Arrested by Swedish police at Pentecost service on SAAB Microwave - May 27 2012

A pastor, an usher and a parishioner were arrested

by Swedish police during a Pentecost service on SAAB Microwave

The three active in the Covenant Church, vine and fig tree planters and plowshares, were arrested in the midst of a Pentecost service at the military company SAAB Microwave, Sweden, on the 27th of May 2012. They were released after 45 min, 7.15-8 pm.

The Holy Communion service took place at SAAB Micorwaves (Mölndal, Sweden), a company that makes radar for military use. A Swedish vine was planted as part of the service. Three persons were taken into custody as they climbed the fence. The three were Pastor Leif Herngren, (Covenant Church Björkö), Claesgöran Johnson, (Rosa Huset Lövgärdets Covenant Church) and the usher for the Pentecost service Per Herngren.

A priest in the Church of Sweden, Sara Blom, who preached during the service was not arrested, neither was Pastor Bengt Andréasson who conducted the service.

SAAB Microwave is the fifth largest supplier of military radar in the world and supplied fire-control systems used in the war in Iraq. During the service all kind of protest and negative messages were avoided, see Postprotest.

”We had good conversations with the police during our time in custody, as well as with the guards from Microwave” says Leif Herngren. ”My legs became stiff from sitting down in the police van, so I was allowed to stand outside.”

”We managed to plant one Scandinavian species of vine plant before we were arrested.” says Claesgöran Johnson. "And complete the communion and the church service", adds Per Herngren.

Planting of vine and fig trees

Inspired by the prophet Micah, we choose to plant vine and fig trees as a part of Pentecost. The prophets of the Bible as well as those of today choose shocking methods to show how we can live together with justice and solidarity. To start to live the kingdom of God, here and now, at the places where violence and oppression prevails.

”They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war any more. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig-tree, and no-one will make him afraid.” or her. (Micah 4:3-4)

Life that gives life to all

With Pentecost the body of Christ starts to breathe and come to life. The Church enters into the world, gives life, solidarity and community. It claims life. And therefore the Church is met with resistance and protest. After Easter the Church was hidden, afraid, introvert and focused upon itself and its members. But with Pentecost the Church transforms to a life for Life. Now the Church breathes were breathing is hindered. Now life starts blooming, life claims life where death prevails. 

After Pentecost the Church meets with resistance and protest. Stoning, imprisonment and executions follow directly on the change of direction outward, starting with Pentecost. Since the living Church claims life where people are being threatened and oppressed, the Church is always met with resistance. Pentecost, as the living of life, the life that doesn’t make excuses, will imply prosecution. The resistance begins with Pentecost.

Organizers of the Pentecost service

Rosa Huset Lövgärdets missionskyrka (parish of Covenant Church of Sweden) ,
Bengt Andreasson pastor of Rosa Huset,
Sara Blom priest in the Church of Sweden,
Leif Herngren pastor of Covenant Church of Sweden,
The Fig Tree Resistance Community of Hammarkullen – A Jona House and Catholic Worker community in Sweden,
The Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, Göteborg,
Per Herngren of the Fig Tree Resistance Community and part of Swedish Plowshares.
Local chapter of Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Resistance is not to awaken consciousness

Interesting dialog between Foucault and Deleuze:

FOUCAULT: The intellectual’s role is no longer to place himself “somewhat ahead and to the side” in order to express the stifled truth of the collectivity; rather, it is to struggle against the forms of power that transform him into its object and instrument in the sphere of “knowledge,” “truth,” “consciousness,” and “discourse. “

In this sense theory does not express, translate, or serve to apply practice: it is practice. But it is local and regional, as you said, and not totalising. This is a struggle against power, a struggle aimed at revealing and undermining power where it is most invisible and insidious. It is not to “awaken consciousness” that we struggle (the masses have been aware for some time that consciousness is a form of knowledge; and consciousness as the basis of subjectivity is a prerogative of the bourgeoisie), but to sap power, to take power; it is an activity conducted alongside those who struggle for power, and not their illumination from a safe distance. A “theory ” is the regional system of this struggle.

DELEUZE: Precisely. A theory is exactly like a box of tools. It has nothing to do with the signifier. It must be useful. It must function. And not for itself. If no one uses it, beginning with the theoretician himself (who then ceases to be a theoretician), then the theory is worthless or the moment is inappropriate.

Reference
Foucault blog
The whole conversation
“Intellectuals and Power” a 1972 conversation between Foucault and Deleuze. It was previously published in Language, Counter-Memory, Practice (ed. Donald Bouchard, 1977), and in Foucault Live ( ed. Sylvere Lotringer, 1996).

Deleuze & Becoming resistance

During the disarmament of military radar, June 26, SAAB Microwave Becoming² Ploughshares worked together with Deleuze philosophers from Gothenburg University in Sweden. During one day they were plugged into each other to examine how resistance and Deleuze’s philosophy could intensify each other. On the web site I have collected Deleuze quotes which might be interresting for developing postprotest resistance. Here are some on becoming; other quotes on rhizome and multiplicity are collected on the site.

