OMNI
PRISONERS FOR PEACE DAY NEWSLETTER #3, DECEMBER 1, 2014
Compiled by Dick Bennett for a Culture of Peace and
Justice.
OMNI National/International Days Project
What's at stake: In the struggle for human rights we find grounds for hope. In the history of humankind, and now including all species, the imagination of international rights is relatively new. Not until 1948 was what is now called human rights an established part of world politics. Structures of international justice are coming. Now many international human rights conventions and laws are legally in force in many nations, and laws to prevent cruelty to animals and the extinction of all creatures. International agencies exist to watch individual nations, to hold nations to high standards of respect and dignity. In 1979 Amnesty International cited nine countries for an "unblemished record." UNESCO proclaimed a World Day of Animal Rights. But the struggle continues. Progress is not inevitable. The revelations by Edward Snowden of the repudiation by bipartisan US leaders of the U.S. Constitution's Fourth Amendment prohibition of unwarranted searches and seizures shows how quickly and thoroughly rights can be lost. The Bill of Rights, and rights throughout the world, depend upon the insistence for justice by the people.
My blog: War
Department/Peace Department
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Contents of Previous
Prisoners for Peace Newsletters at End.
Also see Political Prisoners newsletters.
Contents of Prisoners
for Peace Newsletter #3, Dec. 1, 2014
Four Arrested in Fayetteville, AR, Protesting Ferguson, MO,
Police Violence
War Resisters League International http://www.wri-irg.org/PfP-2014
The Nuclear Resister http://www.nukeresister.org/
Political Prisoners for Peace and Justice 2014 Google Search
Dick’s book, Political
Prisoners and Trials
protest Ferguson grand jury
decision in Fayetteville
·
By Todd Gill · 23 Comments
November 25, 2014
November 25, 2014
Fayetteville Police Sergeant Shannon
Gabbard stops traffic while four protesters kneel in the crosswalk on College
Avenue in front of the Washington County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon.
Photos by
Todd Gill, Flyer staff
A peaceful protest began at around noon Tuesday in front
of the Washington County Courthouse at the intersection of College Avenue and
Dickson Street in Fayetteville.
The event was one of many demonstrations planned around the
world in protest over the Ferguson, Missouri grand jury’s
decision not to charge Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in Michael Brown’s
Aug. 9 death.
About 75 people gathered in Fayetteville for Tuesday’s
demonstration, including “The Fayetteville Four,” a group of local residents
who’d previously announced plans to be arrested during the event.
The group – Jared Carter, David Garcia, Nik Robbins and
Jane Stitt – waited about 30 minutes before entering the College Avenue
crosswalk and kneeling on the street with their hands in the air while
protesters chanted, “I’ve got my hands above my head, please don’t shoot me
dead.”
The four people were escorted into the crosswalk by
Fayetteville Police Sergeant Shannon Gabbard, who later said he’d helped
coordinate the protest before the event began Tuesday.
Gabbard and a group of police officers stopped traffic and
waited several minutes before Carter, Stitt, Robbins and Garcia were handcuffed
and escorted out of the street toward a police van.
The officers waited through about three traffic signal
cycles before taking any action. Gabbard said the plan was to give the group
enough time to make sure they were certain they wanted to be arrested.
“They were very passionate about the cause, but they were
also very cooperative,” said Gabbard. “They really wanted to get their message
across.”
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Search this site: http://www.wri-irg.org/PfP-2014
Image linked to WW1 page Image linked to Countering the
Militarisation of Youth website (external link) Image linked to Handbook for
Nonviolent Campaigns
Prisoners for Peace
Day 2014
1 Dec 2014
Write to peace activists in prison - find the details you
need here, or download this list http://www.wri-irg.org/PfP-2014
Each year on 1st December War Resisters' International and
its members mark Prisoners for Peace Day, when we publicise the names and
stories of those imprisoned for actions for peace. Many are conscientious
objectors, in gaol for refusing to join the military. Others have taken
nonviolent actions to disrupt preparation for war. This day is a chance for you
to demonstrate your support for them.
WRI has a permanent Prisoners for Peace list, and we make a
special effort to update for Prisoners for Peace Day on December 1st.
We invite you to put aside some time on December 1st, or a
day close to it, to send cards that express your solidarity. You can find the
names and address here: http://www.wri-irg.org/inprison
Many groups organise events around Prisoners for Peace Day,
such as vigils, street stalls and write-ins. We will list them on this page.
