Catholic Workers Blockade Northwood Headquarters (England) on "Feast of Innocents"

international | anti-war / imperialism | news report Thursday December 28, 2006 17:46 by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker

Following a day of reflection on the "Feast of the Holy Innocents" and the wars presently raging on Afghanistan and Iraq, a dozen Catholic Workers and friends made their way to Northwood Headquarters on the outskirts of London.

Scott Albrecht from the Catholic Worker farm community, Sr. Susan Clarkson from the Oxford Catholic Worker, Stephen Barnes and Fr. Martin Newell from the London/Hackney Catholic Worker blockaded the entrance to Northwood. Six others initially joined them on the driveway in a liturgy celebrating the "Feast of the Holy Innocents". The Catholic feast day which falls on December 28th. recalls the slaughter of children by King Herod in response to the birth of Christ.

Scott Albrecht was pushed to the ground by an armed soldier on entrance to the base and dragged from the base. Stephen Barnes and Sr. Susan Clarkson had pepper spray aimed at them, but it was not used. As more police officers arrived, the blockaders were contnually dragged from the entrance, regrouping and returning. During this period, the support group moved to the opposite side of the road reading out the names of the dead holding a banner that read, "Stop the Slaughter of Afghani and Iraqi Children"! The stand off and vigil went for two hours in which traffic in and out of the base was disrupted and tension was nonviolently brought to the entrance of this significant headquarters in the wars on Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sr. Susan Clarkson stated, "President Bush and Prime Minister Blair have reduced the children of Afghanistan and Iraq to the lowly status of collateral damage. Most Iraqis killed since our invasion have been noncombatants, women and children. The nature of modern warfare, from "Shock and Awe" bombardment to unexploded cluster bombs that litter the landscape indefinitely, makes the slaughter of children inevitable.

We blockade the gates of Northwood, the nerve centre of all British forces deployed in Afghanistan and Iraq, in defense of the children of Afghanistan and Iraq. We are inspired by those members of the military refusing to deploy and military families who are saying no to the deaths of their chilkdren and the killing of the Afghani and Iraqi children. We are inspired by all those involved in nonviolent resistance to this war."

Northwood Base is located on the northern outskirts of London servicing British and NATO forces. The Catholic Worker movement, founded by Dorothy Day in 1933, is an international network of over 150 communities involved in direct service to the homeless and nonviolent anti-war resistance.

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