Becoming

"becoming is creation" Thousand Plateaus p 106

"A becoming is not a correspondence between relations. But neither is it a resemblance, an imitation, or, at the limit, an identification." Thousand Plateaus p 237

"Above all, becoming does not occur in the imagination" "They are perfectly real." "Becoming produces nothing other than itself. We fall into a false alternative if we say that you either imitate or you are. What is real is the becoming itself" "it is in the domain of symbioses that bring into play beings of totally different scales and kingdoms, with no possible filiation." "Becoming is involutionary, involution is creative." Thousand Plateaus p 238

"Becoming is certainly not imitating, or identifying with something; neither is it regressing-progressing; neither is it corresponding, establishing corresponding relations; neither is it producing, producing a filiation or producing through filiation. Becoming is a verb with a consistency all its own; it does not reduce to, or lead back to, "appearing," Thousand Plateaus p 239

"powers (puissances) of becoming that belong to a different realm from that of Power (Pouvoir) and Domination" Thousand Plateaus p 106

"become operative and lines of deterritorialization positive and absolute, forming strange new becomings, new polyvocalities. Become clandestine, make rhizome everywhere, for the wonder of a nonhuman life to be created." Thousand Plateaus p 191

"to have dismantled love in order to become capable of loving. To have dismantled one's self in order finally to be alone and meet the true double at the other end of the line. A clandestine passenger on a motionless voyage." Thousand Plateaus p 197

"The genius is someone who knows how to make everybody/the whole world a becoming" Thousand Plateaus p 200

"becoming-molecular that undermines the great molar powers of family, career, and conjugality" Thousand Plateaus p 233

"Although there is no preformed logical order to becomings and multiplicities, there are criteria, and the important thing is that they not be used after the fact, that they be applied in the course of events, that they be sufficient to guide us through the dangers." Thousand Plateaus p 251

Plowshares action in Sweden hammering on military radar

Press release

Ploughshares action in Sweden

With blacksmith hammers, Ulla Røder and Per Herngren disarmed a military radar and parts of the Test Range at SAAB Microwaves in Sweden, Thursday 26 June, 2008.

The Ploughshares group calling themselves, SAAB Microwave Becoming² Ploughshares were arrested inside SAAB Microwave after half an hour. Beside the disarmament they also planted figs and talked with workers and guards.

“The word of the prophet Micah makes us move”, explains Ulla Røder. “We beat swords into ploughshares. We do not protest against the missile firing system of SAAB Microwave or the military radar system. We choose to drop the protest as it becomes reactive and negative. The time has come to intervene and become creative.”

See the side bar for the words of Micah.

“ We do have the ability of direct intervention”, Ulla Røder believes. “It becomes a duty when there are violence and suffering in the world. We use nonviolence. Contrary to my friend Per, I do not believe that we are practicing civil disobedience, but rather upholding international law. It is SAAB Microwave which breaks the law delivering the missile firing system used during the war in Iraq.”

”Becoming²” (like a mathematical 'becoming-squared'⁾ in the middle of our name might look strange,” says Per Herngren. “During the ploughshares action, we worked together with Deleuze philosophers from Gothenburg University in Sweden. We were during one day plugged into each other. Together we examined how resistance and Deleuze’s philosophy will intensify each other. Deleuze highlights the double becoming rather than being: To become becoming, rather than to become something. To produce production rather than isolated actions! Resistance and philosophy are ongoing processes giving no final result. Deleuze forces us in the ploughshares to avoid thinking in "means and ends", or the Big Action. An action are not the destination, but rather where we get on the train. For Deleuze resistance is about movement, speed, rest, slowness and intensity.”

Pictures of the ploughshares action

Beating swords into ploughshares

“they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war. Each of them will sit under his vine And under his fig tree, With no one to make them afraid,” Micah 4:3-4

This quote is found in text tradition from Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.

Ulla Røder

Ulla Røder, 53, from Denmark, disarmed a test laboratory for the nuclear submarine Trident system at Loch Goil, Scotland in 1999 together with the Trident Three Ploughshares group. They won the trial. In the week before the war on Iraq in 2003 Ulla Røder disarmed a Tornado jet going to be used for the attack in Iraq. Ulla has spent more than a year in jail for these actions and other non-violent direct actions.

Per Herngren

Per Herngren served 15 months of a eight year sentence in the US having in 1984, together with seven others in Pershing Plowshares, disarmed a Pershing II nuclear missile. During the first war on Iraq 1991, he and Gunfactory Plowshares disarmed two Carl Gustaf bazookas at FFV, Eskilstuna in Sweden. Together with people from Sweden and Germany Per Herngren initiated the Ploughshares movement in Europe in the mid eighties. He is 46 years old and lives in Fig Tree – a Jona House resistance community in Hammarkullen, Sweden. His books have been published in Swedish, Polish, and English.

