483 arrests at NATO

IssueMay 2012
News by David Polden

On 1 April, activists from Trident Ploughshares and Faslane Peace Camp joined over 800 others (from over 10 European countries) protesting outside NATO’s Brussels headquarters. The demonstration was against NATO’s wars in Afghanistan and Libya, and its possession of nuclear weapons.

The demonstration was organised by the Belgian group, Action for Peace, as part of the run-up to a NATO summit in Chicago on 20-21 May.

The protesters intended to enter and shut down the site, but when they started to approach the fence, mounted police surrounded them, pushing them away from the fence. Some 20 got over the fence but were stopped by police with dogs. The 483 arrestees were herded onto police buses, detained for a few hours and then released without charge.

Some 300 others demonstrated at the base’s main entrance explaining the purposes of the action. Press coverage was good in Belgium and some other countries, but minimal in the UK.

Topics: Anti-war action