Write to hannah@wri-irg.org if you are planning an event for Prisoners for
Peace Day and we will advertise it here.
For more information visit: http://wri-irg.org/campaigns/prisoners_for_peace
Events
Edinburgh, Scotland: The Edinburgh Peace and Justice Centre
will organise Letter Writing to Peace Prisoners on Saturday 6 December from
11am - 3pm
Mainz, Germany: Card-sending evening of DFG-VK Mainz. Join
us writing and sending cards to the Prisoners for Peace, with live music, food
and drink, films and photos showing peace actions in 2014: Thursday, 4th
December 2014, 19 h, Bürogemeinschaft, Walpodenstr. 10.
Paris, France: 12 December in Paris, Union Pacifiste de
France letter-writing evening
Seoul, Republic of Korea: Card-writing event on 6th of Dec.
There will be songs, poems, a short video and letters from prison as well as from
here to prison.
Website notes & manuals | RSS feeds
War Resisters' International,
5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX, Britain
tel +44-20-7278 4040 & +44-20-3355 2364, skype:
warresisters, fax +44-20-7278 0444
Nonviolent
Resistance for a Peaceful and Nuclear-Free Future
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Home
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About Us
Posted on June 13, 2013
The Nuclear Resister networks the
anti-nuclear and anti-war resistance movement while acting as a clearinghouse
for information about contemporary nonviolent resistance to war and the nuclear
threat. Our emphasis is on support for the women and men jailed for these
actions. This blog is the online companion to the quarterly Nuclear Resister newsletter, a
more comprehensive chronicle.
Posted on November 23, 2014
Photo by Anne Dowling
from SOA
Watch
November
Vigil Concludes with Solemn Funeral Procession to Fort Benning (home of the
School of the Americas) & Two More Civil Disobedience Arrests
Mass Mobilization to Shut
Down Latin American Security Forces Training School, For-Profit Immigrant Detention
Center; Grassroots Mobilizations Connect Struggles against State Violence and
Injustice
Columbus,
Georgia – 2,500 human rights activists braved the rainstorms on
Sunday, November 23 and converged at Fort Benning to call for an end to
militarized state violence in the US and abroad. Featured presenters came from
Mexico, Colombia, Honduras, Brazil, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Nigeria,
Venezuela, and the US.
Posted on November 16, 2014
April 2009 action at Creech
Air Force Base. Photo by Jeff Leys.
by
Brian Terrell
Political language can be
used, George Orwell said in 1946, “to make lies sound truthful and murder
respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.” In order to justify
its global assassination program, the Obama administration has had to stretch
words beyond their natural breaking points. For instance, any male 14 years or
older found dead in a drone strike zone is a “combatant” unless there is
explicit intelligence posthumously proving him innocent. We are also informed
that the constitutional guarantee of “due process” does not imply that the
government must precede an execution with a trial. I think the one word most
degraded and twisted these days, to the goriest ends, is the word “imminent.”
Posted on October 31, 2014
McGovern leaving the police
station
from The Dissenter, firedoglake.com
by
Kevin Gosztola
Friday, October 31, 2014, 1:04 am
Friday, October 31, 2014, 1:04 am
(update
below)
Former CIA analyst and
activist Ray McGovern was arrested [on October 30] as he attempted to attend an
event in New York City featuring former CIA director and retired military
general, David Petraeus. He was charged with resisting arrest, criminal
trespass and disorderly conduct.
At 92nd Street Y, which
describes itself as a “world-class cultural and community center,” Petraeus was
to appear with John Nagl, who recently wrote a book, Knife Fights about being
an army tank commander in the Gulf War of 1991. Neoconservative commentator Max
Boot was to join them as well.
Posted on October 30, 2014
photo by Guarionex Delgado
My
Daughter and I Were Arrested Today By Military Police Guarding The World’s Most
Hated Weapon
by
Mauro Oliveira
10/28/2014
It was a familiar and warm
exchange of greetings and spirited talk. The small group of activists I was
with had called out to the military gate guards with a question concerning the
spider web like substance that seemed to be everywhere around the base; on
cars, vegetation telephone poles, fences, floating in the air and across the
land. Men with sidearms and radios in camo fatigues approached us.
Posted on October 23, 2014
Cape Cod Times/Christine
Hochkeppel
Medical
expert testifies in trial of Pilgrim nuke plant activists
from the Cape Cod Times
October 23, 2014
PLYMOUTH — It’s not safe to
live on Cape Cod, according to an internationally known expert on the medical
and environmental dangers of nuclear power.