The Ploughshares Movement

The Ploughshares have since 1980, disarmed hundreds of weapons, airplanes, helicopters, nuclear weapons, trident submarines. According to the estimated, and not scientific account of Per Herngren, the ploughshares movement has with blacksmith hammers disarmed more explosive powers than what have been used during all wars from the stone age until today.

Contact and information

Web site for SAAB Microwave Becoming² Ploughshares

Ulla Røder: bur200854 (at) hotmail.com

Per Herngren: perherngren (at) post.utfors.se

Deleuze and resistance

Per’s web page

Path of Resistance (the whole book on internet)

Post protest (article)

Hacktivism and postprotest

In ”Abstract Hacktivism” (2006) von Busch and Palmås use the difference between hacking and cracking to illustrate a break between the protest era of ’68 and the constructive hacking era of ‘99.

“In line with Eric Raymond’s distinction between hackers (who ‘build things’) and crackers (who ‘destroy things’) , the hacktivism discussed in this publication is concerned with construction rather than (…) destruction.” “The traditional, cracker-inspired meaning of hacktivism is, after all, largely an extrapolation of the 1968 ideas (culture jamming, detournement, (…)). As already hinted, contemporary theorists are increasingly moving towards a break with this era.” (p 17)

Protest stuck in the metaphor of a motor with steering wheel

Busch and Palmås also show how the metaphor of a motor which someone is steering is explaining how the protest gets caught in reactive, counter-activism:

‘68 “was actually not a radical departure from the worldview that they revolted against. The countercultural revolution maintained the view of society as a motor – based upon reservoirs of fuel, differentials in pressure, circulation.” (p 76)

As “new types of machines enter the social world, they may end up changing our ways of seeing the world. The logic of the motor did not only appear in the contraptions studied by engineers and natural scientists: it also shaped the theories of modern social scientists, philosophers and artists.” (p 21)

“As late as in the 1960s, the field of management was still preoccupied with how to steer the giant corporate hierarchies that had emerged during the first half of the century. Thus, management theorists were elaborating upon how the new breed of salaried professional CEOs was to plan and thus control these huge structures. This preoccupation with bureaucracy, planning and control was clearly reflected in the vocabulary they used in their key texts.” (p 67)

“For the countercultural youth, the only way out of this total system (which operates as a motor) was to throw gravel into the machinery, jamming its modes of operation, thus baring the monstrosity of the machine for all of the world to see. Public demonstrations, (…) and various ways of ‘dropping out’ mainstream culture were all different approaches to achieve this effect.” (p 75)

Blockading is the paradigm for the motor era

With the motor worldview blockades (jamming) and demonstrations (ask the leader steering to turn the wheel) would be the paradigmatic methods for change.

“Counterculture activists do not strive for piecemeal introductions of ways to make the motor circulate in new, and hopefully better, ways. Instead, they aim to ‘jam’ mainstream culture, blocking its circulation.” (p 76)

Innovations are collective processes rather than entrepreneurs and chief engineers

Hacktivism is, for Busch and Palmås, not about computers. They use the concept to show a shift from reactive methods for change to more innovative ways of rearranging products and societies. “Capitalism – no longer a closed, motor-like machine that circulates capital and desire – is seen as an open structure, subject to rearrangement.” (p 79) “The aim is (…) to modify (…) in a very tangible manner.”

Hacktivism, as productive innovation and rearrangement, doesn’t come out of the creativity of a few leaders, chief engineers or entrepreneurs, it is rather a collective process. Busch and Palmås “bring out the fact that users or consumers are engaging in the process of innovation. This body of work has shown that ‘user innovation’ has been around for a long time: There are many of examples of not-so-recent innovations – in automobiles, sports equipment etc. – that have emerged from users’ tinkering with readymade products. It is just that before the ‘widely publicized’ success of the Linux project, researchers simply could not conceive of such processes of innovation. Thus, interestingly, Linux has alerted researchers of a previously unseen mode of innovation.” (p 71)

Per Herngren

2007-11-03, version 0.1

Sources

Otto von Busch and Karl Palmås, abstract hacktivism: the making of a hacker culture, London and Istanbul, 2006, copyleft by the authors, ISBN: 9780955479625.s

Stephen Hancock and Per Herngren, Beyond protest-resistance, 2005.

Per Herngren, Postprotest resistance, 2005.

Postprotest and Baudrillard

Jean Baudrillard is important for the reflection on postprotest. Postprotest sometimes proposes a combination of civil disobedience and production of positive alternatives, to create some kind of constructive or proactive resistance. In this text, however, Baudrillard criticizes the focus on “alternatives” as a way to defeat a dominant system; instead he suggests singularities. Here he also criticizes reactive protest movements:

”Who can defeat the global system? Certainly not the anti-globalization movement whose sole objective is to slow down global deregulation. This movement's political impact may well be important. But its symbolic impact is worthless. This movement's opposition is nothing more than an internal matter that the dominant system can easily keep under control. Positive alternatives cannot defeat the dominant system, but singularities that are neither positive nor negative can. Singularities are not alternatives. They represent a different symbolic order. They do not abide by value judgments or political realities. They can be the best or the worst. They cannot be "regularized" by means of a collective historical action. [6] They defeat any uniquely dominant thought. Yet they do not present themselves as a unique counter-thought. Simply, they create their own game and impose their own rules.”

