Here is our boycott launch story: Launch of a worldwide boycott of the US, the UK, Australia and Poland. The only good news is, the movie, The Taming of the Shrub, opened a few days ago at a supermarket near you. International boycott calls have been issued from the US, the UK, South Africa, Chile, Brasil, Mexico, Canada, Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Phillipines, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. A worldwide boycott of all trade with the US, the UK and Australia, and go- slow within those countries, was launched on Friday night, 21st March, 2003, in a short speech at the evening sit-down in Adelaide Street, Brisbane, Australia, by a small local peace group, Not in Our Name Samford. Turkey was included in the original boycott call, but as it appears to have withdrawn its troops, it has been removed from the list. Poland has been added, as it has since sent a 200- strong unit to join the invasion. The launch received a rousing cheer from the crowd. It was issued in defence of the children of Iraq and in support of the call for a world-wide boycott from the human shields in Iraq. A spokesman for the group later said: "As the Anglo-American blitzkrieg and mass murder of the people of Baghdad and other parts of Iraq is now under way, all those people worldwide who are opposed to this invasion have been asked to boycott all trade with the aggressor countries for five years. Wherever there is an option, people all over the world have been asked to either do without or select instead the products or services of countries that are in favor of peace. In particular, everyone opposed to this war is asked to boycott and to sell out of the aggressor nations’ currencies, and not to travel there for holidays or business. People opposed to this war who live within the invader countries are requested to go slow economically for the duration of the war, in every way possible, both as a protest and to withhold taxes from their governments." This announcement is copyleft. Reprint freely anywhere. Peter Ravenscroft raven@samford.net Phone 617 3289 4470 PO Box 108, Samford, 4520, Queensland, Australia Quoting Harrie van der Haghen : I am thinking about boycotting the whole coalition of the willing, but we must not take this too easy. It could be better not to picture them as willing, but as the collaboration of the USA with countries that are bought and scared by the USA. Most of those willing countries are collaborating against the will of there people. That fact can make those countries even more vonerable to a boycott. But it could also put the people of those countries behind there governements. We need reliable inside information from persons in those countries about how the reaction will be. Are you sure that a boycott of Austalien products by Dutch consumers would help you? Is there a site in Australia where I can link to? I will put the text of the boycott launche as background info on the site. greetings, Harrie van der Haghen. Subject: Boycott questions Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 23:30:50 +1000 From: raven@samford.net To: Harrie van der Haghen Dear Harrie, Coalition of the Killing, I think is more precise. Cannot see into the future, but I grew up watching sanctions against South Africa. They were supported by the blacks and coloureds, who were hurt most. We got through without the huge army being turned on the people, and defeated apartheid, with overseas help. The problem here is the country is split 50-50, but we have a national mania for loving our soldiers, which we have to be weaned of. I and our minute group want this boycott, but you must decide for yourself. Moral disapproval is in the end the best tool to use, and the boycott says that strongly. We have to change a whole culture of aggression here, that will not be done by worrying about the sensibilities of the comfortable classes in the short term. The problem hwere is we are not bought by te USA, or scared by it. Since about 1880 we have been afraid of Asia. The USA is seen as a replacement Big Brother for Britain. This country's political machine has yet to grow up and learn to stand on its own two feet. Yes, I am sure the boycott by Dutch consumers will help, in the long run. Our Prime Miniscule, Sorry John, is in deep trouble, and an economic downturn will deepen it, is my guess. I do not expect this boycott to be popular, however. There is a boycott site at Byron Bay, http://www.peace-action.inbyron.com/ They have a good set of links.