NATO Game Over: International Direct Action NATO HQ, Brussels

NATO, the world's biggest war machine, has evolved from a defensive to an aggresive alliance.

NATO adds fuel to the fire. Under the pretext of 'Responsibility to Protect', NATO attacks Libya to force a profitable regime change. This intervention escalates the conflict and causes thousands of casualties. The arms industry applauds. NATO's intervention in Afghanistan leaves the country in tatters and on the brink of a civil war. Thousands have been killed. After a long-drawn-out war, the alliance reduces troop levels but plans for continued military presence, although military leaders admit that they have reached no tangible results so far.

While hopes are high for nuclear disarmament, NATO still deploys nuclear weapons in five European countries, jeopardizing disarmament processes and encouraging other countries to arm themselves. In times of austerity and drastic cuts to social spending, NATO members invest millions in missile defense and military power against imaginary threats.

A select club of 28 well-off countries intervening worldwide to protect their own interests, in the possession of nuclear weapons and ready to use them first, form a threat to world peace.

Why an action day on 1 April 2012?

From 15 till 22 May 2012, the next NATO Summit will be held in Chicago. High on the agenda will be NATO's role as an instrument for military intervention all over the world, and the outcome of the Deterrence and Defence Posture Review (DDPR) currently being conducted within the Alliance – defining the role of NATO's nuclear weapons.

A unified European action is needed well in advance, as a strong signal to our European governments. They should give clear instructions to their NATO ambassadors and other representatives before they leave for Chicago:
NATO's tactical nuclear weapons in Europe are anachronistic, useless, illegal according to International Humanitarian Law, and counterproductive to the non-proliferation process.
Military threats and interventions aggravate conflicts rather than resolve them.

To give this signal, Vredesactie will organize a non-violent direct action day at the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

Our approach:

• Humanitarian interventions are supposed to put an end to violent conflicts endangering the lives of civilians./li>
• NATO chooses for military interventions, which block peaceful solutions and result in a hopeless chain reaction of ever more violence and victims.
• We have the Responsibility to Protect civilians from NATO's military interventions.
• Therefore we will execute a genuine humanitarian intervention benefiting all mankind – by stopping NATO.

Programme

• Friday, 30 March

  Arrival, installation of and welcome to international participants

• Saturday, 31 March

  Non-Violent Direct Action Trainings

• Sunday, 1 April

  Briefings for all participants in both actions of civil disobedience and other actions

  Non-violent direct action day: humanitarian intervention to stop war preparations at NATO headquarters in Brussels
  action of civil disobedience
  symbolic actions outside the NATO zone

• Monday, 2 April

  De-briefing, evaluation, meeting(s)

For more information and to register go to this link