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 protestor 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 protestors, 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
harrassing and trying to block the protestors, 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 protestors 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 Agsinst 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 Afganistan 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
http://cia.bzzz.net/no_to_patriots_antimilitarist_action_during_bidens_visit_to_warsaw
