Manchester AntiWar VideoBlog

vlog2008 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:06:26 +0000

Chris Coverdale on Why all Unprovoked War is Illegal (2004)

Manchester, England. 12 March 2004. International war law expert Chris Coverdale speaks at the Trial of Blair. The trial was a fringe event at the Labour Party Spring Conference held in Manchester, UK –organised by the Stop the War Coalition.

Tony Blair was staying at the plush Midland Hotel in central Manchester less than a hundred yards from the hall where the trial took place. In between was a veritable army of police, armed officers from the Tactical Aid Unit (TAU), and the Special Branch (the UK’s political police). Blair had of course been invited to the meeting to defend himself, but, curiously, declined to attend.

The case for the prosecution was presented by Chris Coverdale of Legal Action Against War (LAAW), former MI5 whistleblower David Shayler and his partner Annie Machon–also a former MI5 officer. Ghada Razuki of the Stop the War Coalition also spoke. They were followed by 40 witnesses from the floor who were given 1 minute each to speak. The meeting was presided over by a “judge” in full regalia including a superb wig. Two grinning statues of Blair also adorned the platform.

The jury–the people at the event–voted Blair gulity. The verdict was unanimous.

Visit the Greater Manchester Stop the War Coalition website:

http://manchesterstopwar.org

vlog2008 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:15:19 +0000

Chris Coverdale on why all unprovoked war is illegal (2004)

Manchester, England. 2004 International war law expert Chris Coverdale speaks at the Trial of Blair. The trial was a fringe event at the Labour Party Spring Conference held in Manchester, UK on 12 March 2004–organised by the Stop the War Coalition.

The jury–the people at the event–voted Blair gulity. The verdict was unanimous.

Visit the Greater Manchester Stop the War Coalition website:

vlog2008 — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:06:20 +0000

Unite Against Fascism Oppose the EDL in Manchester

Manchester, England. 10th October 2009. 2000 anti-fascists mobilised by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) oppose a racist, bigoted provocation by the neo-Nazi English Defence League (EDL). The EDL has been touring the country stirring up hatred against Muslims and pandering to Islamophobia generated by George W Bush’s bogus war on terror–which is in fact a war for Middle Eastern oil. Everywhere the EDL shows up, it has been opposed by anti-fascists. This stand-off lasted for 5 hours until the EDL were escorted away by the cops with their tails between their legs.

vlog2008 — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:15:05 +0000

‘Boys on the Balcony’

vlog2008 — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:53:23 +0000

bilin demo 10 7 9 by hatham al katib

http://palsolidarity.org/2009/07/7652

Adeeb Abu Rahme, a leading Palestinian non-violent peace activist was
arrested in the weekly Bil’in demonstration against the Apartheid Wall
(see the video, Adeeb is the protester in the orange shirt with the
mega-phone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqaO8lFYuM0 ). The Israeli
military is charging Adeeb with “incitement to violence,” a charge
that could bring a serious jail term. This charge is the culmination
of a new attempt to “break” the non-violent resistance in Palestine by
targeting the leaders of the non-violent protests.

Adeeb is currently in detention and will be taken in front of a
military judge on Thursday, 16 July 2009. The military prosecutor
intends to request for Adeeb to remain in detention until the end of
the proceedings against him. This could mean months or a year in
military prison for Adeeb, who is the sole provider for his family of
9 children, wife and mother.

In the past five years, many attempts have been made by the to break
the spirit of the Bil’in protests. Every new commander in Bil’in has
promised to break the resistance, using new weapons and increasing the
level of violence against unarmed demonstrators. But the spirit and
resilience of Bil’in residents and their supporters cannot be broken;
every Friday they continue to march and chant against the theft of
Palestinian land and the systemic violence of the Occupation.

In the past month, Israeli forces have attacked Bil’in and other
villages with renewed vigor, raiding homes in the early hours of the
morning to seize suspected demonstrators. Mostly children under the
age of 18, they are interrogated and pressured to ‘confess’ that they
throw stones at the instructions of the village leaders. The truth
remains that village leaders discourage stone throwing and recognize
that it is used as a tool by the Occupation to falsely accuse the
demonstrations of instigating violence. The Bil’in Popular Committee
Against the Wall and Settlements requested the presence of Israeli and
international solidarity activists to document and discourage the
night raids.

Anyone of the thousands who have marched with Adeeb can testify that
despite provocation and serious attacks on his person, he has never
responded violently. Attempts to criminalize the leadership of non-
violent protests where curbed in the past with the help of an
outpouring of support from people committed to justice from all over
the world. We need you now to testify to Adeeb’s commitment to non-
violence and to hold the Israeli military accountable for trying to
destroy the resistance.