Source

Jean Baudrillard, The Violence of the Global, Translated by François Debrix, Initially published as "La Violence du Mondial," in Jean Baudrillard, Power Inferno, Paris: Galilée, 2002, pp. 63-83.

How does Foucault use "strategic"?

Undermining the idea that the meaning in a political action are placed somewhere else in, an instrumental reason, and that this “other” meaning is defining the value of the action, Foucault regards himself antistrategic.

In his own texts though, he is using strategic in different ways. Ali Rizvi suggests three distinct meanings of strategic in Foucault’s usage:

“1) Strategic as related to the space of freedom. In this sense Foucault contrasts strategic to what he calls “techne.”

2) Strategic in the sense of instrumentalism (explained earlier here).

3) Strategic as belonging to an ethos, certain value system. This belonging is strategic to the extent that one cannot give ultimate justification for it.”

Per Herngren

2007, version 0.1

Protest trapped in transport-metaphor

The protest movement is trapped in the metaphor of transport. The protesters have special information, an insight or knowledge, which needs to get out and then transport itself through some kind of medium into the consciousness of those in power or the public. Speakers, leaflets, web pages or actions, are supposed to transmit the protest message to an audience. Something is then happening inside the recipient and the result will be change. Political work, actions, dialogues are understood as a transportation of information or insights to somewhere else - instead of ways to live the society one wants. I would propose more constructive metaphors like production, imprint and tools. And I still think the resistance metaphor from electricity and biology for disobedience and obstruction is useful. Displacement might be a metaphor to connect resistance and constructive work.

 

Per Herngren

September 10, 2007, version 0.11

Antistrategic resistance according to Foucault

"If someone ask me what it is I think I am doing, I would answer: if the strategist is a man who says "what importance does a particular death, a particular cry, a particular uprising have in relation to the great necessity of the whole, and of what importance to me is such-and-such a general principle in the specific situation in which we find ourselves?" then it is indifferent to me whether the strategist is a politician, a historian, a revolutionary, someone who supports the Shah or the ayatollah. My theoretical morality is the opposite. It is "antistrategic": be respectful when singularity rises up, and intransigent when power infringes on the universal."

 

Source: "Is it useless to revolt" (Inutile de se soulever?). Quoted here from Foucauldian Reflections. Who quoted from Eribon, Michel Foucault, (pp. 290-91).

You are wanted for civil disobedience in Sweden

Welcome to plant vines and fig trees

on the premises of the weapon factory Microwave

with civil disobedience, nonviolence training, swimming and walking in beautiful nature

Gothenburg, Sweden 4-9 August 2007

 “ Every man and woman will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree,
 and no one will make them afraid” - Micah 4:4

Non violence for a world where people can live in safety
Together with you we would like to plant a garden where people can live in safety. We want to build the world that the prophet Micah speaks of (Micah 4:4); where vines and fig trees give shelter, food and drink. Where everyone can sit in safety under their vine and where oppression is no more. This is a part of ”the Vine and Fig Tree Planters”, which started in 2005 and has planted in Holland, England and Sweden.

Non violence training and planting

We will start on August 4 with two days of nonviolence training. We will practice and plan in friend groups. A friend group consists both of support persons and of those who will conduct acts of civil disobedience. The group will be a support during action, trial and sentence.

After the training we will start laying a vine- and fig tree garden on the premises of Saab Microwave in Mölndal (close to Gothenburg), Sweden, who makes radar systems for weapons. This will be done as a proactive action, where we initiate constructive change without using negative messages of protest. All our actions are conducted in the spirit of nonviolence: we take responsibility for our actions and we treat everyone with respect. 

Civil disobedience means a breach of the law in a spirit of sincerity and nonviolence where we take the consequences of our actions.

We will also have time for prayer, reflection and conversation. We plan to reflect on nonviolence as a liberation theology for the rich part of the world, with the book “I vänliga rebellers sällskap” by Annika Spalde and Pelle Strindlund as a point of departure.

After the civil disobedience action we will have time for stillness and meditation, as well as time to reflect on our actions and on how we can support each other during trial and sentence.

Welcome!
Lodging will be arranged in Rosa Huset, which is accessible for wheelchairs. Rosa Huset is situated close to a beautiful nature area in Gothenburg, Sweden, with swimming possibilities in a lake. Vegetarian/vegan will be served.

Expected personal consequences of the planting are a fine or a short prison sentence, as well as reparations. In case of prison sentence you’ll automatically get a leave from your work without using your vacation, according to Swedish law. The employer is not allowed to fire you because of your sentence.

