NATO: Dangerous, Obsolete, and Aggressive: A Reportback

NATO and the international militarization associated with it provoked the confrontation with Russia.  That resulted in the largest protests in many years at a NATO summit, as 30,000 people marched in Madrid on June 26 changing “No to NATO” in many different languages.

Commitments to disarmament and international cooperation united the thousands of participants who marched through the streets of Madrid in the great heat. Left-wing National, European and international, radical left-wing groups were represented as well as peace organizations, women’s groups, solidarity organizations and environmental organizations, including Friday For Future, all with clear anti-militaristic statements.

Three U.S. peace activists who were there will report back on the anti-NATO protests and on the Peace Summit and Counter Summit in Madrid, which took place on June 24 and 25.   Political differences within the anti-NATO forces in Madrid were too deep to agree on a unified counter summit, and this will be explained by our panelists.

Joseph Gerson is president of the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, and Common Security, vice president of the International Peace Bureau, and a member of Massachusetts Peace Action’s board of directors.  He lives in Watertown.

Paki Wieland is active with Codepink and is Congressional District 2 captain for Massachusetts Peace Action.  She lives in Greenfield.

Ann Wright is a retired US Army Colonel and former US diplomat, who resigned in March 2003 in opposition to the Iraq war.  She has devoted herself to antiwar activism ever since, and is a resident of Hawaii.

Sponsored by Massachusetts Peace Action and the Campaign for Peace, Disarmament, and Common Security.