GLOBAL DISSENT CONTINUES TO GROW

By Sarah Ozacky-Lazar and - - Reprint | | Print |

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OAKLAND, Apr 1 2003 (IPS) - Media around the world have shown the pictures of peaceful American protesters in Oakland, California, fired on by the local police with wooden dowels, bean bags, and concussion and \’\’sting grenades\’\’ — more evidence of the hypocrisy of America\’s claim to be a democracy, champion of human rights, and a nation of civil liberties, writes Anuradha Mittal, Co-Director of Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy, Oakland, California. In this analysis for IPS, the author writes that dissent is growing to new levels as national leaders abdicate their responsibility as elected officials and turn into warmongers. Tens of thousands of American citizens have turned in petitions calling for the impeachment of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Attorney General John Ashcroft for committing war crimes and failing to uphold the American Constitution. The global movement for peace will keep growing until there is an end to this illegitimate war, until Bush, Blair, and Howard are tried for crimes against humanity. It will make the US a true member of the global community that abides by human rights conventions, disarmament agreements, International Criminal Court rules, and the Kyoto protocol.

Media around the world have shown the pictures of young Americans protesting peacefully in Oakland, California, fired on by the local police with wooden dowels, bean bags, concussion grenades, and ”sting grenades” — rubber pellets accompanied by tear gas. They provide yet more evidence of the hypocrisy of America’s claim to be a democracy, a champion of human rights, and a nation of civil liberties.

But the dissent is growing to new levels as national leaders abdicate their responsibility as elected officials and turn into warmongers.

The morning of Monday, April 7, around 400-500 anti-war protestors took their place in front of the American President Lines terminal at the Oakland port while a smaller contingent of other picketers marched in front of the entrance to Stevedoring Services of America, chanting, ”APL and SSA how many kids have you killed today?” Both companies are contracted to ship war cargo. As demonstrators marched slowly, police formed a line and moved forward, warning the protestors to move. Before most had time to do so, they were fired on indiscriminately. Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown’s response: ”Police acted appropriately in dealing with protestors who wanted to occupy and take over the port and shut it down. The city was not going to let it happen.”

At the same time, at the Concord Naval Weapons station, a dozen brave activists were arrested after they crossed yellow police tape and knelt peacefully in front of a line of police officers. In San Francisco, California Highway Patrol arrested protestors who stopped morning commuter traffic and were distributing juice and pastries to motorists, along with flyers apologising for the inconvenience. They were charged with conspiring to block traffic.

Others were cited for trespassing when they tried to meet with their senator, Diane Feinstein. In the United States of America it is now an offence to try to meet your elected officials when they fail to represent you.

Notwithstanding what official democracy looks like in the US today, the democratic impulse is fully intact: tens of thousands of American citizens have turned in petitions calling for the impeachment of George W. Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and Attorney General John Ashcroft for committing war crimes and failing to uphold the American Constitution. These actions form the basis of a new American Revolution against a new King George: a struggle to take back the nation from war profiteers and the ‘oilagarchy’ in Washington.

US newspapers did not report that while anti-war demonstrators were being fired at in Oakland, another action was taking place in the Sydney harbour in Australia. It is doubtful whether the global media will have the courage to share the stories of brave activists who fight the war on Iraq and the war on the poor around the world.

An African proverb says, ”Until the lions can tell their stories, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter.”

Three weeks to the day after protestors scaled the Sydney Opera House to paint ”No War” on its sails, Australia experienced a second citizen action. On Tuesday April 8, after being waved off by Prime Minister Howard, HMAS Sydney headed out of port towards Iraq with a crew of 230 and enough weaponry to repel air, surface, and submarine attacks. Greenpeace activists in inflatables and jet boats then sped out of adjacent coves. Pulling close to the bow of the 138-metre-long Sydney, peace activists hoisted themselves up to attach a ”No War” banner which remained on its bow for an hour.

Then the Greenpeace radioed HMAS Sydney to advise the crew that two divers were directly in the frigate’s path. One was ex-army, and other ex-Australian Defense Force personnel.

Howard urged media to show support for the troops by downplaying and condemning the Greenpeace action in their coverage.

The San Francisco Chronicle released a field poll under the headline, ”63 Percent in the Bay Area Support War to Remove Dictator.” It was based on a poll of 1,006 California residents, of which only 204 responded. The elected officials need the media machinery to support their immoral and unjust war.

But it takes more than media spin and official lies to curb the global movement for peace. This movement will keep growing until there is an end to this illegitimate war. It will not rest until Bush, Blair, and Howard are tried for crimes against humanity. It will make the United States a true member of the global community that abides by all human rights conventions, disarmament agreements, International Criminal Court rules, and the Kyoto protocol.

In the meanwhile, thank you Greenpeace, Act Against War, Answer, Code Pink, and the hundreds of thousands of groups and individuals around the world who continue to show the true face of democracy.

Yes, the dissent is growing. (END/COPYRIGHT IPS)