[JNV Announce] Stop The Fallujah Attacks - Demonstrations, Preparation for Direct Action (and other London events)

[Milan Rai]

Dear friends

In reverse chronological order, some important events in London:
1) NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION TRAINING WORKSHOP, Sunday 14 November
2) STOP THE ASSAULT ON FALLUJAH Emergency Demonstration, Sunday 7 November
3) 7DAYS4IRAQ, 1-5 November

Note: If you have had problems opening the petition pdf attached to an earlier email, it is available at www.j-n-v.org

Many thanks

Maya Evans
Milan Rai
JNV


1) NONVIOLENT DIRECT ACTION TRAINING WORKSHOP
Organised by Voices in the Wilderness UK

When: Sunday 14th November. 11am - 4pm (with a break for lunch).
Where: 7a Rampart Street, London, E1 (near the intersection of Commercial Road and Canon Street, nearest tubes: Whitechapel and Shadwell. Buses: 15, 100, 115)
For map see
<http://tinyurl.com/4auux>

Angry about the killing in Iraq? Come and equip yourselves with the skills and knowledge you need to take part in - and organise - civil disobedience and direct action. Includes legal briefing.

Organised by Voices in the Wilderness UK. Tel. 0845 458 2564.
E-mail: voices@voicesuk.org. Web: www.voicesuk.org.


2) STOP THE ASSAULT ON FALLUJAH
Emergency Demonstration Against the Looming Attacks on Iraq's Cities
Called by Stop The Attacks

Sunday 7th November
Meet 2pm, Parliament Square
Come and make your protest in your own way!

'In the name of recapturing Iraqi cities so that polling can take place, US forces have already started – and are planning to widen – a campaign of air strikes which will probably cause more civilian casualties than last year's invasion' (Guardian, 9 Oct).

A massive attack on Fallujah – where US forces massacred hundreds of Iraqis in April – is almost certain and will, in the words of one US official, be “very bloody and nasty” (Washington Post on-line edition, 16 Oct). British troops are being redeployed from southern Iraq to help form part of an "outer ring of steel" around the city in anticipation of an all-
out assault (Independent, 22 Oct).

IT'S TIME
“Iraqis are resisting desperately for their lives and for their country and so far we in the anti-war movement have responded to their courage with deafening silence. Millions of us marched against the war on February 15th, but where were those voices when US tanks rolled into Najaf? I know we tell ourselves we have this power, that when the right moment comes we will really be able to mobilise. But that moment of truth is always deferred. If we have these weapons let us use them now. It's time.” (Naomi Klein, 20 Aug)

BLAIR WAVERED
When the US attacked Fallujah in April, more than 600 Iraqis were killed in the first week and 'the vast majority of the dead were women, children and the elderly,' according to local medical sources  (Guardian, 12 Apr). Publicly Tony Blair stood lock-step with the US Government 'den[ying] … heavy-handedness by US forces' (Guardian, 20 Apr) and asserting that it was 'perfectly right and proper that [the US] take action' (BBC, 28 Apr). Privately, however, he 'appealed to Washington to halt the offensive.' Why? 'The Prime Minister had been under pressure for more than a year from an antiwar majority in his ruling Labour Party,' and civilian casualties were 'causing opposition to flare' (LA Times, 24 Oct).

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Popular protest here in the UK could help derail the planned attacks on Fallujah and other Iraqi towns. No US assault is inevitable. If an attack does take place, protests before, during and after the assaults can limit the damage and help to deter further attacks.

Please join us on the 7th November!

Called by Stop the Attacks – an ad hoc collection of anti-war activists old and new.
tel. 07818 651 124. e-mail: stoptheattacks@fastmail.fm


3) 7DAYS4IRAQ
Cultural and Political events

Monday November 1st
7.30 pm, A Gala classical Concert The Hackney Empire, London
For tickets contact 0208 985 2424
     Ken Livingstone will introduce the concert featuring the Medici Quartet, Olivier Pons, Annika Palm and the Moscow Piano Trio who are flying in especially from Moscow and will play the world premiere of Jordanian composer Mohydeen Quandour’s piece ‘Cry Jerusalem’.
     Proceeds are to go to the Charity ‘Child Victims of War’.

Tuesday November 2nd
  From 5pm, ‘Naming the Dead’ Trafalgar Square, London
      As the US go to the polls across the world the names of dead Iraqi civilians, soldiers of all nationalities and those who have died in the prison camps since the war and occupation of Iraq began will be read out in cities across the world. In London Ken Livingstone will read and introduce the first speaker Harold Pinter. Other readers include Kate Hudson, David Hare, Juliet Stevenson, Neil Pearson, Rose and Maxine Gentle, Jeremy Corbyn MP, Susie Orbach, Corin Redgrave, the Rev Mann, Tony Flint, Louise Richards, Kika Markham and Peter Kennard. Naming the Dead will take place across the country and across the world, in cities including Baghdad, Sydney and Barcelona.
      For further information please contact Ruth Boswell on 0780 127 6973 Please find the most up to date list of accounted for Iraqi dead http://www.iraqbodycount.net/names.htm

Wednesday November 3rd
7:00pm, After US Elections - What Next for Iraq? Friends Meeting House, Euston Road, London
      Special Guest Speaker - Dante Zappala , brother of Sgt Sherwood Baker who died in Iraq Dante is a member of 'Military Families Speak Out' in US Other speakers - Kate Hudson (Chair CND), Lindsey German (convenor StWC), Alan Simpson MP, Muslim Association of Britain speaker, and George Galloway MP

Thursday November 4th
7.30pm, Poets for Peace Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, London
      Introduced by Jonathan Pryce with Jean Binta-Breeze , Terry Jones, Christopher Logue, Adrian Mitchell, Brian Patten.
      Tickets £11 (including a glass of wine)

Friday November 5th
Final day of Peter Kennard’s new exhibition ‘Demo’ City Hall, Queens Walk, London SE1.
      This work has been on public show (both from outside as well as inside City Hall) since October 12.

-- 
Milan Rai
Justice Not Vengeance
landline 0845 458 9571 (UK) +44 1424 428 792 (int)
mobile phone (0)7980 748 555
www.j-n-v.org