MdN-Madrid

On March 8, 1909 one hundred twenty-nine women died in the fire of a New York factory. In 1910 Clara Zetkin and Katy Duncker proposed the idea of “An International Women’s Day” or “Day of the Working Woman” and that it should be celebrated every March 8th to commemorate the death of these women. The first international strike of women took place on March 8, 2017 with the shout of Argentine feminists “not one fewer, we want ourselves alive.”

In this year’s March 8th strike, we want to make visible in the broadest way possible our strength, anger and pain, and at the same time our shared joy in knowing that we are strong and we are right. We are part of a process of the radical transformation of society and culture, the economy and relationships. We want to reassert the political force of women and preserve the planet we live on, in addition to making clear that the economic system would collapse without our daily work as caregivers.

We are involved in the struggles against sexist violence, for the right to decide matters relative to our own bodies and our own lives, for social justice, housing, health, education, food sovereignty, and secularism; and against free trade agreements and exploitation. We are anti-militarists and are against wars and national borders, against repressive and authoritarian States that impose gag laws and criminalize protest and feminine resistance; united with women who defend human rights and the land at the risk of their lives.

Women in Black of Madrid against war join in all the proposals and demands of the international convocation of women’s strike. Further, we wish to highlight that it is women who suffer the most from the violence of war.

As anti-militarists, we believe that war is the greatest enemy of women, but the United Nation’s Resolution 1325 upon militarizing the security of women actually perpetuates war, militarization that during all these years has not given security to women. We believe that human security, women’s security goes far beyond military or police intervention. Speaking of security, one must also speak of food, environmental, community and economic security. Real security requires a profound change in social structures and a change of mentality.

We believe that for women’s situation to change at both a local and global level, it must be considered as a problem of the State, regional and world security.

Women in Black of Madrid demand:

♀ That the criminalization cease and protection be given to the defenders of human rights, as well as persons who reject the use of weapons, conscientious objectors and deserters.

♀ Urgent measures to care for persons who are especially vulnerable, young boys and girls, adolescents, women and the LGBTI population. We demand action to impede the crossing on dangerous routes in which they suffer violations, harassment, kidnapping and prostitution.

♀ That all wars be considered illegal and that the minds of people, governments and countries be demilitarized: work that requires the involvement of all people. If we want security for women, war cannot be a legal option for either the United Nations or State governments.

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain

Pictures here

This past December the government of the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has announced that the U.S. Embassy will be located in that city. The official version says that this is a way of giving impetus to the negotiations for peace in the area and to give support to the member parties. This has created a long list of consequences and one of the most serious is the trail of blood and violence that it is generating in Palestine.

The United Nations has approved a resolution against the decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, said resolution backed by 180 countries along with 35 abstentions and 8 votes against. This resolution took place after the Security Council did not pass it because of the veto of the United States.

Jerusalem, sacred city for the great monotheistic religions, has always been at the center of conflict. For a long time, Israel has systematically not complied with the resolutions of the UN and violates the human rights of the Palestinian people, with the acquiescence of international organizations. In addition, the government of Israel is carrying out a policy to fence in and expel the Palestinian people from Jerusalem and from all the occupied territories in general. The decision of Donald Trump is the coup de grâce against a population that is cornered and mistreated.

The organization Women in Black emerged in 1988 precisely in Jerusalem when Jewish women said NO to the occupation. It was the first social collective that demonstrated publicly in Israel against the policy of occupation of the Palestinian territories by their own government. On that account, 30 years later, the Women in Black of Madrid continue demanding:

♀ That previous accords regarding Jerusalem be respected and that no nation recognize Jerusalem as the capital.

♀ That the government of the United States not intervene in the Palestine-Israeli conflict in order to tilt the political balance at the cost of the suffering and rights of the Palestinian people.

♀ That the Israeli government cease the occupation and the policy of violence against the people of Palestine and recognize the right of its citizens to dissent with their policy, and that the government cease the persecution and stigmatization of the Israeli pacifists.

♀ End of the violence of the armed Palestinians groups.

♀ That Spain revoke its military agreements and commerce in weapons with Israel.

♀ That international justice not leave in impunity the policy of violence of the Israeli government and its violation of international treaties.

We are in solidarity with the 63 Israeli secondary school students who have signed a letter in which they declare their refusal to serve in the obligatory military service despite the risk of being jailed which their decision entails. And, in general, we express our support and recognition of military objectors, pacifists and anti-militarists of Israel and Palestine.

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain

Pictures here

This past 14 March, 19 activists organized a nonviolent action at the doors of IFEMA (International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement) in Madrid to protest against the weapons fair of HOMSEC 2017 (International Trade Fair for Security Technology), an event that gathered arms merchants and agents, public and private, who benefit from the business of war; private military security enterprises and video surveillance enterprises like Navantia or ISDEF (International Defense and Homeland Security), among others.

In its communication with IFEMA, the platform of Desarma Madrid (Disarm Madrid) demanded the cancellation of the event and called for the use of the public spaces to promote a culture of peace and not as showcases for war and violence.
During the action, several banners were unfurled at the door displaying the motto “Disarm Madrid” while six persons – the number of this edition of the fair – sprayed themselves with red paint to represent the blood shed by victims of wars. Another more numerous group carried posters with the names of some of the countries where those weapons are being used – Syria, Libya, Yemen, Palestine, and Iraq, among others. The police intervened and arrested 19 people.

Months later, the Government Delegation issued fines totaling 11,419 €. It is ironic that the Organic Law for the Protection of Citizen Security (popularly known as the “gag law”) is used to criminalize those who in a nonviolent manner denounce the barbarity of war, and that the Spanish legislation that establishes that authorization for exporting arms should be denied if they can be used to disturb the peace, stability or security in any global or regional area (Ley 53/2007) is forgotten.

♀ We refuse to accept that public spaces be used to accommodate events that foment the culture of war.

♀ We reject repressive models of security centered on military threats to the territorial and political integrity of the States.

♀ We believe in a model of human security that defends the right to a life free of violence, poverty and fear.

♀ We want an integral model of human security that includes other security aspects such as economic, food and environmental.

If to denounce that the government of Spain does not respect its obligations with regard to human rights, is to disobey…

to denounce that the warlords enrich themselves at the cost of the suffering of millions of people throughout the world, is to disobey the law…

then,

Translation: Trisha Novak, USA – Yolanda Rouiller, WiB Spain

Published news about the 14 March action (in Spanish):
“El Salto” repport
“La Marea” report
Video of the action