Organizers

Fellowship of Reconciliation Gothenburg, Black Smith Fellowship of Reconciliation, The Fig Tree Resistance Community – Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, Speak Civil Disobedience & Nonviolence.

Registration and/or questions

vinfikonplantering2007@gmail.com

or call Jonas at +46 735 97 09 58. Registration latest by 1 July, 2007

Mention address, telephone, e-mail and special requests regarding food or lodging. 

Transfer at the same time the registration fee to bank account: 9020 41 413 99 (9020 is clearingnumber), name of bank: Länsförsäkringar, Sweden. Mention your name.

The registration fee is at cost price and is 1200 SEK for employed and 900 SEK for students, unemployed and retired. The fee includes lodging and food for six days, as well as action costs. If you engage in the preparation of the event, you will get a reduction of the fee. Contact us!

Schedule

Gathering and breakfast at Rosa Huset, Gothenburg @ 9.00 AM, Saturday 4 August 2007. Non-violence training and the creation of friend groups: Saturday 4 August and Sunday 5 August. During the week we will also have time for reflection, swimming and walking in beautiful scenery. Support and trial preparations: Thursday 9 August. End: 4.00 PM, Thursday 9 August

 

The difference between postprotest and positive resistance

For analytical reasons, I think it is important to see the difference between positive resistance and postprotest resistance. At the Disarmament Camps 92, 93 and 95 in Sweden, we had a rule against all protests and negative messages, which we felt made the resistance camps more constructive and attractive for both locals and the workers from the fighter-bomber company. But it wasn't until the Vine & Fig Tree plantings 2005; the Swedish plowshares started to experiment with a more consistent postprotest/proactive approach.

The narrative and symbolic strength of proactive/postprotest resistance, from what I understand, is that one is directly solving the problem (for a moment, or in a specific place, or by disarming a few weapons, or by dismantling some machines). The focus for proactive resistance would be: How do we solve the problem (at least for a moment)? This is actually the same technique they would teach in creative writing for writing a good book: Show, don’t tell!

Positive resistance, on the other hand, is not actually solving a problem, it is promoting a solution. It doesn’t show us what it wants, it tells us. Then positive resistance is indirect like the negative protest (which is being against something). The focus for positive resistance, which also makes it different from negative protest, would be: How do we as clearly as possible articulate our visions for a better world?

Postprotest doesn't contradict the positive approach; we are not constructing a dichotomy; it is more of an analytical distinction. Postprotest/proactive resistance includes the positive message, but positive resistance doesn't have to include the proactive part: be “doing the solution”.

Ok, this is a quick reflection which helps me understand the dynamics of resistance.

Per Herngren

First published May 15, 2007, at Resistance Studies

Mass media fabricates noncommunication

Jean Baudrillard understands face to face talks as communication and massmedia as noncommunication. Alternative or left mass media would then also be noncommunication. A dialogue can use noncommunication, as quotes or references, but we shouldn’t replace talking and dialoguing with radical speakers or mass media. If you are going to a workshop compare how much time is used to create communication (where you are talking to someone) and how much is used to create noncommunication (listening to the speaker). To create audience instead of talking is a power technique in social movements.

From “The Masses: The Implosion of the Social in the Media” By Jean Baudrillard

""Requiem for the Media." In that I (Baudrillard) described the mass media as a "speech without response." What characterizes the mass media is that they are opposed to mediation, intransitive, that they fabricate noncommunication if one accepts the definition of communication as an exchange, as the reciprocal space of speech and response, and thus of responsibility. In other words, if one defines it as anything other than the simple emission/reception of information. Now the whole present architecture of the media is founded on this last definition: they are what finally forbids response, what renders impossible any process of exchange (except in the shape of a simulation of a response, which is itself integrated into the process of emission, and this changes nothing in the unilaterality of communication). That is their true abstraction. And it is in this abstraction that is founded the system of social control and power. To understand properly the term response, one must appreciate it in a meaning at once strong, symbolic, and primitive: power belongs to him who gives and to whom no return can be made. To give, and to do it in such a way that no return can be made, is to break exchange to one's own profit and to institute a monopoly: the social process is out of balance. To make a return, on the contrary, is to break this power relationship and to restore on the basis of an antagonistic reciprocity the circuit of symbolic exchange. The same applies in the sphere of the media: there speech occurs in such a way that there is no possibility of a return. The restitution of this possibility of response entails upsetting the whole present structure; even better (as started to occur in 1968 and the 70s), it entails an "antimedia" struggle.

In reality, even if I did not share the technological optimism of McLuhan, I always recognized and considered as a gain the true revolution which he brought about in media analysis (this has been mostly ignored in France). On the other hand, though I also did not share the dialectical hopes of Enzensberger, I was not truly pessimistic, since I believed in a possible subversion of the code of the media and in the possibility of an alternate speech and a radical reciprocity of symbolic exchange.

