North Atlantic Treaty Organization NATO

On 3 and 4 April the heads of state and government of NATO will meet in Baden-Baden and Strasbourg to celebrate NATOs 60th birthday. We think: 60 years of NATO are not a reason to celebrate, but a reason to resist nonviolently!

Since its foundation in 1949 NATO pretended to defend the so-called free West against the allegedly aggressive communism. Would this have been the real reason for NATO's existence, NATO would have had to dissolve following the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact in 1991.

Nonviolent action against NATO

On 4 April 1949, the North-Atlantic
Treaty Organisation was founded with the signing of the NATO treaty. On 3 and 4 April
2009, the heads of state and government of the 26 member states and
their delegations will meet in Baden Baden and Strasbourg to
celebrate NATO's 60th birthday with a NATO summit (ed.).

Strasbourg, February 14 and 15th

Start 1pm February 14th
End 2pm February 15th

Location: Strasbourg, (exact location will be announced with the second invitation)

The main goal of the conference is to discuss the preparation of the different actions against the 60 years anniversary of NATO. We want to finalize our strategy and prepare the different actions.

The background of all our preparations will be a political discussion about the strategy of the NATO and there political goals.

On 14-15 November, antimilitarist nonviolent actions took place in a number of countries around Europe, as part of the a European Day of Action against military infrastructure. The day of action was another step in the coordinated work of radical nonviolent antimilitarist groups in Europe.

November 14. A group of Vredesactie activists block the gates of the Belgian Ministry of Defence, renamed Ministry of War, in a protest against the Belgian involvement in the war in Afghanistan. Their actions fits in the framework of a European action day against military infrastructure "War starts from Europe".

Belgium is at war. The country is involved in several military operations worldwide.

Europe is at war. Belgium as well is involved in several military operations worldwide.
The Belgian minister of Defence wants to engage the military more actively in the war in Afghanistan and military operations worldwide.That's why Bombspotting has closed down the Belgian Ministry of Defence today. The activists are demanding that the Belgian government puts an end to the military presence in Afghanistan. This action is part of an international action day 'War starts from Europe', which aims to visualise how Europe is involved in wars worldwide.

Appeal agreed in Stuttgart 5th October 2008

On the occasion of the sixtieth anniversary of the NATO military organisation, we appeal to all people to come to Strasbourg and Kehl in April 2009, to protest against NATO’s aggressive military and nuclear policies, and assert our vision of a just world free of 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.

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.

14–15 November 2008: European day of action against military globalisation

Europe is at war. The bombs are not falling in Europe but several thousands of km away in Iraq and Afghanistan, yet nevertheless war is waged from Europe. Europe serves as a launch pad for military interventions worldwide. The framework can differ: NATO, EU, US coalition of the willing, UN. The targets vary as well: Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chad, …. But the departure points don’t: military bases and civilian airports and harbours in Europe. Europe hosts a large military intervention machinery.

1000 participants and 500 arrests at international action day NATO GAME OVER

About 1000 people from 17 European countries went to the NATO headquarters in Brussels on 22 March and took part in the international nonviolent action NATO GAME OVER. Five years after the start of the Iraq war and 10 days before the Bucharest NATO summit, peace activists from all over Europe showed that preventing war starts in Europe.

Through NATO, Europe is involved in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. European states train military forces for the NATO Response Force and partly due to NATO the US still maintains military bases in Europe used for military interventions worldwide. During the war in Iraq US soldiers deployed from their bases in Europe to the Persian Gulf. In Afghanistan NATO has taken the lead role in the military occupation and many European states have soldiers in Afghanistan. Last but not least, US, French and British nuclear weapons – with a role in the NATO strategy – are still deployed in Europe.