During the final day of the
trespassing trial of four anti-nuclear activists from the Cape, Dr. Helen
Caldicott testified that it isn’t simply the potential for a major nuclear
meltdown at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station that should have people worried.
Cancer-causing chemicals are constantly escaping from the reactor into the air
and water, she said.
Posted on October 22, 2014
From left, Jim Hannah, Mark
Bartholomew, and Henry Stoever crossing the line at NNSA plant.
Nuclear
resisters go to court in Kansas City
by
Jane Stoever
Two folks who crossed a
forbidden line, all to say they oppose nuclear weapons, came to Municipal Court
in Kansas City, Mo., for a hearing Oct. 21. Mark Bartholomew, of Holy Family
Catholic Worker House, pleaded “guilty” of stepping across the line, and Judge
Elena Franco sentenced him to 40 hours of community service and two years of
probation. Henry Stoever, peace lawyer, pleaded “not guilty,” and Franco will
try him for his resistance Friday, Dec. 19, at 1:30 p.m.
Posted on October 13, 2014
Sung-Hee (third from right)
shortly before going to prison, with other members of the Gangjeong
International Team
by
Sung-Hee Choi
(Sorry
for my hurried translation)
I, Sung-Hee Choi, enter 12
days’ prison as of today’s date, October 13, refusing to judicial oppression
and enforcement of fines on me. (600,000 KRW, about $600 USD), even though I
think that I am no-guilty. It is not because I agree with imprisonment but I
intend to expose the coercion of the judicial oppression on the protesters
against the Jeju naval base project through my unjust imprisonment.
Posted on October 9, 2014
by Ellen Barfield
A quick but comprehensive
trial today in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland for three women who
protested drone targeting at the National Security Agency at Ft Meade,
Maryland, resulted in acquittal on one charge and conviction but low fines on
the other two charges.
Posted on October 8, 2014
Kathy Kelly and Georgia
Walker speaking with supporters
by
Kathy Kelly
On October 7, 2014, Kathy
Kelly and Georgia Walker appeared before Judge Matt Whitworth in Jefferson
City, MO, federal court on a charge of criminal trespass to a military
facility. The charge was based on their participation , at Whiteman Air Force
Base, in a June 1st 2014 rally protesting drone warfare. Kelly and Walker
attempted to deliver a loaf of bread and a letter to the Base Commander,
encouraging him to stop cooperating with any further usage of unmanned aerial
vehicles, (drones), for surveillance and attacks.
Posted on October 2, 2014
Australian peace activists
inside Swan Island Military Facility. Swan Island Peace Convergence Photo
Before dawn on October 2,
eight peace activists entered the top secret Swan Island military base near
Queenscliff, Australia. The group entered in the early hours of the morning to
nonviolently disrupt preparations for the imminent war in Iraq. Four of the
activists were discovered, detained and assaulted by SAS soldiers on the base.
The treatment of the activists by the SAS bordered on torture.
The experiences of the four
were:
- Forcibly stripped naked, handcuffed, struck on the face and choked
– Activists’ clothing were cut off with knives
– Hessian bags were placed over their heads and they were told “welcome to the bag, motherfucker” and asked “do you want to go for a swim” before being dragged naked across the ground
– SAS personnel stood on activists’ heads and backs causing injury and said “If you move we will kick you in the face”
– Dragged and dropped on the ground when they didn’t respond to questions
- Forcibly stripped naked, handcuffed, struck on the face and choked
– Activists’ clothing were cut off with knives
– Hessian bags were placed over their heads and they were told “welcome to the bag, motherfucker” and asked “do you want to go for a swim” before being dragged naked across the ground
– SAS personnel stood on activists’ heads and backs causing injury and said “If you move we will kick you in the face”
– Dragged and dropped on the ground when they didn’t respond to questions
POLITICAL PRISONERS FOR PEACE
AND JUSTICE 2014, Google Search, Nov. 29, 2014, first page.
justicewithpeace.org/node/5265
"Free Angela and
All Political Prisoners" (film). Submitted by ujpadmin1 on
Tue, 09/02/2014 - 12:55pm. ... Start: 2014 Sep 4 -
6:45pm. End: 2014 Sep 4 - 9:00pm. First Thursday ... Sponsored
by Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the
Cambridge Peace Commission ... More Peace & Justice Calendars ...
o
Free all political
prisoners! - San Jose Peace and Justice ...www.sanjosepeace.org/calendar_event.php?eid=2014040318465118
Free all political
prisoners! Lynne Stewart with Pam Africa & Ramona Africa. When:
Saturday, May 03 2014 @ 05:00 PM - - 08:30PM. Where: St.
