Jubilee Ploughshares Action

CONTENTS

1) State of Play

2) Our approach

3) Events Taking Shape

4) Elvis is in the Building!

5) Trial Scene

6) Help

7) Martin and Susan Update

1) STATE OF PLAY

The State have set a trial date for April 20 at Basildon Crown Court. The defence lawyers are still trying for a change of venue to London. It is assumed that a change of trial venue would also include a change of trial date.

2) OUR APPROACH

Fr. Martin Newell and Susan van der Hijden have stated that their hope for their disarmament and ongoing jail witness is to nourish further nonviolent resistance to the war machine and the growth of a nonviolent resistance movement and communities. With this in mind we are working on the following events that will take place whether the defence is successful in changing the trial venue and date or not.

3) EVENTS TAKING SHAPE

  10 April 2001 Middlesbrough - Public Meeting Against Nuclear Weapons and the Development of the National Missile Defence system at nearby Fylingdales Base - St Francis Church Hall, 5 Levick Cres. - Contact Fr. Peter Keeling - Ph. 01642-818190.
  13 April 2001 Good Friday - Nonviolent Resistance at Fylingdales Star Wars (NMD) related Base. Contact Ciaron O’Reilly 07947-569577.
  17 April 2001 Evening. Cambridge "Celebration of Hope" in Solidarity with the Jubilee Ploughshares prisoners - Music- Speakers- Bar Contact Sara 01223-355956.
  18 April 2001 Evening. Oxford "Celebration of Hope" in Solidarity with the Jubilee Ploughshares Prisoners - Music - Speakers- Bar Contact Gawain 07967-392229.
  19 April 2001 Evening. Trial Eve - Basildon - "Celebration of Hope" Speakers - Music
  20 April 2001 DAY 1 of TRIAL (see "Trial Scene)
  21 April 2001 Evening. Canning Town - "Celebration of Hope" in Fr. Martin’s home parish, speakers - music -bar Contact Ciaron 07947 -569 577.
  26 April 2001 Evening. 7.30 start- midnight - Irish Centre, Murray St. Camden Town "Give Peace a Dance"- Speakers - Performers - Dance Music.

*All these events are a different stages of development, they need your help in logistics and promotions please make contact.

**Please make contact for confirmation and venues.

4) ELVIS IS IN THE BUILDING!

Long time New York Catholic Worker/ War Resisters League activist and Elvis Impersonator Carmen Trotta (he is brilliant, you’ve really got to see this act!) will be bringing entertainment and input from the US plowshares movement to these events.

Other artists who have been approached to perform at these events include Chris Goodchild (folks singer), Imelda O’Reilly (pub singer), Martin (circus performer), "Lighting Fires" (a dub and roots sound system group). They can’t be at all these events all the time - so if you know any other artists who may be willing to volunteer their talents, send their contact details to ciaronx@hotmail.com

5) TRIAL SCENE

We are making contact with a sympathetic inner city centre Basildon parish. We are hoping to run a series of info. nights with the priest and the parish justice and peace group. We will be able to explore hospitality possibilities during the trial and other events for Basildon as this relationship grows.

The trial scene ritual will be similar to the one developed during the "Seeds of Hope Ploughshares" ’96 trial in Liverpool and the "Bread Not Bombs" trial in Preston ’99. We will gather for tea and coffee in the morning - before following a drum-beating Buddhist nun in single file to the Crown Court - have a circle of remembrance and resistance with speakers - build a shrine to the nuclear dead- establish outside vigil rosters and inside rosters for court support and access.

6) HELP

All the local contacts for the solidarity events around the trial need to hear from you with offers of logistic and promotional help. We especially need help for the "Give Peace a Dance" event at the Irish centre in Camden...it is an excellent accessible venue - huge room/big bar. It would be great to have a hi-profile headline act...if you have any ideas or contacts get in touch as soon as possible. It would also be wonderful to promote this event well among various communities, Irish, Peace Movement, Reclaim the Streets (pre may day), faith based peace and justice networks, Jubilee 2000.

7) MARTIN & SUSAN UPDATE

Fr. Martin Newell remains in Bedford prison where he holds out hope for nuclear disarmament and Tottenhams run in the FA Cup. Susan van der Hijden is working in the prison library in Holloway, London -after being moved from Redditch. She receives many visitors and can be visited 6 days a week.

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