NATO plans to celebrate its 60th anniversary in Strasbourg in the presence of the heads of states including the new US President.
The signatories decisively reject the NATO politics which means wars, military intervention, use of military bases and new missile installations, enlargement, and permanent armament. We are working on the basis of the call “No to NATO, NO to War”. We reject: − the military intervention of NATO in Afghanistan − the logic of war and over-armament, especially the nuclear armament practiced by NATO − the reintegration of France into the military command of NATO
We want to express our rejection of this kind of politics and want to give the citizens of Strasbourg and the social movements the opportunity to publicize their rejection without any obstacles.
These are the demands for the prefecture which turned down the proposal of the NATO Preparatory Committee to demonstrate against NATO in the inner city of Strasbourg on 4th of April.
The implementation of the NATO Summit will turn Strasbourg into a fortress; this is not acceptable for its own citizens and for the thousands of peaceful demonstrators form all parts of the world.
Extraordinary security parameters will be enacted: the establishment of a red zone, the labelling of the citizens, the establishment of an all-encompassing new video surveillance system.
For us this staging of heads of states in the city centre of Strasbourg – a closed off city – and its inhabitants who will be unable to have a normal daily life, having no freedom of movement, is unbearable and makes it impossible for us to unveil NATO’s real face. Whereas the citizens will pay for the summit and the glorified presentation of NATO their dissenting opinion is to be marginalized.
The mobilization against the NATO summit started globally with great success. On 4th of April the citizens of the world will come to Strasbourg to express non-violently their “Hope for Peace” and “No to NATO”.
We want to mobilize for the redistribution of the financial means from war to a policy that tackles the social, democratic, economic, and environmental challenges of the people of the planet .
Raise the question what the globally spread image of Strasbourg will be?
A city turned fortress at the service of NATO or a city which celebrates the values of democracy and peace?
We want the right for the demonstration in the inner city. Our demand to the government of France and the local Authorities is the guarantee of the democratic right of a free, independent and peaceful demonstration.
Initiated by the International Activity Conference of more than 500 participants in Strasbourg, February 14/15th.