to press for 
immediate withdrawal of the U.S. naval forces from the Arabian Sea.
Hundreds of CPI(M) activists participated in the rallies, which were 
organised in the coastal belt, braving drizzles in some places and heavy 
rain in others. They carried banners and placards denouncing the joint 
Indo-U.S. naval exercises, accusing the UPA government of having 
surrendered the country’s sovereignty before the U.S. and asking the 
government to sever its military ties with the U.S.





http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/25/stories/2008102555810700.htm

Kerala - Others

Protest against naval exercise


Fighting imperialism: A rally organised by the Anti-Imperialism Forum in 
Kozhikode on Friday in protest against the Indo-American joint naval 
exercise.






https://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/410912.html

Anti-Arms Protesters Shut ITT
imc-uk-features | 15.10.2008 11:12 | Anti-militarism | South Coast
A mass protest against Brighton-based arms manufacturers EDO MBM/ITT 
took place on 15 October, 2008. Organised by the Smash EDO campaign, the 
event was called Shut ITT! and was the third such demonstration this 
year. Last June, Brighton saw the Carnival Against the Arms Trade, 
organised by Smash EDO too.
As the 400-strong march was prevented by police from reaching the EDO 
factory, 40 bottles of red paint were thrown over the back fence by a 
group of protesters who split off. The 'bomb factory' was reportedly 
shut down for the day. At least 10 people were arrested and some injured 
from police violence, including a photographer.
Full Timeline
22:00: Houses in Leeds have been searched in connection with the demo. 
One of the arrestees has been released from custody.
16:45: Snatch squads are being sent in to the North Road kettle. Several 
de-arrests have been reported. 10 arrests have been confirmed so far. 
More are anticipated.
16:10: 9 arrests have been confirmed so far. The 'criminal damage' to 
the EDO factory is said to have been 40 bottles of red paint thrown over 
the back fence.
16:00: A small group of protesters are 'kettled' by police on North 
Road, near the Earth and Stars pub. The rest of protesters have 
'dispersed'. Earlier, around 15:00, a group tried to break through 
police lines at the other end of Home Farm Road but were unable to.
15:45: The march has split up. Police are using dogs at the Level to 
stop people leaving. A group of about 40 is being pursued by cops near 
St. Peter's church.
15:00: About 60 people are in a police 'kettle' on Lewes Road, moving 
slowly towards the city centre. There are unconfirmed rumours of some 
damage to the EDO factory after a group of protesters split off into the 
woods. Most of them have now left, though, and are near the Level (part 
of the Valley Gardens area) with a loud sound system.
13:45: The stand-off remains, with the march unable to proceed further 
up Lewes Road. About half of the protesters have split off and gone into 
the woods, followed by some 40 cops.
13:15: Some 8 police vans are blocking the Lewes Road in both 
directions. Police with batons are trying to force the march up Home 
Farm Road, but the march is refusing to go. Riot police are also out, 
hitting protesters over the banners and pepper-spraying the crowd. As 
reported earlier, a Section 14 is in place, stating that any static demo 
must be at the bottom of Home Farm Road.
12:50: The march, with about 400 people, is now on the A27 heading 
towards the EDO factory in Moulescoomb. Police have blocked both sides 
of the road. There are lots of whistles and noise. FIT Watchers are 
reportedly "very active".
12:30: The march has moved off early due to a number of violent arrests 
taking place. An estimated 250 protesters are heading down the path 
towards the A27 road, but people are still arriving.
12:20: More arrests. Police are seizing anyone with a mask on. Cops are 
now attempting to seize the reinforced banners.
12:15: One arrest has already been made at the meeting point and police 
are trying to arrest another person right now. The crowd are attempting 
to de-arrest him/her. About 80-90 cops are at the meeting point at the 
moment.
11:50: There are some 15 cops on the Falmer Station side of the 
University underpass conducting stop-and-search. There are also some 25 
cops and several police vans at the meeting-up point. A Section 60 is in 
place and scarves are being removed. There is also a Section 14 in 
place, which states that any static demo must be at the bottom of Home 
Farm Road. Police cars are placed at strategic points in the area, 
including the bus stop and the university entrance.
11:30: A Forward Intelligence Team (FIT) were seen outside Cowley Club. 
Minutes later, 8 cops arrived at Falmer station with a FIT team. Another 
another FIT team was seen outside Moulescoomb primary school on Lewis 
Road stopping vehicles, but have now left. There is still one police 
vehicle stationed halfway up the road into Stanner park.
10:30: A few police cars have been spotted near the Brighton railway 
station and St Peter's church in the Level (part of the Valley Gardens 
area). The EDO factory in Moulsecoomb is apparently open, but with 
skeleton staff.
imc-uk-features