Today all that has changed. I would no longer interpret in the same way the forced silence of the masses in the mass media. I would no longer see in it a sign of passivity and of alienation, but to the contrary an original strategy, an original response in the form of a challenge; and on the basis of this reversal I suggest to you a vision of things which is no longer optimistic or pessimistic, but ironic and antagonistic."

Jean Baudrillard "The Masses: The Implosion of the Social in the Media," trans. Marie Maclean, New Literary History, vol. 16, no. 3 (Spring 1985), pp. 577-89.

Vine & Fig Tree Planter in prison

August 2005, I spent two days in the same jail as Lizzie for planting vines and fig trees at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, UK. She is the first one of us going to prison for our planting.

This is from Indymedia, UK

Southampton vine & fig tree planter Jailed

Gregor Samsa | 19.09.2006 23:11

Activist jailed by Reading Magistrates' Court.

Reading, Berkshire. Tuesday 19th Sept 2006

Southampton-based artist and peace campaigner Lizzie Jones was today jailed by Reading Magistrates' Court.

In August 2005, Lizzie had taken part in a symbolic planting of vines and fig trees (see Micah 4:3 - part of the "swords into ploughshears" chapter) inside the grounds of the AWE, Aldermaston, and was subsequently ordered to pay £201 compensation to the Ministry of Defence for criminal damage to the wire fence.

Lizzie has refused to pay the MoD on principle, but had written and offered to pay "in kind", namely by offering her artistic services by painting a mural or decorating a room at the Establishment. However, the MoD had not replied.

The Court obviously did not find this acceptable, and as a result of her courageous refusal to pay, jailed Lizzie for seven days. It is hoped she will be free by the week-end.

Photos and the background story:

http://ickevald.net/vineandfigtreeplanters/

Les Gibbons reflection:

'PORRIDGE TIME'. for Lizzie Jones - Planter Artist

Planter Les Hoppstubbe Mor | 19.09.2006 23:24

Vine and Fig Planter sent to Prison after having 'art to art' with magistrates - 19th September 2006

on 29th August 2006 – Reading Magistrates Court
2 Vine and Fig (Post Protest) Planters risked a rainy day at Reading Magistrates Court ton 29th August to initiate changes they wanted to occur and so avert the payment of a compensation claim at AWE Weapons Establishment Aldermaston. Painter Planter L said she would not pay the compensatee on matter of principle, though added that being accountable was also on her agenda and that she wanted instead to offer the MOD / AWE Aldermaston staff alternative options to the non negotiable desire they had for payment in monies. The fines officer after friendly banter agreed to write to the compensatee (the MOD) and offer the listed alternatives for the money they were told that they would not be getting. The very real options made were to offer AWE Aldermaston staff / MOD staff an invitation to view [as special guests] an art exhibition which contained a large painting of the 2005 Vine and Fig tree planting intervention, to complete a commission for AWE Aldermaston of fruit trees or to gift to AWE Aldermaston a cushion for their quiet room ofr contemplation / reflection.

TODAY (19/09/2006) SHE RETURNED TO FIND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE ministry of the fence (MOD) or the Atomic Weapons Aldermaston in the allotted period for them to respond. TODAY SHE REINSTATED TO THE COURT THAT SHE WOULD NOT PAY THE COMPENSATION MONIES. LIZZIE HIGHLIGHTED THE ALTERNATIAVES SHE WANTED TO OFFER (see above) - THE COURT RECOGNISING THAT SHE WANTED TO PAY IN KIND art, DID NOT TAKE IT KINDLY TO HEART & DECIDED TO GIVE HER A 7 day holiday break in HMP BRONZEFIELD, MIDDLESEX.

PLANTER ARTIST L WAS PREPARED FOR THIS AND HAD BELEIVED IT WAS HINTED ABOUT BY HER BREAKFAST THAT MORNING - FUNNY HOW BREAKFAST IS A GOOD TIME TO FACE YOUR FEARS - 'FREEDOM TASTES GOOD LIKE PORRIDGE'. She had a good book with her to take to court.

THERE IS NEVER A GOOD TIME TO GO TO PRISON, BEST TIMES ARE WHEN YOU ALREADY FEEL FREE, THAT INNER GLOWING WARMTH INSIDE THAT SAYS ALOUD - 'PORRIDGE TIME'.

PAINTER PLANTER L - A real 'prisoner of love' IS THE FIRST VINE AND FIG PLANTER TO BE IMPRISONED POST THE 2005 SENTENCING OF 9 NONVIOLENT CALM INTERVENTIONISTS FOR INITIATING A PEACE GARDEN AT AWE ALDERMASTON ON THE 60 ANNIVERSARY OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI.

SEE HER ART

Liz Jones' piece, 'vine and fig tree planting', comes from the planting August 2005 at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston. The public are encouraged to kneel on the kneeling cushions and look through the police evidence albums. A prophecy was lived out in the action as it was brought into being. The art tells the story, broadens the audience and explores resonances around the action.