Paul's United ...
www.amnesty.org/.../2014/.../mde130232014en.html
Amnesty
International
Document - Iran: “Justice is
an alien word”: Ill-treatment of political prisoners ... This
briefing concerns an incident that occurred on 17 April 2014 in
Evin Prison in .... currently serving an 11-year prison term for his peaceful journalistic
activities, ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LjrKpGaz80
May 22, 2014 - Uploaded by
sanjosepeacejustice
Ralph Poynter Free
ALL Political Prisoners! Benefit May 3rd,2014 St.
Paul's United Methodist Church Hosted ...
samidoun.ca/2014/.../palestinian-human-rights-campaigners-call-for-dec...
6 days ago - Message from the organisers
of the Global Political Prisoner's Day: The people's uprising
is not a crime, it is universal justice ... Issawi Campaign)
to call for a day of action for Global Political Prisoner's Day,
on 12 December 2014. ... In Tibet
and East Turkestan people are arrested for peaceful protests.
www.justiceforcolombia.org/.../humanitarian-and-human-rights-crises-in...
3 days ago - Another is discussion in
the Havana peace talks of prisoners as
victims of ... November, 2014 marked the two-year anniversary
of talks between the ... of the state's justice system
subjected to judicial sham for political reasons.
soapboxmagazine.blogspot.com/2014/.../jeff-mackler-free-all-political.ht...
Thursday, May 22, 2014.
JEFF MACKLER - Free ALL Political Prisoners! ... The San Jose Peace
And Justice Center is proud to share the following clips from
the ...
org.salsalabs.com/o/2507/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY...
Salsa
Labs
Working for peace
and justice through nonviolence since 1915 .... Read more about some
of the dozens of nonviolent Syrian political prisoners the ...
30, 2014 Bassam Imam Montreal , QC , CA The Syrian political
prisoners, like other political ...
www.justiceandpeacescotland.org.uk/Home.aspx?itemid=896&amid...
Striving for Social Justice ... Political prisoners released in Burma, but many remain locked up ...
21/09/2014, World Week for Peace in Palestine Israel. 21/09/ ...
www.emajonline.com/2014/.../call-to-action-against-pa-laws-to-silence-p...
Oct 16, 2014 - prison This “Call to
Action” is also a summons to all persons of conscience to protest in Philadelphia, October 22, 2014.
... and prison officials
have sought to curtail that speech for political reasons, often claiming safety concerns. ... Alice
Sturm Sutter, North Manhattan Neighbors for Peace and Justice.
Political Prisoners and Trials: A Worldwide Annotated
Bibliography, 1900 Through 1993
McFarland
& Company Incorporated Pub, 1995 - Reference - 363
pages
As defined by Amnesty International, a political prisoner is one
who is detained because of her or his belief, color, sex, sexuality, ethnic
origin, language, or religion, and has not employed or advocated violence.
Arranged by country, over 3,500 articles from journals, pamphlets,
organizational reports, and books on political prisoners and their trials. Each
entry includes a brief, descriptive annotation. Sources were gathered from the
OCLC database, bibliographies of standard works in the field (e.g. Totten and
Kleg's Human Rights and Harlow's Barred), the Reader's Guide from 1900 through
1991, and the Alternative Press Index. Introduction
pp. 1-25, “Political Trials and Prisoners in the Twentieth Century.” Pp. 267-305 on US: The U.S. has imprisoned tens of
thousands of its citizens for their beliefs—trade unionists, suffragettes,
communists and socialists, conscientious objectors, anti-war demonstrators,
civil right protesters, and many more. For MORE on political
prisoners see OMNI’s newsletters on the subject (#1 June
18, 2012; #2 Jan. 18, 2013) http://www.omnicenter.org/newsletter-archive/
.
Contents Prisoners
for Peace Day 2012
War
Resisters International
Prisoners
for Peace Day Google Search
Contents Prisoners for Peace Day 2013
War
Resisters League International
The
Nuclear Resister
More
see Newsletter http://www.omnicenter.org/newsletter-archive/
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