Issue 83 Spring 2021 Peace Matters Magazine of the Peace Pledge Union DEFENCELESS: Why more warheads can’t make us safe Also: We interview Ahmed Al-Batati, the former British soldier arrested for protesting over Yemen Sign the peace pledge and join A year that exposed the the Peace Pledge Union! lies of militarism Symon Hill, Editor 2020 aimed at equipping each other “War is a crime against humanity. to tackle militarism in local commu- I renounce war and am therefore determined not to The speedy creation of Covid nities. The events have now begun in support any kind of war. I am also determined to work for vaccines has shown us just what can online format and we hope to hold the removal of all causes of war.” be achieved when money, time and them in person later in the year. energy are put into meeting human In this issue of Peace Matters, you ISSN 1350-3006 needs rather than devoted to waging can read news of resistance to the Join at ppu.org.uk or fill in the form below. war or making profits for the few. arms industry and everyday milita- Peace Pledge Union At the same time, vaccine nation- rism (pages 3-7). We have articles on I/We would like to see the peace pledge (above) and 1 Peace Passage, Lon- alism is a reminder that militaristic the challenge for peace education and join the Peace Pledge Union. don N7 0BT attitudes are alive and well. after lockdown (10-11), an important The last year has shed light on campaign by people in Cardiff (14) Name _________________________________ Phone: the lies of militarism. Covid is dead- and the PPU’s new members’ survey 020 7424 9444 Address _____________________________________ ly evidence that weapons cannot (15). On a sadder note, you can also ____________________________________________ Email: protect us. The deployment of small read an obituary of much-valued Email address ________________________________ [email protected] number of soldiers on helpful tasks PPU member Florence Assie, who such as building hospitals has made has died aged 95 (pages 12-13). Annual subscription: £24, or £12 if you are on a low Website: ppu.org.uk clear that such people’s skills could In the centre page we have an income,or £36 for two at the same address (or £6 to be better deployed as part of civilian interview with Ahmed Al-Batati, the subscribe to Peace Matters without joining the PPU). Peace Matters is emergency services. The Black Lives soldier arrested by Military Police published by the Peace Matter movement has exposed the when he protested outside Downing Either: I/we enclose a cheque for £____ Pledge Union. Materi- dangers of relying on romanticised Street about the war in Yemen. He al published in Peace images of history written only by the put conscience before obedience. Matters does not winners. necessarily reflect PPU Well done, Ahmed! Bank ___________ Account number ____________ policy. But many politicians and generals are wedded to militarism despite its SAVE THE DATE! Please pay on __/__/__ and on the same day each failure to protect us from pandem- Editor: Symon Hill 6.30pm; MONDAY 12 APRIL MONTH/YEAR. Proof-reading: ics, poverty or climate change. After Saffron Gallup telling nurses that they could not Join us online for Resisting To Unity Trust Bank, Birmingham B1 2HB 60-83-01 Printing: Solo Press afford a decent pay rise, ministers Militarism in Your Community. Peace Pledge Union Main Account no 2038694 threatened a 44% increase in nuclear Front cover: Trident warheads. Please visit ppu.org.uk for more the sum of _____ Amount in words ____________ nuclear submarine. Thankfully, many people are ready Thanks to CND for their details and to register (for free). to resist! Due to Covid, we had to kind permission to use Signature ____________________ Date ________ this image. postpone PPU events planned for Johnson threatens 44% New laws attack our rise in nuclear warheads human rights Pacifists have pledged that the UK Ministers have been accused of as- nicknamed the War Crimes Immunity government’s plans to increase the saulting human rights in several bills Bill. Having been passed by MPs, the number of nuclear warheads will be recently presented to Parliament. bill is being debated in the Lords. met with widespread resistance. The Police, Crime, Sentencing It introduces a “presumption Within hours of the news break- and Courts Bill offers the police against prosecution” for armed forc- ing on 15 March, the Peace Pledge swingeing new powers to restrict es personnel accused of war crimes Union was hearing from members peaceful protests, allowing them to overseas after five years. It also pre- and allies who were prepared to take specify start times, end times and vents forces personnel from pursuing nonviolent direct action to impede noise levels at static