News

On 5 February, a brief press release from the serious fraud office (SFO) announced that it had reached a settlement with BAE Systems, the UK’s largest arms company. Four months earlier, the SFO had made headlines announcing that it intended prosecute BAE for alleged bribery and corruption relating to arms deals in the Czech Republic, Romania, South Africa and Tanzania.

The settlement saw all charges dropped in regard to the first three countries, with BAE pleading guilty to…

The Green Party is focusing its attention on three constituencies where it has a reasonable chance of electing a Green MP in this year’s general election: Lewisham Deptford, Norwich South and Brighton Pavilion. Britain is the only sizeable European country never to have had any Green national legislative presence.

Brighton Pavilion represents the Greens’ best chance at achieving this milestone. With nine councillors, the Greens have more representation than the other parties in…

About 50 people braved the melting snows in mid-January to come to the first-ever Peace News Winter Gathering, at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham. The gathering was followed by street theatre focussed on Nottingham arms traders Heckler & Koch.

Gathering participants heard the legendary Keith McHenry, co-founder of Food Not Bombs; the equally legendary George Farebrother of NETLAP and World Court Project UK; as well as workshops on “Killer Drones” (by Chris Cole of FoR and Jim…

Hanukkah Candlelit Vigil

The Jewish Fast for Gaza is an ad hoc group of rabbis, Jews and people of conscience world-wide who have committed to undertake a monthly daytime fast to call for the lifting of the blockade on Gaza.

We also call for humanitarian and developmental aid for the people of Gaza and for Israel, the US and the international community to engage in negotiations without pre-conditions with all relevant Palestinian parties, including Hamas, for an end to…

Approximately one year ago, Israel unleashed its attack on the Gaza Strip – amidst its ongoing siege and occupation – killing more than 1,400 Palestinians, the majority of them civilians.

From Alaska to Adelaide, on 27 December, people worldwide demonstrated in their towns to remember the assault, including Glasgow and Edinburgh. At the Edinburgh gathering, fifty people held banners and placards at the foot of the Mound, appealing to passing bargain hunters to remember the…

The long-awaited report from the Scottish Parliament Working Group on Scotland Without Nuclear Weapons was published on 18 November. It concluded that “there is a bright future for Scotland without nuclear weapons”, recommending that a route map be created for disarmament. The route map would include identifying the needs of the key communities and businesses most affected by the removal of nuclear weapons, so that assistance, including the allocation of a “disarmament dividend”, could be…

The arms manufacturers Raytheon are to end their computer software manufacturing operation in Derry following a concerted campaign by Derry Anti War Coalition (DAWC) and the Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign (FEIC).

DAWC occupied the offices of Raytheon three times: in 2003, together with FEIC, after 62 people were killed in a Baghdad marketplace by a missile that Robert Fisk identified as a Raytheon one. Then in the aftermath of the Qana massacre of 30 July 2006, the DAWC again…

The chief constable of Kent, Mike Fuller, admitted in the High Court on 12 January that his police had conducted illegal “stop and searches” on 11-year-old twins, Dave Morris and other activists at the August 2008 week-long Climate Camp at the Kingsnorth power station. Police had already been heavily criticised for brutality towards protesters at the camp by officers who hid their badge numbers and for using loud music to stop activists sleeping.

The High Court was told that the…

On 16 June, Manchester Plane Stupid disrupted an airport industry conference using helium balloons reading “Happy Retirement”. The balloons floated to the top of the Manchester Central conference venue where they remained with their attached rape alarms ringing loudly.

This occurred just as the industry delegates were posing for a photo shoot for the launch of a new carbon reduction scheme at European airports – which will not include emissions from aircraft. The Airports Council…

A recent alleged massacre by US-led forces in Afghanistan has been greeted with near-total silence on the part of the British press.

