The
following statement was written before the latest round of opposition
to the movement of military Stryker vehicles in July of this year. In
this round again, people mobilized to resist and protest, at the port
of Tacoma and Ft. Lewis. 15 people were arrested. We demand charges be
dropped on the people arrested in July, as well as from previous rounds
of resistance. We call for people to broadly circulate this statement,
as part of spreading increased active resistance to the Iraq war, as
well as U.S. threats to wage war on Iran.
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PMR blog:
http://portstatement.blogspot.com/ |
We
the undersigned support and uphold those associated with the Port
Militarization Resistance (PMR) who have taken a stand, and continue to
fight, against the criminal war and occupation of Iraq. After waiting
as long as 7 months, the city of Olympia has charged 7 people for
actions they took last November. We demand that ALL charges be dropped,
and no other charges brought, against anyone participating in the
actions taken by PMR during the Nov. 2007 port Olympia resistance.
Let
it be clear that the port resistance has been characterized by
non-violen, albeit determined, actions. The protesters were viciously
attacked by the Olympia police department using pepper spray, batons,
bean bag rounds, pepper ball rounds, and tear gas. The police also
attacked journalists and bystanders. Some police removed protective
goggles and bandannas worn by protesters in order to shoot pepper spray
at close range into their faces, and they denied people medical
attention.
The protesters were the ones that were brutalized,
and have been charged, while the police who used excessive force are
still walking free. Government agencies at various levels have acted in
conjunction with the police to repress, brutalize, and terrorize the
protesters that have taken a courageous stand. Threats and intimidation
aimed at suppressing protesters and activists have been stepped up in
the wake of the Feb. 14th events on the Evergreen State College campus.
The Evergreen State College administration has spread this repression
by assisting these agencies when they handed over student records to
authorities, banned certain campus events, and suspended the Students
for a Democratic Society as a student organization. We refuse to be
intimidated by these tactics, including spying. We demand that
government agencies cease surveillance activities, and their repressive
tactics!
In the November protests there were many people
involved in multi-layered capacities- as street medics, in support of
the women’s action or other groups doing direct action, as legal
witnesses, and supporting in many other ways. People came out to
protest police brutality at city council meetings and in rallies in
Olympia. All this shows the potential for much greater opposition to
the war, including at the ports. At the same time, too many who are
against the war did not get involved in supporting the port protests in
November. Others chastised the protesters for “going too far.” This
shows the need to change the line up of things dramatically, to counter
these arguments, build the resistance, and isolate the war makers. More
people are needed to take up and spread this type of mass resistance to
the war. All those who are against the war must support, take up, and
spread active opposition to the war!
Let us be clear that the
real criminals are those in the White House determined to continue the
war on the people of Iraq. These same criminals are also waging a war
on the people of Afghanistan with an escalation of that war not
unlikely in the near future. They’re now threatening to expand these
wars into Iran, saying that nuclear options are “on the table.” Torture
has been legalized, there have been over a million Iraqis killed, and
4-5 million Iraqi refugees. The horrors continue every day.
We
call on all those who are against the illegal Iraq war and occupation,
to support and join the port resistance. What is needed, and what we
pledge to help do, is to spread mass resistance to this unjust and
immoral war throughout the country.
- Sign on, donate
funds for legal costs, support PMR and those putting their bodies on
the line to stop war crimes and crimes against humanity. - Mobilize broadly to build opposition to the next round of Stryker vehicle movements.
- Wear orange as the color and symbol of your resistance to the war, to the legalization of torture, and to the Bush regime.
- Pledge to be a part of this resistance and help spread it everywhere!
Go
down to the next action and mobilize others to do the same, organize in
your own area in support of the port protests and the resistance to the
war. It’s up to us to stop the war and occupation on Iraq, and to
prevent further US aggression in the Middle East!
This
Statement was written by a team consisting of: Supporters of Revolution
Newspaper, members of The World Can’t Wait! Drive Out the Bush Regime!
members of Shoreline Community College Student Coalition for Peace and
Justice, and other individuals.