NB: In proactive resistance change is initiated by the nonviolent calm interventionist, it is not left to the state or to institutions to decide, dominant narratives are replaced by creative live giving alternatives which make for change to happen. Planter painter L took it upon herself to be freed up, to be at Reading magistrates’ court to deal with the compensation claim being made by the MOD and bailiffs - she needed holiday too.

Create your own narrative for wholeness, initiate the change you want to see.

Planter Les Hoppstubbe Mor

Positive resistance vs. proactive resistance

… from the Vine & Fig Tree chat 2006-09-11

Question from Les in England:

morning you all - have just got in after a bit of early morning fresh air - cut my hair and now going to bathe, however first ....on other matters, I am considering being included in some resistance in London which is largely protest orientated - however we (our affinity group) would like to have a post protest angle perspective. Our affinity group are planning to put up a tent with art all over it (post protest art) in a restricted area for free spirit camping and maybe plant a few trees (who knows). The overall plan was to make a peace camp in Parliament Square area. Any feedback on how to make sure this is proactive and we do not get into the trap of protesting would be most welcomed from you guys (guys as in gender non-specific word).

Response:

My morning in Sweden is not fresh, yet …

I think it is important to differ between positive resistance and proactive resistance. At the Disarmament camps 92, 93 and 95 in Sweden, we had our own rule against all protest and negative messages, which made the camps more positive and attractive for the workers from the attack plane company. It was rather with the Vine & Fig Tree plantings we started experimenting with a more consistent proactive approach.

The strength of proactive/postprotest, from what I understand, is that you are solving the problem (for an hour, or in a specific place, or by disarming weapons, or dismantling machines constructing weapons).

Positive resistance is not solving but promoting a solution. Positive resistance is indirect like negative protest (being against).

Proactive resistance usually includes positive resistance, but positive resistance doesn't have to include the proactive part: be “doing the solution”.

So the proactive question would be. Are we solving the problem (for a moment)?

The positive question would rather be: is our vision, the message, positive - are we promoting a happier world?

Peace, love and salsa,

Per Herngren

Liz' art on Vine & Fig Tree planting at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston

An art exhibition by Liz Jones on Vine & Fig Tree planting at Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston, England, 2005:

 

You can also find photos on the action and some reflections on the philosophy of postprotest and proactive resistance.

Beyond protest-resistance

By Stephen Hancock and Per Herngren

In March of this year we attended the first trial of the Pit Stop Ploughshares in Dublin (see PN 2460). Despite the eventual mistrial, it was an inspiring scene, both inside and outside court. Harnessing the momentum generated by the stand of the five defendants, we met in a pub opposite the courts to plan further nonviolent resistance. We decided to mark the 60^th Hiroshima and Nagasaki anniversaries by planting vines and fig trees at a British nuclear base. With another friend we drew up an international invitation to act, which included the following:

“This will not be a protest action. We will not use the language of protest: we will not say "No!" nor will we ask leaders to do the job for us. Instead we will use the language of creative nonviolent resistance: that of invitation, dialogue, conversion, poetry.”

We returned to our respective countries excited both by the prospect of acting, and by our proposed non-protesting approach. What exactly was a protest-free action? What different understandings would people bring to this element of the invitation? What would such an action look like in practice? How would it be received?

Nine others eventually responded – from Australia, Ireland, Sweden, the Netherlands and England – and all twelve of us met in Oxford at the end of July to begin a week of community building, political discussion, nonviolence training and action planning-and-preparation.

We discerned several elements to protesting: protesting is by definition against something rather than for; it involves a tone of complaint; it appeals to others – usually political leaders – to do something about the issue. Protest reinforces both our passivity and the hierarchy’s power. It leaves us, at the end of the day, with dog-eared placards and our fate still in the hands of distant leaders reassured by our protesting that they are the ones in power.

In the anti-war protests of 2002 and 2003 a dominant slogan was “Not In My Name.” The powers that be concurred, and launched a war that wasn’t committed in our names. They also used the fact of permitted protest to bolster the reasonableness of their cause, whilst millions of protesters went home, deflated, not sure what to do next.

We also realised a further distinction needs to be made between protest-resistance and creative nonviolent resistance. Protest-resistance might break a particular law, but, like lawful protest, it suggests that the power to change lies in someone else’s hands, and concentrates on a negative rather than positive vision.

Applying our discussions to our planning, we decided not to use banners or placards on our action, instead to concentrate on the power of the planting. We would not ask others to do something on our behalf, nor would we be apologetic about our action – instead we would invite others to join in with us. We decided to carry grapes, fig-biscuits, grape juice and wine to offer to our arresting officers.

We also challenged and outlawed protest within our own group dynamics – especially the ways in which we drained the energy of the larger group by voicing complaints that could be dealt with directly or with the help of one of our sub-groups. We realised that protest is a disempowered and disempowering mentality that affects many areas of resistance life. It stops us being imaginative and innovative, and instead makes us both reaction-ary and conservative.