Please email your letter to palestinesolidarity@gmail.com

SAMPLE LETTER:

To whom it may concern,

I was disturbed to learn that Mr. Adeeb Abu Rahme, a leader in his
village and participant in the non-violent demonstrations that take
place in Bil’in every Friday, was arrested for peacefully
demonstrating against Israel’s separation fence on July 10th, 2009 and
is still being held in prison. Over the past five years Mr. Rahme and
the leaders in Bil’in village have displayed an unshakable commitment
to non-violence and dignified action.

Mr. Rahme in particular is well known for his commitment to the
struggle for peace through non-violent means and for his willingness
to work in partnership with Israelis. He is a respected member of the
community. I am impressed with his honesty and commitment to non-
violence. My understanding of Israeli law is that the right to
demonstrate peacefully is protected. Mr. Rahme should be commended and
not punished for his efforts.

I hope and trust that Mr. Rahme will be allowed to return to his
family, including his 9 children, wife and mother for whom he is the
sole supporter, and community without further delay and that his name
be cleared of all accusations.

Sincerely,

Two were kidnapped and dozens suffered from gas inhalation when Israeli troops attacked the weekly protest in Bil’in village near the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday.

International and Israeli supporters joined the villagers of Bil’in and marched from the village center after the Friday midday prayers. The protesters demanded the halt of Israeli illegal settlements and construction of the wall. Among the protesters were leaders and supporters of the Palestinian National Initiative, PNI, marking the 7th anniversary of the initiative.

As the protesters arrived at the wall, Israeli troops stationed at its gate fired a barrage of sound bombs,and tear gas . troops kidnaped two civilians. The soldiers also used what the villagers call “bad smell” bombs.

The “bad smell” bombs cause people to vomit and get miss oriented. Dozens were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation and cases of vomiting. Among the people affected were Mustafa Al Barghouthi, General Secretary of the PNI and a Palestinian MP.

Marking the 5th anniversary of the decision of the International Court of Justice, that declared the Israeli Wall illegal, the local village committee against the Wall and settlements called for the popular nonviolent resistance to continue.

In related news, the Israeli military continued its invasions of the village of Bil’in. Troops kidnapped eight villagers and an international supporter this week. Local activists and international supporters responded to the nightly invasions by staying overnight, touring the village and stopping the military forces from kidnapping more civilians.

vlog2008 — Thu, 28 May 2009 22:20:14 +0000

Manchester Unite Against Fascism Press Conference – Jonny Wineberg

Manchester, England. 26th May 2009. Manchester Unite Against Fascism (UAF) holds a press conference on the day that the neo-Nazi British National Party (BNP) has its party political appeal broadcast on BBC TV and other British TV channels. This is followed by a protest outside Manchester BBC studios.

The press conference features a panel of speakers that includes:

Chris Morley, National Union of Journalists, Northern Regional Organiser.

Justine Hall, Green Party candidate for the North West in the European Elections.

Jonny Wineberg, Vice-President, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and a member of the Manchester Jewish-Muslim forum.

Cllr Paul Fairweather, Manchester City Council, lead councillor on gay mens issues

The protest at the BBC is very lively. Sentiments expressed include “Pull the plug on the Nazi thugs”, “Hey hey! hey ho! The BNP has got to go!” and “The BNP is a Nazi party, smash the BNP!”

This clip shows, Jonny Wineberg, Vice-President of the Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and member of Manchester Jewish-Muslim forum speaking at the conference.

vlog2008 — Thu, 28 May 2009 21:48:16 +0000

Manchester Unite Against Fascism Press Conference – Dick Withecombe

Manchester, England. 26th May 2009. Manchester Unite Against Fascism (UAF) holds a press conference on the day that the neo-Nazi British National Party (BNP) has its party political appeal broadcast on BBC TV and other British TV channels. This is followed by a protest outside Manchester BBC studios.

The press conference features a panel of speakers that includes:

Chris Morley, National Union of Journalists, Northern Regional Organiser.

Justine Hall, Green Party candidate for the North West in the European Elections.

Jonny Wineberg, Vice-President, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and a member of the Manchester Jewish-Muslim forum.

Cllr Paul Fairweather, Manchester City Council, lead councillor on gay mens issues

This clip shows Manchester UAF chair, Dick Withecombe, introducing and contributing to the conference

vlog2008 — Thu, 28 May 2009 19:21:45 +0000

Unite Against Fascism: Pull the Plug on the Nazi Thugs!

Manchester, England. 26th May 2009. Manchester Unite Against Fascism (UAF) holds a press conference on the day that the neo-Nazi British National Party (BNP) has its party political appeal broadcast on BBC TV and other British TV channels. This is followed by a protest outside Manchester BBC studios.

The press conference features a panel of speakers that includes:

Chris Morley, National Union of Journalists, Northern Regional Organiser.

Justine Hall, Green Party candidate for the North West in the European Elections.

Jonny Wineberg, Vice-President, Jewish Representative Council of Greater Manchester and a member of the Manchester Jewish-Muslim forum.

