Ban All Nukes generation
European Youth Network for Nuclear Disarmament
Youth for a Nuclear-Free Europe, Belgium August 06
On Wednesday 2nd August, a group of 60 young people from 15 European countries began a bike tour across Belgium calling for nuclear disarmament. The participants from Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and the UK, started the bike ride in the Market Square in Ypres. The bike ride included commemorations of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima (on 6th August 1945) in Brussels and Mons. The bike tour ended on 9th August with a nonviolent blockade of the NATO nuclear weapon base at Kleine Brogel, to mark the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The events come ten years after the International Court of Justice in the Hague, the highest legal body in the world, declared that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law. Last year, the Belgian Senate and House of Representatives passed historic resolutions calling for the withdrawal of the US nuclear weapons based at the Belgian Airbase of Kleine Brogel, and from the other European countries where nuclear weapons are stationed. The Belgian government has so far refused to act on these resolutions.
The YFNFE bike tour ended in Brussels on 5th August, where it was welcomed at Brussels city hall by Deputy Mayor of Brussels, Bruno De Lille.
On Sunday 6th August, the group took part in a commemoration for the 61st anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Hiroshima. The commemoration involved floating traditional Japanese laterns on a lake in the city (Vijvers van Elsene/Etangs d'Ixelles).
The group also travelled to Mons, for a Hiroshima commemoration in the "Atomic Bomb Survivors Park" at the university of Mons, and nonviolent protests at SHAPE, the NATO military headquaters.
Following the demonstration at SHAPE, a number of the young people carried out a citizens weapons inspection in the base, in order to search for information related to the illegal nuclear weapon policy of NATO. Staff at SHAPE are responsible for planning for the use of the 480 US nuclear weapons based NATO bases in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and the UK, a potential of over 4.000Hiroshima bombs. Valentina Pase (19) from Italy, who lives close to the nuclear weapon storage base at Aviano, stated: "We are here as European youth. It doesn’t matterwhich nation we are from because we care about the future of the world. We are from Aviano, so we know how it is to live so close to weapons of mass-destruction. We are not only here to protest against the nuclear weapons of Aviano, we want a nuclear free world starting in Europe." The non-violent trespass of the base took place to oppose the presence of 480secret US nuclear weapons that are stored at air bases in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany and Turkey. The decision to continue hosting these nuclear weapons in Europe shows that the United States and NATO allies are not serious about fulfilling their obligations to nuclear disarmament under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The young people conducted a “citizens weapons inspection” of the base, in an analogy with the inspection of Iraq and Iran, in order to search for more information about the nuclear weapons in Europe, and confront people working in the base about their role in the planning for the use of weapons of mass destruction.
In the end of the 10 days trip, the youth joined another action for nuclear disarmament: The colourful, international blockade of Kleine Brogel nuclear weapon base in Belgium had drawn significant political support from Belgian members of parliament and prominent Belgian people, including Jean-Luc Dehaene, former Belgian Prime Minister and Member of the European Parliament. The blockade received the support of the local mayor and city council. It was organised to mark the 61st anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki on 9th August 1945.
The police, under the orders of the local mayor, refused to arrest the 100 people who were present. The blockade effectively closed the three main gates of the base for 3 hours. No traffic passed in or out of the base during this time.
Kleine Brogel airbase, in the east of Belgium, is home to 20 US nuclear weapons. Each of these bombs has an explosive power equivalent to 10 times the bomb which killed 74,000 people in Nagasaki on 9th August 1945. The United States bases an estimated 480 nuclear weapons in 6 countries across Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, the UK, and Turkey.
The youth of Y4NFE read out a final statement that they had developed during their tour (separate file). David Heller, a participant in the blockade from England stated: "At a time when the world's attention is focussed on the war in the Middle East, and the United States, France and Britain are all discussing modernising their nuclear weapons, it is important that people from around the world take a stand against nuclear weapons and against war. We have given a clear signal that we will not allow preparations for war crimes to continue in Belgium or anywhere else in the world."
After the actions BANg had a Network meeting in Kleine Brogel & Gent, Belgium from 8th - 10th August to do some further brainstorming, exchanging and planning on what we can do together to make Europe and the world nuclear weapons free!
www.motherearth.org
Statement of Y4NFE
Final Statement of Youth for a Nuclear-Free Europe Kleine Brogel NATO nuclear base, Belgium
As representatives of the young people from 13 European countries, we wish for the absolute abolition of Nuclear Weapons and nuclear power. For ten days we came together to cycle to promote peace, to share ideas and beliefs and to campaign together. After these ten days we will take an active role as a group to achieve the removal of nuclear weapons and power from the countries where they are currently present.
We believe we must prevent nuclear proliferation as the nuclear chain presents a real and serious threat to both the people and the planet. We are the generation of the future and we have the right to wish to leave a better world for our children.
As a first step towards a nuclear free world, we need to put an end to nuclear hypocrisy and raise awareness of the immediate and ongoing dangers of the nuclear industry.
As NATO member countries we demand that NATO develop a clear strategy working towards the abolishment of nuclear weapons and towards the removal of US nuclear weapons present in our countries.
Through international co-operation and campaigning together we commit ourselves to:
- Promote solidarity within the anti-nuclear movement
- Support the Ban All Nukes Generation (BANg) youth network
- Support non violent direct actions such as Faslane365
- Take part in political lobby work in our countries such as promotion of the Mayors For Peace campaign
- Support the use of clean energy and promote the reduction of energy consumption through campaigns such as the 1Million signatures against nuclear power campaign
- Passing on the knowledge and inspiration that we have gained from this experience to others.