protests as well legal action against the Ministry of the development and deployment of as marches. It creates the new term “Defence” after six years. new weapons - as well as many oth- “aggravated activist” to mean some- But there was embarrassment ers ready to campaign in other ways. that new warheads would protect one engaged in nonviolent direct for ministers when the International The plan reverses three decades were the profits of arms dealers. action or civil disobedience. It also Criminal Court reported in December of policy that, at least in theory, The Review came four months af- introduces new measures against that “there is a reasonable basis to was aimed at reducing the number ter Boris Johnson committed himself Traveller communities. believe” that UK military person- of nuclear warheads in the world to raising UK military spending by The Home Office said the bill nel in Iraq committed war crimes following the Cold War. It fails to more than £16bn - the largest per- would restrict protests that “stop including wilful killing, torture, rape respect the Treaty on the Prohibition centage increase since the Korean people from getting on with their and inhuman treatment of detain- of Nuclear Weapons, which came War. daily lives”. The Peace Pledge Union ees. The Court did not proceed to a into effect in January after being rat- There was particular anger that pointed out that if somebody’s daily full investigation, citing a procedural ified by 50 countries. All nine nucle- ministers announced the nuclear life involves – for example - running point about their jurisdiction. ar-armed states have been trying to warheads plan shortly after insist- an arms company, then this is a li- The PPU pointed out that UK ignore it since then. ing that the government could not cence to restrict protests against the armed forces personnel are almost The policy, announced in the Inte- afford more than a 1% pay rise for arms trade. never prosecuted for war-related grated Defence and Foreign Policy nurses, and after cutting overseas The bill was presented to Par- crimes. Review, involves raising the upper aid by nearly a third. liament only days after police had limit on the number of warheads Many critics argue that the policy misused Covid legislation to justify owned by the UK government from will give the Russian, Chinese and violent attacks on women holding a 180 to 260. other governments an excuse to vigil on Clapham Common in mem- The PPU described the Review as a increase their own arsenals, poten- ory of victims of violence against product of shallow militaristic think- tially meaning an arms race that will women (pictured). ing that offers no defence against make the whole world less safe. There has been a new develop- 21st century threats of pandemics, The PPU is committed to work- ment in controversy surrounding the poverty and climate change. ing with other peace and human Overseas Operations Bill. As re- They added that the only thing rights groups on the issue. ported in our last issue, it has been Sharp rise in white poppy ‘Woke’ arms dealers fail to orders from schools fool young people The number of schools ordering Recent months have seen a series white poppies and related materials of bizarre attempts by arms com- rose sharply in 2020 despite Covid. panies and armed forces to portray There were 280 orders for the themselves as progressive, feminist PPU’s new Remembrance Education and environmental. Packs, which included resources for Arms firm BAE Systems was the both primary and secondary stu- lead sponsor of World Skills UK Live, dents. an online careers event in November. Lockdowns meant that there were They claimed to be empowering fewer orders than usual from shops, young people, particularly young places of worship and other outlets. women, to use their skills and pursue discussion events” for young women While there was therefore a fall in where British-trained pilots are their ambitions. aged 16-24. Young women in the the number of white poppies pur- dropping bombs from British-made But members of the PPU Youth PPU accused them of misusing the chased overall, there was a rise in the planes”. Network pointed out that 10 of the language of feminism to promote an number ordered by individuals. Welsh-language white poppies 24 sessions were about careers in the organisation rooted in violence and White poppies represent re- were available from the PPU’s online military or the arms industry. obedience to authority. membrance for all victims of war, a shop for the first time. PPU members who attended the “This toxic and male-dominated commitment to peace and rejection Over 300 people attended the online event asked challenging ques- environment will never be some- of any attempt to celebrate war.