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[casi] warzone whitehall thanks, media round up, court info and what's next....




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dear all
apologies for cross postings
just a note to thank everyone who came to/ took part in Warzone Whitehall in any way.

see below 2 press releases, final one from Monday and yesterday's one about court cases.
See photos on our websites www.viwuk.freeserve.co.uk,  www.j-n-v.org,  and also in ondymedia, 
www.indymedia.org.uk

We had quite a lot of news coverage, photos of the event on the front page of the independent, on 
page 11 guardian and also a photo in the FT.
The Independent  was the only one which specifically mentioned voices in the wilderness in the 
photo caption and none of them write anything about the event really, just used the photos 
alongside the stuff about the Government's human rights report. 3 photos in the papers is a bit of 
a record for us!

The action was also shown briefly on bbc news at 1pm, 6pm, and 10 pm monday and there was more 
substantial coverage on C4 News
I don't know about radio news coverage after the event, please let us know if you heard any.
Also q good pieces on the bbc website and on the press association website
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_720026.html?menu=
 we did one radio interview monday night on BBC Radio 5 Live late night Live
Monday morning we had lots of interviews
mill did 11 interviews with bbc local stations
0700 Humerside
0710 Asian network
0720 Merseyside
0730 Sheffield
0740 Hereford and Worcester
0750 WM
0800 Leics
0810 Northants
0820 Stoke
0830
0840 Leeds
0850 Somerset

Gareth Evans did interviews with LBC and with BBC Wales
andrea did an interview with bbc london which apparently wa sto go out monday am.
We set up an interview with Hans von Sponeck on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast and they briefly 
mentioned the die in.
Mark Thomas did an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live midday
Various folk did interviews with BC World service and witrh the BBC TV . Did anyone seee or hear 
any of it, maybe on BBC News 24?

Numerous things planned, check www.j-n-v.org for more info, but the next big nonviolent civil 
disobedience and protest Voices is helping organise is the whole weekend of January 18th-19th at 
Northwood, The British military HQ. It's on the tube, near the top of the Met Line.
In the event of war happening then we hope lots of folk will hold NVDA around the country.  Sit 
downs will start from the south side of Trafalgar Square, gathering at 7pm that evening if the war 
starts before 4pm, or 7pm the next evening if the war starts after 4pm. It probably will start 
after 4pm as the military like to start killing people in their beds.

The Iraqis have said they will hand in their report on weapons of mass destruction and potential 
dual use items on saturday 7th december a day  before the deadline, so look out for the news then. 
Sharpen your pencils to write to the papers....
It's expected they will say they have no weapons of mass destruction, just lots of ordinary planes, 
chemical factories etc.
This could be the pretext the US will look for.
Other anti war direct action:
 12-13 december menwith hill women only, call 07930 235791. Transport arranged from london leaving 
7.30 am on the 12th

14 december mass citizens weapons inspection USAF Fairford, Gloucester. B2 stealth bombers, B1 and 
B52s
www.gwi.org.uk

richard byrne
voices in the wilderness UK






Press Release 17:30
 Voices in the Wilderness
 Call Voices 0845 458 2564/ 0794 7839992

                  35 arrests at whitehall anti war blockade.

 35 anti war activists have been arrested for highway obstruction at
'Warzone Whitehall',
a nonviolent  die in against the war and sanctions on Iraq. The activists
were among a
crowd of 250, including comedian Mark Thomas and Euro MP Caroline Lucas,
who gathered at whitehall place at 10.30 am and blocked part of whitehall
from 11 am until 4pm.

Some have now been released, bailed to appear at Bow Street magistrates this
thursday 5th december 10 am.

The remaining activists joined Brian Haw, who has been camped out on
Parliament square for the past 18 months protesting against sanctions on
Iraq.
One activist Rosy Bremner twice gained access to the cabinet office.
On one occasion she met Robin Cook MP and told him of her views on Iraq.

Among those arrested was Voices in the Wilderness joint co ordinator Gabriel
Carlyle,
who visited Iraq in a sanctions breaking Voices in the Wilderness
demonstartion in may 2002.

Activists carried placards and banners reading "Iraqi Lives in the firing
line- no war on Iraq.",  "War kills the innocent. Don't attack Iraq.", and
 "1 in 11 countries bombed by the Pentagon.". While some women dressed
in black wailed in mourning, a soundtrack played the sound of bombs
 and explosions the Iraqis will face .

The action was good natured and peaceful.

Mark Thomas said, "I hope other people who oppose the war will consider
 their positions and consider whether they should put their liberty on the
 line so the voices and principles of peace can be heard."

 Caroline Lucas said, "It's been a very effective action, representing the
 huge feeling against this war in Britain. We are making the case to Tony
 Blair as vividly as possible of the suffering he will inflict on the
 22million people of Iraq. This war would be illegal and counterproductive.
 We have to use every non-violent measure available to register our
protest"

 Richard Byrne, Voices spokesperson said, "This is just the start. 2000
 people in the UK have signed a pledge (1) to engage in civil disobedience
if
 this war starts. Life in Britain cannot go on as normal while the British
 Government supports war on Iraq."


 Call Voices 0845 458 2564/ 0794 7839992

 voices@viwuk.freeserve.co.uk        www.viwuk.freeserve.co.uk

(1)See (a) Pledge of Resistance -www.j-n-v.org,  1101 signatories for action
pledge, 1387 for support Pledge
           (b) Scottish Pledge ,
http://www.banthebomb.org/peace/index.shtmlover 1000 people signed pledge
for action

                    Press release December 3rd 2002
                        Voices in the Wilderness UK
                       0845 458 2564/ 0794 7839992

               Warzone Whitehall activists in court Thursday, Friday.

Activists arrested at Warzone Whitehall, the non-violent "Die In" which made front page news on 
Tuesday (1) are due in court in London this Thursday and Friday.

The activists were charged for highway obstruction and have their plea hearings this week in cases 
expected to go to trial early in 2003.

The activists appearing will be:

Thursday 5 December
Bow street magistrates 10 am:

Josephine Donagh from oxford
Sylvia Boyes from yorkshire
Olivia Agate from yorkshire
Josh Robinson from Cambridge
Nick Gill from Cambridge
Lucy Lucy from Surrey

Friday  6 December

Bow Street magistrates 10am
Genny Bove from Wrexham
Andrea Needham from Hastings
Becqke Oldham from Coventry
Liz Yates from Maidstone

Horseferry Road Magistrates 10 am.
David Polden, from London
Paul Greening from Oxford
Richard Rippin from Cambridge

When charged Andrea Needham, a nurse, said, "I am sickened and angry at Tony Blair's determination 
to attack Iraq, whatever the consequences for the Iraqi people. I cannot stand idly by without 
taking whatever action I can to impede it."

Thursday's hearing is the start of a long process for this Government, the first of hundreds of 
cases which will be generated if Tony Blair backs George Bush in his vile war on Iraq. Over two 
thousand people in the UK have already pledged to engage in non-violent civil disobedience against 
the so called 'war on terrorism'. (2)

Call Voices UK on 0845 458 2564/ 0794 7839992
voices@viwuk.freeserve.co.uk        www.viwuk.freeserve.co.uk

Notes
(1)     Independent Tuesday
(2)   See (a) Pledge of Resistance -www.j-n-v.org,  1101 signatories for action
pledge, 1387 for support Pledge
           (b) Scottish Pledge ,
http://www.banthebomb.org/peace/index.shtmlover 1000 people signed pledge
for action


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