----- Original Message ----- From: Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <mailto:Undisclosed-Recipient:;@mindspring.com> Sent: Sunday, February 04, 2001 10:43 PM Subject: Report on Munich conference protest > On Saturday, February 3, a rally was held to protest against the > Wehrkunde conference (one possible translation of Wehrkunde is > "education in military affairs") that was held yesterday and today in > Munich. This annual conference is usually attended by high-ranking > politicians and militaries from European countries, NATO, and "allies > and friends". The protest was aimed against the conference in general > and against the attendance of US Minister of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, > and his NMD and space weaponization plans in particular. > > Although a long list of local and national groups supported the > protests, it was almost exclusively local people joining the protests. > (The Munich American Peace Committee was also there with several > people.) The Munich groups had done a good job in mobilizing in the > peace community, but weather conditions were very discouraging. I had > the impression I was the only non-local person who'd traveled to Munich > to participate in the protest. > > The rally was held in front of the hotel, at the corner of a little park > in the middle of the street. About 50 people turned up. Two speeches > concentrated on the purpose of the conference and on the role NATO had > played in the Yugoslavia war. My speech concentrated on Mr. Rumsfeld and > the result of the two "Rumsfeld commissions" and what that meant for the > National Missile Defense and further-reaching space weaponization plans. > A member of WILPF talked about nuclear weapons. Two speeches I missed > because people wanted to hear more about the space stuff. We stayed > there for approx. 1 1/2 hours. > > Quite a few TV teams came by to film, but none of them were willing to > take interviews. Not a single radio or print media journalist came by to > talk to us. Friends at home listened to and watched news all day. They > said, that the conference was well covered, so were the conflicting > opinions of Rumsfeld and most of the European heads of state and foreign > ministers. But not a word about the protests... > > But I am sure the German governments understood the message: there are > citizens out there who press them hard to oppose the US NMD and space > weaponizations plans. > > The Munich protesters appreciated my coming and were very interested to > hear about the space militarization. They urged me to write down what > I'd said at the rally, which I did today. If you want the German text, > let me know. I don't have the time to translate it into English. Maybe > someone volunteers? > In peace Regina Hagen Darmstadt, Germany Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space Board of Director >