http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/7692498.stm

Monday, 27 October 2008
Dozens arrested at nuclear demo

Officers on horseback were monitoring the protest
More than 30 people were arrested when anti-nuclear protesters blocked 
entrances at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in Berkshire.
Campaigners said hundreds of people gathered at Aldermaston to mark the 
start of World Disarmament Week.
They are concerned the facilities are used to design and manufacture a 
new generation of nuclear warheads.
Thames Valley Police said 33 people had been arrested and some roads had 
been blocked but were cleared later.
AWE provides the warheads for Trident - the submarine-launched missile 
system that constitutes the UK's nuclear deterrent.
The protest was organised by Trident Ploughshares and supported by 
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Block the Builders and the 
Aldermaston Women's Peace Camp group.
Officers from Thames Valley Police, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and 
Hampshire Constabulary, including horse mounted officers, were at AWE 
"to facilitate lawful protest, deal with any individuals who break the 
law, and ensure the safety of the public".
A spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police said the protest, which started 
at 0600 BST, had been peaceful with no violent incidents.
'Peaceful blockade'
Kate Hudson, chairwoman of the CND, said the gates were blocked by 
protesters "peacefully sitting and lying in the road, some locked 
together with concrete, glue, climbing clips and chains".
"Today's action at Aldermaston has been a great success," she said.
"We have effectively obstructed work at the site for many hours, closing 
gates and blocking roads.
"This is the largest blockade of Aldermaston for many years and signals 
an increased public concern about Britain's weapons of mass destruction.
"At a time of economic crisis, our government is prioritising nuclear 
bombs over healthcare, job creation and investment in sustainable energy 
production."
Ch Insp Robbie Robbins, from the Ministry of Defence Police, said: "We 
take the responsibility of public safety seriously and wanted to ensure 
that disruption to the community was minimised.
"Officers ensured that everyone who attended could exercise their right 
to engage in lawful protest, while at the same time making sure that 
members of the public could go about their normal day-to-day business."






http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/node/37052

Protesters Call for 'Peace' Jobs
Submitted by Chip on Thu, 2008-10-23 11:45.
Protesters call for 'peace' jobs
By Darren Fishell | Submitted by Bruce Gagnon | TimesRecord.com
Nearly 80 peace protesters gathered outside of the gates of Bath Iron 
Works on Saturday during the christening of the Wayne E. Meyer, urging 
the shipyard to convert to producing equipment for harvesting 
sustainable resources.
"Today our message is conversion," said Bruce Gagnon, coordinator of the 
Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space. "We want to 
see taxpayer dollars go to produce more jobs in sustainable industry and 
to combat global warming."
The protesters, led by the Veterans for Peace, Chapter 001, marched from 
Bath's Waterfront Park to the gates of BIW to hear speeches from Gagnon, 
BIW maintenance mechanic Peter Woodruff and Carol Windham, who spoke on 
behalf of the event's keynote speaker Doris "Granny D" Haddock, among 
others.
Haddock, a peace activist best known for her 1999 cross-country walking 
trek at the age of 88 to petition for campaign finance reform and her 
2004 U.S. Senate bid in New Hampshire, was the centerpiece of the day's 
events but was unable to attend due to illness. A small, plastic ship to 
be christened the USS Granny D was carried along the marching route in 
her honor.
"The only other women to have boats named for them are three queens of 
England," Haddock wrote. "I'm feeling very regal indeed.
"The big destroyer to be dedicated in these waters is a remarkable 
achievement in the defense of our nation," Haddock wrote, "but this 
little ship is the magical thing that makes our nation worth defending, 
for it cuts the deepest moral draughts and any veterans who know the 
sufferings of war will agree."
Marchers came from as far as Liberty and Kennebunkport.
"We don't do this very often, but it's becoming more and more 
necessary," Liberty resident Diane Shelplee said.
Jordan Shaw, a seminarian of the United Methodist Church and the 
performer of the christening, had religious reasons for marching.
"Jesus said, 'Blessed are the peacemakers,' not 'kill everyone you 
know,'" Shaw said. "We need to support peace and not counter-productive 
killing."
Before the gates of BIW, Gagnon delivered the first speech, focusing on 
conversion's ability to create jobs and asserting that the ships built 
at BIW are not in the interests of national defense but rather national 
offense. Gagnon cited an October 2007 study authored by economics 
professor Robert Pollin and Heidi Garret-Peltier at the University of 
Massachusetts at Amherst that compares the economic benefits of military 
spending to those of alternative spending targets.
"If you spend $1 billion at BIW building warships," Gagnon said, "it's 
true: for every billion dollars you spend there you create 8,500 jobs. 
But if you take that same $1 billion and you invest it in home 
weatherization, per $1 billion you create more than 12,000 jobs. If you 
invest the same amount in building rail systems at BIW, you create more 
than 15,000 jobs."
The study actually estimates the job creation caused by a $1 billion 
investment in mass transit to be higher, at nearly 20,000 jobs. However, 
each alternative spending category (tax cuts, health care, education, 
mass transit, and construction or home weatherization), with the 
exception of education, has lower average wages and benefits relative to 
that of defense. Yet, the study shows defense spending to have the 
second worst level of compensation for the economy overall, with 
spending on education, again, estimated to provide the highest level of 
compensation.
"We could expand BIW's work force to as many as 12,000 employees," said 
Woodruff, a BIW maintenance mechanic. "We could work ourselves out of 
the severe recession we are working our way into. . We are standing at 
the edge of a green revolution in this country and we must take the 
steps to realize it."
Woodruff, who co-hosts a radio show called the Truth Radio Underground 
Experience (TRUE) with Gagnon on WBOR 91.1, Brunswick, claimed to be the 
first BIW worker ever to address a peace rally at the production facility.
"We're going through a whole effort of talking to workers because what 
we're hearing from them is that they would rather do something else," 
Gagnon said. "The peace movement can't do this by itself."
Woodruff lauded the skill and training of his co-workers at BIW and said 
that the time has come to turn efforts to the production of wind, tidal 
and hydro power equipment. And young Mainers, Woodruff said, are 
learning the skills necessary in state universities and community 
colleges to move forward with sustainable development.
Following the christening of the USS Granny D, Veterans for Peace member 
Jack Bussell also encouraged protesters to look toward the future.
"Someday, we will come here in celebration of what they are building," 
Bussell said. "But not today."





