On 1 and 2 March Forum voor Vredesactie, Flemish WRI-branch, organised Trainstopping, an attempt to block for 24 hours the American military traffic by railway to Antwerp harbour. The Belgian police stopped the action by preventively arresting 150 people on private grounds. After 12 hours everyone was released at 2 a.m. in Gent, 50 km away from the place of arrest. This police action is a heavy violation of the right to freedom of expression and an illegal abuse of power. The preventive war doctrine of Bush gets its parallel in this preventive action against war resistance. It shows that in times of war, even if Belgium is not directly involved, democracy is strongly confined. Since middle January trains with American military material arrive in Antwerp harbour for shipping towards the Gulf area and Turkey. While most Belgians do not want war, not even with UN-mandate, Antwerp harbour is used in the war preparations against Iraq. The legality of these military transports is very questionable. The US threaten already a while with war, with or without UN-mandate, and prepare this war actively. This is according to the Nürnberg-principles a crime against peace: "Crimes against peace: (i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances; (ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i). " By allowing these transports over its territory Belgium becomes a complice. NATO obligations can never mean the obligation to participate in a crime against peace. During World War II people stopped transports of Jews to the concentration camps. Belgian judiciary never made a crime of this. We can not stay quiet while military material passes which is going to kill 250 thousand people the coming months. If the Belgian authorities do not take measures against these crimes we are obliged under the Nürnberg-principles to act ourselves.
On 1 and 2 March Forum voor Vredesactie, Flemish WRI-branch, organised Trainstopping, an attempt to block for 24 hours the American military traffic by railway to Antwerp harbour. The Belgian police stopped the action by preventively arresting 150 people on private grounds. After 12 hours everyone was released at 2 a.m. in Gent, 50 km away from the place of arrest. This police action is a heavy violation of the right to freedom of expression and an illegal abuse of power. The preventive war doctrine of Bush gets its parallel in this preventive action against war resistance. It shows that in times of war, even if Belgium is not directly involved, democracy is strongly confined. Since middle January trains with American military material arrive in Antwerp harbour for shipping towards the Gulf area and Turkey. While most Belgians do not want war, not even with UN-mandate, Antwerp harbour is used in the war preparations against Iraq. The legality of these military transports is very questionable. The US threaten already a while with war, with or without UN-mandate, and prepare this war actively. This is according to the Nürnberg-principles a crime against peace: "Crimes against peace: (i) Planning, preparation, initiation or waging of a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances; (ii) Participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the acts mentioned under (i). " By allowing these transports over its territory Belgium becomes a complice. NATO obligations can never mean the obligation to participate in a crime against peace. During World War II people stopped transports of Jews to the concentration camps. Belgian judiciary never made a crime of this. We can not stay quiet while military material passes which is going to kill 250 thousand people the coming months. If the Belgian authorities do not take measures against these crimes we are obliged under the Nürnberg-principles to act ourselves.