Spain (State of)

Happening now: direct action against NATO's Trident Juncture military exercises that are taking place across Spain, Italy and Portugal.

Members of the European Antimilitarist Network join antimilitarists from state of Spain.

Follow #TJ15 #WarStarstHere #OTANno on social media for updates

 

 

On Friday 16th October, a group of Antimilitaristes-moc activists blockaded tanks destined for usage in the Trident Juncture military exercises (war games). Two activists unveiled banners with the words “War Stops Here” and “Sorry for the inconvenience: obstructing war preparations”, four more activists rapidly chained themselves with lock-on tubes to the tracks of two Danish Leopard tanks parked due to be transported to the main manoeuvre site of San Gregorio (Zaragoza). Six people were arrested and released later with charges.

This weekend activists from across Europe will be protesting the Trident Juncture NATO exercises. Follow #WarStartshere #OTAN #TJ15 on social media for news.

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Last Friday, a group of Antimilitaristes-moc activists disrupted the organization of the departure of a military convoy from the port of Sagunto, due to be deployed in war maneuvers in the next few days by army units of more than 30 countries as part of NATO exercise “Trident Juncture 2015”

During the NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2015 the alliance will practice military interventions in North Africa

Marines from the US train in la Sierra del Retin, Barbate

The NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2015 will take place during October 2015 and until early November in Italy, Portugal, and the State of Spain. According to a variety of sources, this will be the “largest exercise of NATO since the end of the Cold War”1, “largest exercise conducted by the Alliance since 2002” (…) and “the Alliance’s most important exercise in 2015”2, or “the largest deployment of the Alliance in the last decade”3. The exercise consists of two clearly distinguished phases, a command post exercise (CPX, 3-16 October) and a phase of real action (Live Exercise, LIVEX, 21 October-6 November).

In Spain, preparations are being made for resistance to the planned NATO war games, Trident Juncture. Trident Juncture will take place throughout October and into early November, and will include the participation of 36,000 soldiers from over 30 countries – it is one of the biggest mobilisation of NATO troops for a decade. WRI's affiliate 'Alternativa Antimilitarista.MOC' are part of coordinating protests against the exercise, and a call-out is available here in Spanish: http://www.antimilitaristas.org/spip.php?article5569

Large demonstrations are planned, and a general strike has been called by local communities and trade unions. The European Antimilitarist Network is also preparing to take part, with activists travelling from across the continent to oppose this huge military mobilisation. You can read an article about the background to the war games on the WRI website here: /node/24821

The “largest exercise of NATO since the end of the Cold War”1, will take place in October and November in Italy, Portugal, and the State of Spain. The Trident Juncture will see over 36,000 soldiers from more than 30 countries will take part in Italy, Portugal, and the State of Spain, and more than half of them – 20,000 soldiers – will do so in the State of Spain. There are initiatives by the pacifist and antimilitarist movement of Andalucía to organise civil disobedience actions in Barbate (Amphibian Training Range of the Sierra del Retín) with the support of Alternativa Antimilitarista.MOC in the state of Spain and with the European Antimilitarist Network. Other groups are organising protests in Zaragoza (the National Training Centre of San Gregorio) and in Barcelona.

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During the NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2015 the alliance will practice military interventions in North Africa

Marines from the US train in la Sierra del Retin, Barbate

The NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2015 will take place during October 2015 and until early November in Italy, Portugal, and the State of Spain. According to a variety of sources, this will be the “largest exercise of NATO since the end of the Cold War”1, “largest exercise conducted by the Alliance since 2002” (…) and “the Alliance’s most important exercise in 2015”2, or “the largest deployment of the Alliance in the last decade”3. The exercise consists of two clearly distinguished phases, a command post exercise (CPX, 3-16 October) and a phase of real action (Live Exercise, LIVEX, 21 October-6 November).

The easiness of traveling within the Globalized North for its citizens only equals the difficulty for someone to access this part of the world.

WRI's affiliate in the state of Spain - Alternativa Antimilitarista.MOC - are holding their summer gathering from 29th July to 2nd August, in Barcelona. The camp will include debates and workshops – more information is available here: http://www.sinkuartel.org/es/noticias/antimilitarismo/800-alternativa-antimilitarista-moc-encuentro-de-verano-2015.html

At the same time, Peace News are holding their own summer camp in the UK. The 'low impact, high participation' camp is being held at the Crabapple Community near Shrewsbury, from 30 July to 3rd August: More information is available here: http://peacenewscamp.info/

Antimilitarists in Spain have spoken out in solidarity with young Ukrainian's studying in the country, who have been recalled to fight by the Ukrainian government. Alternativa Antimilitarista.MOC Madrid has called on the Spanish government to protect six young Ukrainian on a study trip in Spain, after two young people recieved letters from the Ukrainian government in February, calling them up to military service. The students currently have to return to Ukraine every year to renew their permit. The organising group - Asociación de Asistencia a la Infancia de Aragón – has been organising such trips since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, and is looking for ways to extend the young people's stay in Spain for several years.

Providence Equity Partners is a global private equity firm focused on media, communications, education and information investments. Providence Equity Partners have a history of profiteering from war, including owning the company U.S.Investigation Services, which trained the violent and secretive 'Emergency Response Unit', an Iraqi paramilitary security organisation. However, Providence are our particular focus this month because the company has just bought an events company called Clarion Events.

The first ever international week of action for military-free education and research was held between 25-31 October 2014. This follows on from a day of action last year. Antimilitarists across the world took action to raise awareness, and challenge, the role the military has in education and research in educational institutions. This role gives them access to young people - to lay the groundwork for recruitment later in life, and to promote military values.

Different groups used the week of action in different ways. Some challenged military presence in schools through direct action, some publicly debated the presence of the military in education, others showed films, wrote articles, and campaigned on social media.