May 27^th was the 2^nd the anniversary of the bombing by NATO aircraft of a wedding party in Haji Nabu, Afghanistan, causing the deaths of 47 people.

 

On the 27^th, to commemorate this crime and as a protest against the war in Afghanistan that has caused countless such deaths, a group of about 50 of us assembled at Northwood station dressed in wedding-type clothes.  There we were addressed by John McDonnell MP, supporting the demonstration.  Our intention was then to walk as a “wedding party” to Northwood UK Joint Forces HQ & NATO command and stage a die-in representing a wedding massacre.  At first the police wanted to route us along side roads and then along pavements but eventually agreed to escort us along main roads to the base.  Zelda and I had the honour of leading the procession as we'd volunteered to act the bride and groom at the event.  Demonstrators carried placards showing cut out representational heads of male, female and child Afghans, each bearing the known names and ages of Afghans who had been killed through NATO bombing of the wedding party at Haji Nabu and other such wedding parties.

 

A little before we got to the main gate the police stopped us and tried to divert us onto the grass verge, so about 15 of us staged the die-in there, right across the road, covering ourselves and splattering the road with imitation blood we had brought.  The police left us lying there in steadily falling rain for over half an hour.  Meanwhile, at the side of the road the names of people who had been killed by NATO action in Afghanistan were read out.

 

The police then ordered us to leave and carried us to the verge when we failed to comply, warning us that we would be arrested if we tried to return.  I decided not to do so as I felt we had achieved the die-in as intended.  Six people who did return to continue the die-in were arrested and taken to Rickmansworth Police Station and were charged with “fail[ing] to comply with a condition imposed by a senior police officer under Section 14 of the Public Order Act 1986” before being bailed to appear at West Herts Magistrates Court at 10am on Monday 29^th June for a plea and directions hearing.   

 

The remaining demonstrators then arranged with the police to march back in good order to Northwood Station where final speeches were made before we departed, some to meet those arrested when they emerged from the police station.

 

                                                          David Polden

 

In the run up to the Northwood die-in, the organising group called on other groups to hold “Naming the Dead” ceremonies for the victims of the NATO war in Afghanistan and held one themselves opposite Downing Street on the 8^th May.

 

Milan Rai, one of the organisers, reports: “We showed up opposite Downing Street at 10am this morning to read [alternately] the names of Afghan civilians and British soldiers who’ve died in the war.

 

“Dozens of police walked by.  A host of Diplomatic Protection Group officers watched us from around the Downing Street gate.  Maya Evans, Gabriel Carlyle and myself had written an open letter to the police in advance, notifying them that we were organising this name-reading remembrance ceremony, but refusing to apply for police permission - an offence under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act, 2005 (SOCPA), section 132.

 

“[Unlike on previous such occasions since SOCPA came into effect] no police officer approached us.  No police officer talked to us.  No police officer arrested us or tried to stop us using a loudhailer to shout the names of the dead across the road into Downing Street - using a megaphone in the ‘restricted’ area around parliament is also specifically banned under section 137 of SOCPA.

 

“About 18-20 came to the protest, the largest name-reading we have ever organised.  Different people took turns reading the names and holding the megaphone (and the umbrella).  Afterwards we gathered in a circle and shared our thoughts about the event.  Maya thanked everyone for coming, and we all re-dedicated ourselves to ending this war.

 

“So, after the case dismissed the previous day [see below], SOCPA [sections 132-8 anyway] seems to have withered away.  Now it's just a matter of the State....”

 

LONDON CND EUROPEAN ELECTION HUSTINGS

London Region CND organised hustings under the title, “War and Nuclear Weapons” on Friday 29^th May, six days before the poll.  These were held at Friends’ House, Euston Road,

 

As London CND worker it was my job to invite candidates from the parties standing.  The London Region Council had decided by a majority that we shouldn’t invite a candidate from the British National Party (BNP); otherwise I invited London candidates from all parties that had put forward a full slate of candidates for the eight London seats.

 

In the end candidates from eight parties accepted the invitation: from Labour, Lib Dem, Green Party, Jury Team, English Democrats, Socialist Party of Great Britain (SPGB), the Christian Party/ Christian People’s Alliance (CPCPA) and Libertas.  Neither UKIP nor the Conservative were willing to provide a candidate – UKIP on the strange grounds that they were too busy electioneering!  The No2EU party and the Socialist Labour Party, with London lists topped respectively by Bob Crow, and Arthur Scargill, didn’t respond, though Scargill’s secretary did phone for details.  For a long time we didn’t get any response from the Labour Party, but then one of the CND Campaign staff offered to invite Emma Jones, number five on the Labour list, whom he knew.  She agreed, making the Labour Party the only party represented by a woman candidate at the hustings.

 

All eight candidates who’d accepted invitations turned up, which was gratifying.  The audience was a little sparse to begin with, but built up later.  Kate Hudson chaired and gave each candidate three minutes to make their case, keeping speakers strictly to this limit.  The standard of presentation varied: it seemed to me that Joseph Healy, for the Green Party, made much the most coherent case, but perhaps I would think this as his view were most in line with those of CND.  Danny Lambert for the SPGB gave a refreshingly unreconstructed defence of socialism and won a clap; otherwise there was rather a lot of waffle.

 

When it came to time for questions, many of the questions seemed well put ; but rather too many on the platform seemed to have learnt the politician’s art of avoiding answering questions they found awkward, so we were left not that much wiser.

 

The strongest reaction came when it was learnt it had been decided not to invite a BNP candidate.  Danny Lambert, in particular, seemed incandescent on freedom of speech grounds at this decision, while Joseph, on the other hand, said he wouldn’t have come if we’d invited a BNP candidate.

 

I can see the argument for not giving a platform to fascists; on the other hand I did feel unhappy on John Stuart Mill-type grounds that the freedom of speech of any group should be censored.  But, to be honest I was relieved I was instructed not to invite a BNP candidate.  I would have indeed found it difficult to approach the BNP with such a request.   

 

MINIBUS TO FYLINGDALES

London Region CND helped support the anti-Star Wars demo on 13^th June at Fylingdales radar station in North Yorkshire by sending a minibus.

 

 Just after 6.30am, 10 of us joined the minibus for the 260-mile journey.  This allowed us to arrive before the demo was due to start at 12.30pm with a stop on the way. 

 

We were greeted by warm sunshine and around 100 demonstrators.  I took up the London Region CND stall and set this up when I arrived and did fair business!  First, there was a rally chaired by Kate Hudson, with speakers from the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases and a Leeds MP.  We then marched along the A169 to the main gate where we handed in a letter to the base commander calling on the government to note public opposition to the US “Missile Defence” plans.  After the demonstration finished, at about 4.30pm, I packed up the stall and we piled into the minibus for the journey south, to arrive back at the office about 9.45pm.  Many thanks to the two drivers, Jim Brann and Adrian Windisch, for driving us so ably.  Altogether a very enjoyable day.             David Polden