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PRESS RELEASE
Friday 20 October 2006
Contact: 0845 458 2564 or 07791 486484
WEEKEND
OF 'UNAUTHORISED' PROTEST MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF DEVASTATION OF FALLUJAH
24 hour peace camp in Parliament Square will defy protest exclusion zone
SATURDAY
28 OCTOBER, PEACE JOURNEY FROM NORTHWOOD MILITARY HQ to Peace Memorial
in Tavistock Square (via U.S. Embassy),
from 11am
SUNDAY 29 OCTOBER, 24 HOUR PEACE CAMP IN PARLIAMENT
SQUARE, from 12 noon to 12 noon Monday 30 Oct
Next weekend will see two events in London to mark the second
anniversary of the devastation of the Iraqi city of Fallujah carries
out by
U.S. occupying forces with the support of U.K. forces in 2004.
The events, entitled 'No More Fallujahs', will commemorate the deaths of many hundreds of thousands in Iraq and protest at the crimes committed against civilian populations in Fallujah and in many other cities more recently. [B]
On Saturday 28 October, people will assemble at Northwood Military HQ [A] in North London. A peace bus will then make its way to the U.S. Embassy, and finally to the peace memorial in Tavistock Square.
On Sunday 29 October, an unauthorised 24 hour peace camp will be established in Parliament Square. Tents with peace art work and images will be erected in a day-long protest against the continued occupation of Iraq.
November 2004 saw the start of the second, and most devastating, offensive in Fallujah. Many hundreds of civilians were killed, four fifths of the city’s population left the city and half the city’s housing was severely damaged or rendered uninhabitable. Hundreds of British troops were redeployed to support the attack on Fallujah, during the attack US forces committed numerous war crimes, including the imposition of a strict night- time shoot-to-kill curfew [C] and the bombing of a health clinic, killing 59 people [D].
In not asking police permission to hold the peace camp, the organisers are risking a year in prison for defying the ban on unauthorised demonstrations under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 (SOCPA). Those attending are risking arrest and a possible £1000 fine [E].
Taking part will be Maya Anne Evans (26) who last year became the first person to be convicted under SOCPA. She and Milan Rai, who was arrested with her in October 2005, will be repeating the name reading ceremony for which they were arrested, at both Northwood HQ and in the protest exclusion zone around Parliament. [F]
Maya Evans said, “The occupation has killed tens of thousands of Iraqis, helped to push Iraq into a state of civil war, and is acting as a recruiting sergeant for extremists across the Muslim world, endangering both Iraqis and ourselves. Moreover 78% of Iraqis believe the occupation is causing more conflict than it prevents. It’s time to end Britain’s participation in this disastrous and immoral occupation.”
CONTACTS AND INFORMATION FOR 'NO MORE FALLUJAHS'
0845 458 2564 or 07791 486484, www.rememberfallujah.org
'No More Fallujahs' has been organised by the Mass Action Group and is supported by over 50 peace groups including CND, Labour Against War, London Federation of Green Parties, Musicians Against Nuclear Arms, Stop the War, Voices UK.
NOTES
[A].
Northwood HQ is the UK's Permanent Joint Headquarters from where 'operational
command of UK forces assigned to multinational operations
led by others' is exercised. http://www.northwood.mod.uk/nwood/
norindex.htm
[B]
For information on what happened in the attacks on Fallujah and the
ongoing offensives in Iraqi cities see http://www.rememberfallujah.org/
why.htm
[C] The Times, 12 November 2004, see http://tinyurl.com/8qh7n
[D] The Nation, 13 December 2004, see http://tinyurl.com/cfq6m
[E] Under section 132 of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (April 2005) organising an “unauthorised” demonstration within 1km of Parliament is a criminal offence punishable by imprisonment for up to 51 weeks and a £2500 fine. Participating in such a demonstration is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to £1000. For more info. see www.parliamentprotest.org.uk
[F] See 'MPs condemn arrest of woman who spoke out' (Daily Mail, 9 December 05) and 'Acts of defiance against war turned ordinary people into criminals' (Independent, 8 December 05). At 7.30pm on Friday 27 October, Maya Evans will be launching her new book “Naming the Dead – A Serious Crime” at Housmans Bookshop, 5 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DX.