REFUSING TO KILL IS NOT A CRIME
www.refusingtokill.net
October 2011
Refusing to
Kill, Refusing Jail
Prison is increasingly and heavily
used against any kind of “crime” and protest. In the UK August
uprisings, a student with no previous conviction was given six month for
"stealing" bottles of water worth £3.50. In September, Troy Davis was
killed in the face of a worldwide campaign protesting
his
innocence.
The extraordinary organising of the prisoner hunger strikes in the US and Palestine, and the resistance of individuals inside like jailhouse lawyer Mumia Abu-Jamal and Inan Süver, have brought whole movements together, in their defence but also against war, the death penalty, solitary confinement, exploited work inside . . .
The Prisoners’ leadership needs to be acknowledged; supporting them supports the anti-war, refusenik and justice movement.
Father of three, serving 25 months for desertion plus nine months for
escaping from prison. On hunger strike since 6 September, he plans to
continue to his death.
His wife Remziye says: “He is a conscientious objector, he refuses
to kill or die for anybody” and does not want her son to serve
either. “I am not raising him to die from a stray bullet at 20.”
Write directly to Inan and protest to the Turkish President via www.connection-ev.de
UK
Six
anti-war activists, (Hastings Against War,
London Catholic Worker, Veterans for Peace UK)
were arrested on 7 Oct after a non-violent resistance action in Downing
Street to end the war in Afghanistan. Support them in Court on 1 Nov.
US
DEFEND
BRADLEY MANNING
British
conscientious objector serving seven months in Colchester Prison since
July
Appeal: 13 Oct 9am, Royal Courts of Justice
Openly gay US Army Intelligence analyst, 22, arrested in May 2010, suspected of Wikileaking the 'Collateral Murder' video which shows US soldiers killing civilians, and other documents. He could face death penalty.
He was in solitary for months before an international campaign forced his move to a less repressive prison. More international actions expected when his pre-trial hearing will be announced.
“I
would never want my children looking up to me if I had been part of this
destruction, this death and greed. And I couldn’t be the husband that
you deserve. ” To
his wife Lillian. Information:
veteransforpeaceuk.wordpress.com
Write to
him
: Military Corrective Training
SIGN NEW PETITION to allow UN Special Rapporteur on Torture to meet with Bradley.
Information:
www.bradleymanning.org
Thanks
to Wikileaks' whistleblower Julian
Assange truths are emerging about the
filthy work of governments behind closed doors.
They
take our money to kill more of us:
$1.46
trillion on armed forces worldwide (2009), half by the
You can
be killed: 4,368
Or
wounded:
4,139 US and 2,864
Or kill yourself: Suicides of Falklands veterans after war = 264, killed in war = 255. At least 6,200 US veterans kill themselves each year
Or
become physically ill, perhaps fatally:
6,000
Or
mentally ill:
1,500
British Iraq veterans diagnosed with mental health disorders.
Or
homeless:
1,100
Or get
into trouble with the law:
8,500
Or kill
or rape:
Domestic violence is five times higher among US military families than
among civilian families.
Or be raped or bullied: Remember Deepcut recruits?
Declaration to end war in Afghanistan
by 21 ex-US and UK soldiers,
including
"We know
that these wars have nothing to do with democracy, security, women’s
rights, peace or stability, they are fought for money and power, nothing
else. (...) We have seen and endured the suffering of the soldiers
affected by these wars and, unlike those who send them to fight, we know
these people at a human level. We have seen and regret the suffering of
the innocent people in the countries involved."
(Delivered
to Downing Street
8/10/11)
Occupy Wall
Street movement
Placard reads END AMERICAN MILITARY AID TO ISRAEL
REMEMBER
TROY
ABOLISH THE
DEATH PENALTY
12,000
On
Sept 26, prisoners at
Representatives of the hunger strikers have previously stated that this will be a rolling strike, allowing prisoners to come off strike to regain strength. Because of this, numbers will likely fluctuate throughout the duration of the strike. Authorities are stepping up punishment and isolation of striking prisoners, denying family and legal visits and stopping mail delivery.
Information www.prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com
On 21 September, the state of Georgia murdered Troy
Davis.
On death row
for the 1989 murder of a police officer, there was no physical evidence
linking him to the crime, and 7 out of 9 non-police witnesses changed
their testimony.
Martina Correira
"
"We’re going to get through
whether
with boycotts and things like that"
26/09/11
Mumia's new Book:
Jailhouse Lawyers – Prisoners defending Prisoners v the USA.
"The
Troy Davis movement amassed almost a million signatures on petitions.
Remarkable. But signa-tures on paper or on line are not people in the
streets. If a million people were on the march, maybe, maybe he would be
alive. Maybe."
Mumia Abu
Jamal, 26/09/11
Palestinian prisoners
occupation prisons
Hunger strike since September 27, to end
●
isolation of national leader Ahmad Sa’adat, and all Palestinian
prisoners
●
repression against visitors & denial of visits
● abuse and humiliation of prisoners when moved to another prison
Source:
International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network.
See their
call for actions which recognises the "centrality of the struggles of
those confined in Israeli occupation prisons, at
SUPPORT REFUSENIKS AND ALL PRISONERS. DEMAND THEIR FREEDOM.
THEY’RE
OUR PEOPLE. WE WANT THEM BACK!
WRITE TO
THEM – JOIN OUR MAILING LIST -- SEND US YOUR
INFORMATION
payday@paydaynet.org
–
www.refusingtokill.net
Payday men’s
network,
working with the Global Women’s Strike - Invest in