The Broken Rifle

From 17-21 September, European social movements will gather in Malmö for the European Social Forum (ESF) 2008. Likewise, many peace and antimilitarist activists will meet at the European Peace Action Forum, which is part of the ESF, and organised by many European peace groups, coordinated by the Swedish antimilitarist group ofog.

Confronting the war alliance with mass protests

In spite of all predictions of its imminent dissolution, in recent years NATO has developed a frightening war dynamic. On all levels, the alliance is preparing itself for future wars.

Nonviolent action against paying for war

After the attacks of 11 September 2001, and the beginning of the war on terror, War Resisters' International began to practice tax resistance -- the withholding of a proportion of the income tax of its staff. The logic is simple: a certain percentage of every state's budget is allocated to the military -- the fighting of or preparation for war.

... and target for nonviolent direct action

Europe is at war. The bombs are not falling in Europe, but several thousand kilometers away in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nevertheless war is waged from Europe. From a whole range of military bases in Europe planes take off and supplies are shipped or air lifted to fight those wars.

Malmö 17-21 September 2008

As part of the European Social Forum in Malmö, several antimilitarist and peace groups are organising the European Peace Action Forum.

The forum will focus on 4 themes: NATO and the militarisation of the EU, nuclear weapons, militarisation of space, and the international military industrial complex.

14-15 November 2008: European day of action against military infrastructure

The Broken Rifle is the newsletter of War Resisters' International, and is published in English, Spanish, French and German. This is issue 79, September 2008. This issue of The Broken Rifle was produced by Andreas Speck. Special thanks go to Tobias Pflüger, Hans Lammerant, Javier Garate, Albert Beale, and everyone else who contributed to this issue. If you want extra copies of this issue of The Broken Rifle, please contact the WRI office, or download it from our website.