Cllr Paul Fairweather, Manchester City Council, lead councillor on gay mens issues

A protester argues that the BBC and other media should not be broadcasting the BNP’s racist and fascist propaganda. The BBC claims that it is obliged to broadcast the BNP’s election appeal because the it is a legal party and that it is legally required to broadcast all party political broadcasts.

Or. to put it another way, the BBC and the TV channels are ONLY FOLLOWING ORDERS.

Yet, the Nuremberg Trials judgements in the 1940s established as INTERNATIONAL LAW that the defence of “only following orders” was and is unacceptable–even when someone is employed to carry them out. It is thus the DUTY of everyone, including journalists and broadcasters, to do everything in their power to vigorously resist fascism.

Journalists and broadcasters are perfectly well aware of the real neo-Nazi agenda of the BNP. They KNOW very well what would happen if the BNP got into power. Journalists and broadcasting staff unions like NUJ, BECTU would no longer be allowed to remain as independent trades unions, but would be taken over and and turned into appendages of the fascist corporate state. Parties that would completely abolish democracy once in power should not be given a platform by any TV channel.

Journalists and broadcasters complying meekly with the electoral laws of a warmongering, institutionally racist state is like turkeys voting for Christmas. They should consider following the example of Royal Mail postal workers who refused to distribute BNP election leaflets. The issues involved are the same as those faced by journalists

The New Labour government has used the bogus war on terror and the politics of fear to mount a series of scaremongering raids on British Muslim communities–many of which which have turned out to be unwarranted. The most recent case–a militarised police raid against Pakistani students in Manchester and Liverpool –resulted in no charges being brought against any of the detained. Yet, despite this they are being deported. There is every reason to believe that this raid was an attempt to divert attention from the public outrage about the police riot at the G20 demonstrations which resulted in the death of an innocent man.

This raid follows other similar raids and scaremongering–like the ricin plot that never was–no ricin was ever found. Or the the Forest Gate raid which proved to be a false alarm. The phony spectacle of tanks at Heathrow airport etc. etc.

The New Labour governments of Blair and Brown have shamelessly pandered to racism and Islamophobia creating a contrived climate of fear and suspicion that plays directly into the hands of the BNP. The current economic crisis that is the result of the neo-liberal economic policies of Thatcher, Blair and Brown, and the current MPs expenses scandal that has discredited all the mainstream parties, means that there is a danger that the BNP may be the beneficiaries of a protest vote in the coming EU elections. The EU elections are based on proportional representation. The BNP only need to get 8% of the vote to gain an MEP in the North West which would give them access to EU money and resources.

The cynicism about politics that is the result of the MPs expenses scandal means that there is a real danger that there will be a low turn out in the EU elections on June 4th (2009). It is essential that voters resist the temptation not to vote at all or to vote for the BNP and to use their votes wisely. The UAF urges everyone to USE THEIR VOTE–to vote for any other party except the BNP.

A vote for the Greens stands the best chance, statistically, of defeating the BNP

vlog2008 — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:34:45 +0000

North West Regional Conference of Unite Against Fascism – Lee Billingham

Manchester, England. 25 April 2009. A Unite Against Fascism (UAF) North West Regional Conference is held at the Mechanics Institute, Manchester in the room where the British Trades Unions Congress was founded in the 1868.

This clips shows Lee Billingham organiser of the Love Music Hate Racism–the descendant of Rock Against racism speaking at the event.

It is time for all of us to unite to stop the Nazi British National Party (BNP). This Conference aims to bring together all those who wish to be part of the Campaign to stop the BNP in the European Elections on June the 4th.

Use your vote! The BNP only need 8.4% of the vote to get an MEP elected under the proportional representation system used by the EU.

Highlights include:

Lavania OConnor, PCS, Make You Vote Count Coordinator
Karen Reismann, Unison NEC (pc)
Mr. Muhammad Umar, Ramadan Foundation,
Weyman Bennet, Joint Secretary Unite Aginst Fascism.
Cllr Afsal Khan, Muslim Council of Britain (MCB)
Lee Billingham, Love Music, Hate Racism.
Kate Richards, Manchester May Day Committee

Love Music Music Hate Racism Carnival is in Stoke on Trent, Stoke City Ground. 30th May 2009.

http://www.lovemusichateracism.com/

“The world is a dangerous place to live in: not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

–Albert Einstein

vlog2008 — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:33:39 +0000

North West Regional Conference of Unite Against Fascism – Kate Richards

Manchester, England. 25 April 2009. A Unite Against Fascism (UAF) North West Regional Conference is held at the Mechanics Institute, Manchester in the room where the British Trades Unions Congress was founded in the 1868.

This clips shows Kate Richards, organiser of the Manchester May Day Festival 2009, speaking at the event.

Use your vote! The BNP only need 8.4% of the vote to get an MEP elected under the proportional representation system used by the EU.

Highlights include:

“The world is a dangerous place to live in: not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”

–Albert Einstein