INTERNATIONAL ANARCHIST MOVEMENT-POLAND:
PROTEST AGAINST US VP VISIT TO POLAND:
Ah, the joys of 'Imperialism-Lite'. The new Democratic Administration in the USA is gradually creeping up to its first year in power, and very little has changed in terms of US policy towards the rest of the world. Yeah, President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize despite the fact of having accomplished nothing. America's two foreign wars continue and will do so for the foreseeable future. The immovable object of Israeli/Palestinian peace remains just as unachievable as it has been for decades. No doubt others have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for empty words, but this may be most glaringly empty award in history. Meanwhile the one substantial change in US policy ie backing down from an anti-missile system in eastern Europe may not be as substantial as its appears, as the following story hints at.
The following came to Molly's attention via the A-Infos website. It is originally from the Polish anarchist news site Centrum Informacji Anarchistycznej.
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Poland, NO TO PATRIOTS! Anarchist Antimilitarist Action During Biden's Visit to Warsaw:
On Oct. 21, US Vice-President Joe Biden visited Poland as part of a four-day visit to Central Europe and the Balkans meant to seal various sorts of military deals in the region. The Campaign Against Militarism protested during his visit with the Prime Minister.
---- Before the protest, one activist accidentally met Biden on the way to an announced trip to the monument of the Heros of the Warsaw Ghetto and came within arms reach of the VP with a banner reading "No Patriot Missiles". Poland is trying desperately to obtain Patriot Missiles. Previously the US had offered its ass-licking ally only training versions of the missiles, without any real warheads.
---- Upon arrival at the Prime Minister's Office, the police, secret service, etc. etc., tried to detain the first protester and claim that there could be no protest.
The person naturally refused to be led to the police wagon and journalists became interested in this action. When more people arrived, the police tried parking police vans in front of the protesters, which, although a decidedly modest group of people, were apparently not to be shown to the US Vice President or the media. The police also tried to block the banner, but one person jumped out around them with another banner. All the time the police were harassing and trying to block the protesters, which pissed one journalist off so much that he called the police headquarters complaining. Journalists also had reasons to be pissed off: the government announced that yes, they can go to a "press conference" with Mr. Biden - but nobody would be allowed to ask any questions.
And there are lots of questions to be asked. Nobody knows much about the SM3 IB, the version of anti-ballistic missile which Poland may receive sometime after 2018 since it is still in testing. Nobody knows about the warheads on the ten Patriot missiles Poland is supposed to get (at a cost of 300 million dollars for just the missiles) or what exactly the US soldiers at the military base scheduled to open next year in Poland really will be doing. And nobody knows for sure what America's missile defense plans in the region really are.
Eventually the cops had to leave the protesters alone.
In the meanwhile, the case of some people arrested in Slupsk in March 2008 after a demonstration against the planned missile shield is finally in court. So far, people are only denied the charges; witnesses will be heard next week.
Leaflet: No to Patriots!
The Campaign Against Militarism strongly protests against the location of Patriot and SM3 IB rockets in Poland. All of these rockets, regardless of their kind, are instruments of war and imperialist politics. War is killing in the interest of governments, power elites and business. In wars the ruling classes always win, and normal people always lose.
The military policy of the USA has for a long time rested on the promotion of the arms industry, to profit corporations. Wars are conducted ensure corporate profit, foreign governments are overthrown for the same reasons. The Polish government, supporting the military adventures of the ISA like the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq often says outright that they are in it for the profit (for example for contracts in Iraq), or for strengthening their relations with the USA. We oppose Poland's participation in these criminal campaigns,
No to Polish and American Imperialism!
No to Pro-War Manipulation!
No War for Profit!
No More Hate Wars!
Campaign Against Militarism
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