http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411478.html

Raytheon Protest, Bristol - 24 hour roof occupation
messenger | 24.10.2008 10:36 | Anti-militarism | South Coast
On Going - support needed!

Raytheon Protest - 24 hour roof occupation

ongoing!

following last thursdays noise demo/ roof occupaton...there back!

sketchy details: 8 arrested yesterday (thurs) 4 still on roof 24 hours 
later (!) the building is closed this morning. anyone able to support 
address is Unit 510, bristol business park, opp. UWE frenchay campus. 
fairplay to those involved.
messenger






http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/10/411500.html

Protest at Raytheon Bristol 16th October 2008
anti arms trade | 24.10.2008 14:18 | Anti-militarism | Iraq | Palestine 
| World
there is currently a rooftop occupation of Raytheon in Bristol

this is the second protest in a week

here is a report of the protest on the 16th from Bristol Indymedia

 From October 16th:

At around 8.30 this morning a musical band of protestors turned up at 
the Bristol Offices of missile and defence company Raytheon Systems Ltd.

As employees arrived at work they were told about killing of civilians 
and other human rights violations using weapons they develop and 
manufacture. They were asked to consider the part they were playing in 
the killing of innocent people, particularly in occupied Palestine, Iraq 
and Afghanistan. It was put to employees that their pay packets were 
funded through abuses of the UN Charter and other fundamental human rights.

This short video report contains some swearing
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9085991939348927616
http://www.911forum.org.uk/board/viewtopic.php?t=15945

see also
The quiet Bristol company that sells bombs to Israel
http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/25262

WHY RAYTHEON?

Raytheon Systems Limited is the UK subsidiary of one of the largest arms 
manufacturers in the world – the US company Raytheon. Raytheon is a 
major manufacturer of Israeli weapons. RSL and Raytheon are also at the 
frontline of enabling the US's 'Star Wars' system to go ahead.

The "Raytheon 9" are facing trial in Derry in January 2008. They took 
action at RSL in Derry last summer to save lives of innocent civilians 
in Lebanon. RSL at Glenrothes manufacture the GPS-aided navigation 
system and control systems for the Paveway guided "bunker busting" bombs 
produced in the United States and sold to Israel who used them in their 
war on Lebanon July/Aug 2006 – at least 100 of which were delivered to 
Israel by US during height of the war. http://www.raytheon9.org/

Currently there are reports that the US is stockpiling Raytheon Tomahawk 
missiles in preparation for a possible attack on Iran.

The group believe that those companies involved in making bomb 
components are accountable and have a legal and moral responsibility to 
ensure they are not facilitating and committing and war crimes.

The group state they were also acting against Raytheon and RSL being a 
prime provider at the "Star Wars" RSL facility at Fylingdales, Yorkshire 
where they are at the forefront of the installation of the upgrade to 
the radar used in the US National Missile "Defence" programme. As 
outlined by UK CND this system has already provoked global instability, 
and will provoke arms proliferation, a space arms race, and gives the US 
the ability to strike with impunity. It puts the UK at the frontline in 
future wars and ties the UK even closer to US foreign and military 
policy. ("The US National Missile Defence programme: a destabilising 
provocation." http://www.cnduk.org/

For more info:
Email info at act4peace.org.uk
Related Link: 
http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/25262?&condense_co...32004
anti arms trade








http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7675355.stm

Friday, 17 October 2008 07:56 UK
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Party defends homecoming protest

A rally organised in protest at a homecoming parade for troops returning 
from Iraq and Afghanistan has been defended by Sinn Féin.
It is planned for the same day, 2 November, as the homecoming event in 
Belfast city centre.
"I'm on record, saying I want to see as many of these British troops 
coming home uninjured," said Paul Maskey MLA.
"But many thousands of people expressed their concern with regards to 
these illegal wars."
Mr Maskey added that he thought Belfast "as a city, should not be 
getting involved in the issue" by welcoming the troops home.