Sometimes protesting felt a bit like an addiction and it took quite a bit of writing and rewriting to come up with our protest-free action statement:

“‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Instead, everyone shall sit underneath their vine and fig tree and none shall make them afraid.’ (Micah 4:3)

Disarmament, economic conversion and nonviolence are vital ingredients for creating a just world in which everyone enjoys the earth's abundance.

In these fearful, suspicious times, we invite people all around the world to transform military bases into gardens of peace in which beauty and life shall flourish.”

On the Thursday 4^th of August we went to AWE Aldermaston and planted vines and fig trees outside the base, familiarising ourselves with the place and the police and informing the latter that we would soon return to carry on the planting inside the base. The following dawn we kept to our word, cutting a garden gate in the perimeter fence and entering with a disarmoury of garden tools, twelve young vines and fig trees and various thematic picnic items.

During our subsequent arrest and imprisonment for a night at nearby Newbury Police Station we tried, in a variety of ways, to maintain community not just between one another but also with the police and security personnel we came into contact with. Some of us assisted with finger-printing, others informed junior officers of correct procedure; we expressed gratitude for good and friendly practice and avoided complaining. The police and security were an important part of our process. And neither of us found one person who disagreed with our planting. One of the officers rightly chastised us for not bringing fairly-traded grapes. At times Stephen found himself missing the old feelings of us and them – the reassuring self-righteousness that comes with oppositional identity and practice – “but some quiet hours in a solitary cell helped me pull through another phase of protest-withdrawal.”

After we were all eventually released from custody, we finished the first phase of our community process by planting our last vine and fig tree at nearby AWE Burghfield – with four new pairs of hands particularly attracted to the non-negativity of our approach. It was good to see and feel the vision spreading.

The main problem some of the police and court officials have had with our action is the fact that we cut the fence to gain access. And, to be fair, they’re not the only ones who got hung up on that fence. When the MoD police arrived to arrest us, several of us quickly climbed the inner security fence to delay capture, in the moment forgetting our agreed spirit of non-defensiveness and non-apology.

The fence comes to symbolise a self-fulfilling protest mentality that both “sides” find hard to let go of, and which easily distracts and detracts from the work at hand: the collective, creative conversion of these vineless and figless places.

At our last court appearance we signed over the apprehended vines and fig trees to the Scene of Crimes officer, who promised to replant and look after them. In return we were handed back a bottle of wine, which we promptly drank in tired celebration on the merry banks of the Kennet and Avon.

The case continues.

Stephen Hancock and Per Herngren

International easterplanting of vines and fig trees at Ericsson arms factory in Sweden

Translated by Coilín ÓhAiseadha, Indymedia Ireland,   See pictures.

On Good Friday, six vine- and figtree planters were arrested after planting an orchard at the Ericsson Microwave arms factory in Mölndal [just south of Gothenburg]. The planters came from The Church of Sweden, the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden and the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation. They planted a vine by the fence, then climbed over and continued the planting of fig trees and vines on a green area by one of Microwave’s buildings. At the same time as a conversation between guards and planters was initiated, the vine- and fig tree planting continued.

“We have read the prophet Micah’s vision that each of us should sit under his vine and his fig tree, and nobody should threaten him or her. As Christians, we believe that the prophet’s visions are something we must begin to live here and now, and not wait passively,” says Klaus Engell-Nielsen. “The planting is a way to connect our Christian faith to our resistance to injustices.”

“Everything went very calmly,” says Ulla from Denmark, one of the planters. “The planting was the beginning of a dialogue between us, the guards and the police,” Annika Spalde, deacon in Gothenburg, adds. The police arrived after a brief interval, six planters were taken into custody and one of them was still being held by the police overnight.

“Vines and fig trees are in the Bible powerful symbols for peace, security, freedom from oppression. Through our planting, we want to begin on the transformation of this area that we think must occur, from weapons production to an enterprise that manufactures something that gives people security,” says Annika Spalde.

“This is proactive resistance – not a protest action,” says Les Gibbons from the United Kingdom. “We are not saying ‘No’ or asking our leaders to do the job for us. We want to begin on the change that we want to see and invite others to take part.”

The group consists of nine persons and works with non-violence and civil disobedience.

Contact person: Annika Spalde, tel. +46 (0)76-246 1994 (or Per Herngren, tel. +46 (0)70-88 77 211).

The vine & fig tree planters
Annika Spalde, deacon The Church of Sweden, 36, from Gothenburg, Ulla Röder, 51, from Denmark, Pelle Strindlund, The Church of Sweden, 34, from Gothenburg, Les Gibbons, 41, from the United Kingdom, Per Herngren, Mission Covenant Church, 44, from Gothenburg, Klaus Engell-Nielsen, The Church of Sweden, 37, from Tidaholm.

Read the original press release in Swedish.

See pictures.