NOtoNATO loses the plot

 

It’s sad and embarrassing.

So much energy is being put by many long-standing friends of mine into the mounting shambles of the NotoNATO protest.

It’s great occasion for me for two reasons. I have long been parliament’s most persistent critic of NATO’s role in Iraq and Afghanistan. Here is a chance to reinforce those warnings especially against any false triumphalism on the Afghan failure. The second interest is that the first NATO summit in the UK since 1990 was to be held in a magnificent location in my constituency. There are potential advantages of worldwide benefits to Newport.

Happily I accepted the invitation from CND London to speak at their rally in Cardiff.  With some embarrassment from CND I was then dis-invited because of a decision by local people.  That’s a bit of a relief that I do not have to share a platform with some of the speakers. A pro Putin group supports the main speaker Thus re-enforcing the claim that No to Nato means Yes to Putin.  The same Putin who invaded Georgia, Abkhazia, Ukraine terrorized Chechnya and murders his own citizens including Magnitsky.  The Russian border is NATO’s main future challenge.

The sensible attitude to NATO should be a balanced one as a critical friend who acknowledges its failures but recognises its vital future world role. This is not what we are getting from NotoNATO. Their website make the ludicrous claim that:

 

“60 world leaders will meet at the Celtic Manor in Newport to plan their war on the world”. 

A wild irrational fantasy. Equally un-convincing is their promise of the ‘Biggest protest in a generation’. It’s a shame that so many people I greatly respect and have worked with for decades have been dragged into this juvenile rhetoric-led nonsense. World politics is no laughing matter. Intelligence, skill and restraint will save lives not the wild words of the political extremes.

I strongly supported an alternative conference that could express a challenging view to the summit in a manner more convincing than yelling slogans in the street.  As the doctrinaire group-think of the organisers of the protest is too narrow to include my views and those of other moderates, its value is diminished. It will get worse as the amateurish, dis-organised leaderless character of NotoNATO is revealed.

Last night in Pillgwenlly Newport reality confronted  rhetoric. Without consultation with Pill people  NotoNATO decided to invite Europe to camp alongside Pill homes on land in use for sports events and a carnival. The council urged a re-think and suggested sensible alternatives. Arrogantly the council was spurned and locals derided as ‘nimbies’. NotoNATO demanded that the taxpayers subsidise their ill-chosen site with expensive facilities.

This ill-organised body does not appear to be able to respond in any coherent way to anger of the people of Pill. Already some of their other plans are failing. A long march to Newport from Llanelli to Newport was planned. Little is happening. Have they over-estimated the numbers of protestors? Council and Police have to err on the side of caution and thousands of police are being drafted in. The cost will be enormous. At the Celtic Manor’s last major event in 2005 police out-numbered demonstrators by 25 to 1. The few who turned up were corralled on the Coldra roundabout and no delegate saw a single protestor.

 

A similar farce could be repeated this time. If that happens it’s the voice and case of protest that suffers.

 

 Come on, NotoNATO get your act together.

Comments

[Paul Flynn]

Thanks THERE IS NO PASSION IN THE NO TO NATO MESSAGE. WHO BELIEVES THEIR CLAIM THAT NATO IS COMING TO NEWPORT 'TO PLAN THEIR WAR ON THE WORLD'? Plenty of passion on GAZA massacres and ISIS slaughter. Plenty against PUTIN's homophobia and murders as well.

[K]

"The same Putin who invaded Georgia, Abkhazia, Ukraine terrorized Chechnya and murders his own citizens including Magnitsky."

The same profoundly homophobic, transphobic and misogynistic Putin who has enacted a series of hateful discriminatory laws against Russian LGBTQ people and feminists. As such these have given the green light to much violence against gay, transgender and gender non-conforming people within Russia. Unfortunately, politics seems to be defined by heterosexist and gender normative males which is why Putin and his odious regime was not challenged before. If 'No to NATO' are a homophobic, transphobic and sexist organisation then we don't need them in Newport as LGBTQ people and feminists are marginalised enough as it is!