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1) US war plans - timing 2) 17 MARCH National Day of Action 3) Reclaim the Bases 1) US war plans - timing After my last email was circulated, it became clear that informed opinion was converging on 23-25 March as a likely planned start date for war. Right now, it looks like the Turkish anti-war movement (which seems to be the whole of the population), via the Turkish parliament, may have put back the US schedule, perhaps to 1 April or so. 2) 17 MARCH: NATIONAL DAY OF DIE-INS At the Pledge Gathering on 1 March (thanks to the London Action Resource Centre www.londonarc.org for hosting us) a group of 50 or so activists from around the country decided to call for a Week of Nonviolent Action to Stop the War from 17th - 23rd March, kicking off with a National Day of Die-ins on the 17th. Actions will also be taking place at USAF Fairford and the US spy base at Menwith Hill on March 22nd. More are in the pipeline. The idea for the 17th is that groups around the country are being asked to organise some form of die-in on that Monday. It could involve risking arrest, by being on a public highway (anything other than private property, this includes pavements as well as roads). Or it might be a non-arrestable action, either held somewhere where arrest is unlikely and/or an action where everyone taking part intends to get up when warned by the police. The idea is that this opens up the day for everyone to be able to participate in to the extent and intensity that they feel able and willing to go to. Some people may do a non-arrestable die-in in the high street (there was just such a half-hour die-in a couple of weeks ago in Hastings). Others may try to do a die-in on a B-52. Some people may try to disrupt traffic. Others may make their point outside a government building. What should unite us all is that we oppose war, with or without this empty and fraudulent second resolution. All actions for the Week should conform to the Pledge nonviolence formula and 'not harm or dehumanise any other person'. There will be some handy hints and guidelines posted on the ARROW website www.j-n-v.org before the end of the week. If you are intending to call an open 'mass' die-in which involves a risk of arrest, please do try to hold a nonviolent direct action training session beforehand, and advertise this as well as the place and time of the die-in. Please do also use our bustcard, and try to find a sympathetic local solicitor to help with legal support on the day. Finally, please let us know about your action so that we can help publicise it: 0845 458 2564 or e-mail pledgetoresist@onetel.net.uk! 3) Reclaim the Bases On the first weekend in April, 5-6 April, there will be nonviolent direct action at a number of military bases around the UK. <www.reclaimthebases.org.uk>. I urge everyone receiving this message to check out the site and to attend one of the protests, if only to be a supportive presence. (It's nice for those arrested to have people waiting for you at the police station afterwards, too.) In an earlier email, I gave the impression that there was a contradiction between organising mass actions (in cities) for mid-March and organising mass actions (at bases) in early April. This was wrong: there is some tension between the two, and in this case it's an entirely healthy tension. If there is a war in late March/1 April, it is important that we deliver the most powerful message we can that the anti-war movement has not gone away, and that our protests will continue at full volume until the war/threat of war is lifted. Reclaim the Bases is an excellent way of delivering that message, if war has started. If war hasn't started, it is still an excellent way of building up the direct action movement. On a personal note, I would like apologise to D10, the main organising group, for having knocked their plans. I asked them to think again. They did think again: they decided to go ahead with the weekend. I fully support them in that decision. I personally am 100% behind 'Reclaim the Bases' and I hope it is a storming success. Best wishes Milan Rai ARROW and voices uk _______________________________________________ Sent via the discussion list of the Campaign Against Sanctions on Iraq. To unsubscribe, visit http://lists.casi.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/casi-discuss To contact the list manager, email casi-discuss-admin@lists.casi.org.uk All postings are archived on CASI's website: http://www.casi.org.uk