On 31 December, The Times’ Jerome Starkey reported allegations that ten civilians – including seven children – had been killed during a night-raid on the village of Ghazi Kang. According to the local headmaster – who provided Starkey with their names and school registration numbers – the children, whose ages ranged from 11 to 17, were…

The British Government is considering plans to redeploy British troops in Afghanistan from the more dangerous, northern areas of Helmand province to its quieter central districts, in an attempt to undermine growing anti-war sentiment here in the UK. 71% of Britons support a one-year withdrawal of all British forces (see PN 2516/17).

McChrystal’s thinking

The move is apparently the brainchild of the head of US/NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal.
…

Americans rallied against President Obama’s decision to escalate the war in Afghanistan with demonstrations big and small throughout December. Over 200 protesters marched to the military academy in West Point, where President Obama was making the announcement on 1 December, to hold a candlelight vigil. Six people were arrested for “blocking the roadway.”

On 12 December about 150 activists gathered in front of the White House, including four 2008 presidential candidates – Ralph Nader,…

Even for those who expected nothing, COP15 was still a huge disappointment; a body-blow to a stricken planet, its environment and its politics. For this we owe a “special” thank-you, as per usual on matters of war and justice, to the USA. For people who put their faith in Barack Obama, he proved more Judas than Jesus, for thirty pieces of silver read dirty piles of petrodollars. Nevertheless, there were signs of hope: ourselves, the climate justice movement.

Here participants in last…

Once again, Aberystwyth led the way as the town council laid a white poppy wreath at the Cenotaph on 7 November. Despite the weather, the ceremony was well attended. Those present remembered the suffering caused by organised violence and “all the places where our humanity has been denied”, commented Jill Gough of CND Cymru.

Rhidian Griffiths chose the hymn “Let There be Peace on Earth” by Fred Kaan, “a lifelong pacifist, whose convictions grew out of his childhood in the…

A new report from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) details a chronic culture of neglect at nuclear decommissioning sites across the UK. This includes the Wylfa A station on the north coast of Ynys Môn (Anglesey). This culture of neglect does not inspire confidence in the new push for nuclear power.

As I write, the government’s e-auction, for the sale of land on which nuclear new-build is planned, is already under way. Included in this land grab is the site for a new Wylfa B…

As dawn begins to break on a Monday morning in February, hundreds of dedicated individuals from all around Britain and beyond will descend upon the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) at Aldermaston, determined to block the base and halt work on facilities for a new generation of nuclear warheads.

The Aldermaston Blockade on 15 February 2010 will highlight the illegality, immorality and criminal waste of resources involved in the multi-billion pound expansion of the nuclear…

50 years after the reverend Tom Willis proudly opened the doors of Peace House at 5 Caledonian Road, creating a home for the peace movement in London, activists, supporters, residents old and new – and Tom Willis himself – came together to celebrate their collective achievements.

An afternoon of reminiscence and reflection was accompanied by the inspirational voices of London-based political choir Raised Voices, and the poetry of long-time friends of the building, Pat Arrowsmith, Jeff…

Over 1500 signatures have been collected calling for the National Assembly of Wales to create a Peace Institute comparable with those in Flanders, Catalonia, Finland, Norway and elsewhere. The petition won all-party support and received a favourable first hearing on 10 November.

The idea of a Peace Institute for Wales was fostered by Jill Evans, chair of CND Cymru. It has gained support from the Welsh Centre for International Affairs (WCIA), Cymdeithas y Cymod (the Fellowship of…

The two-day (1-2 September) “Citizen and the Law of Armed Conflict” conference at Friends House, London, was organised by a coalition of organisations concerned with the need to develop better dialogue with MPs and decision-makers on law and peace issues.

The first day consisted of talks from a wide range of lawyers, MPs, academics and activists while the second day enabled participants to discuss techniques on how to empower citizens. We are now planning the way forward after…

87% of Britons agree with the statement: “Remembrance Sunday should be about marking the dead on all sides of war, not just the British”, according to a ComRes poll carried out for the Christian think tank Ekklesia at the beginning of November.

93% say they believe that, contrary to existing remembrance traditions, civilians who died in war should also be remembered.

95% say they think the main message of Remembrance Sunday should be one of peace.

When…