So, why don’t we all make it an international affair?
Dear protesters against mobile mast/antenna/base-station siting and mobile telephony
The German Anti-Mobile network “Risiko Mobilfunk” calls on all mast/mobile telephony protester groups to stage protests/demonstrations/actions in as many places within Germany and neighboring countries as possible.
So, why don’t we make it an international affair?
After all we all have the same problem, no matter where we live, and that problem is:
Microwave Radiation Emmission from Mobile telephony: Where We Live!
The protest/demonstration date has been set as: Saturday 24th of June 2006.
Those of you who can read German can read the details on the networks website:
www.netzwerk-risiko-mobilefunk.de
“Risiko mobilfunk” has contact with many hundreds of local action groups critical to the mobile telephony siting and roll-out in the society.
If the 24th of June (for any reason, being summer holiday, bank holidays etc.) is not suitable for the protests demonstrations/actions, they Could take place a few days Before, Or After the 24th of June.
But, if everyone keeps to the same day it could proof a unique opportunity to raise awareness of the health risks of mobile masts/antenna/base-stations and mobile telephony.
Not just in Germany, but WORLDWIDE!
To reach this goal, “Risiko Mobilefunk” calls upon all action groups and interested/affected private persons to partake in the protest project.
The method of staging a protest and where, when and in what form the protests are to be carried out is left to the individual protest groups to decide.
But “Risiko Mobilfunk” give a few ideas as to how and where protests could be carried out:
- A stand at local markets, where information material is handed out people.
- Demonstrations
- Posters display on private garden fences, in private house windows on street lampposts etc.
- Handing out Flyleaf’s on the High Street, and putting them in Pubs, Cafes, supermarkets literature shelves
- Press-releases and/or readers letters in the local and national press
- Meetings with town/city Mayors, GPs, and other relevant persons
- And if someone owns acoustic-com/com monitors:
- A offer of free monitoring of private persons homes especially if they live near to a mast/antenna/base-station. Inhabitants should have to fill out a pre-pre-prepared health questionnaire.
One idea could be to give away free balloons, printed with relevant information, from market stalls, protest demonstrations etc.
Balloons with printed “Risiko Mobilfunk!” logo can be ordered by e-mail at: mobilfunk.rv@web.de
The price for 250 pcs. Is EURO. 35.- + Added postage for shipping abroad. (=£: GBP. 24.22) ( = $: USD. 44.22) (=Canadian dollar: CAD: 49.40) (=Australian Dollar: AUD: 58.22)
Balloon price includes Balloon, print, string and postage within Germany, abroad the same + additional postage.
Gas is not included and has to be bought locally.
Orders of balloons with additional informative text: Deadline for orders is before 15th of May, in order for printing and shipping before protest day.
ALL Protests and Demonstrations should be announced in the press, to attract as much attention as possible.
If you do want to join in this protest, “Risiko mobilfunk” asks all of us to give them a chance to get an overview of prostests/demonstrations/actions planned “ by sending them your description of (very short pls) what, where and when you are planning to carry out (In English or German) to:
E-mail: groschupp@mobilfunk-buergerforum.de
Or fax to : +49 12120 248 703
“Risiko mobilfunk” whishes us all a successful protest/demonstration/action day and hope for as large and widespread participation as humanly possible.
Best regards.
From the network “Risiko mobilfunk”
Jürgen Groschupp, Michael Martin, Angelika Gremlich-Doblies, Dr. Klaus Dold, Wolfgang Blüher (MF-Netzwerk Baden-Württemberg), Erich Ammann, Renate Marek, Dr. Claus Scheingraber, Joachim Weise, Werner Funk (Bayern), Prof. Dr. Karl Richter (Bündnis der MF Initiativen des Saarlands), Friedrich Spiegel (RLP), Klaus Böckner (MF Landesverband Hessen), Bernd Schreiner (MF Landesverband Thüringen), Dr. Stefan Spaarmann (Sachsen), Evelyn Brämer, Oliver Wendenkampf (Sachsen-Anhalt), Gerrit Krause (NRW), Barbara Schneider (Bremen), Karin Wiese, Eva Bahia (Hamburg), Martin Scheibert, Andreas Meyer, Georg Hehemann, Helmut Breunig (Niedersachsen), Knut Schlanert (Berlin, Brandenburg), Lebrecht von Klitzing, Susanne Günther (Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Translated from the Danish translation of Dorte Pugliese,
and added to by: Agnes Ingvarsdottir. Glen Lea. Upper Colwall. Nr. Malvern. WR13 6DH Herefordshire. United Kingdom
E-mail: agnes@mast-victims.org
Website:
http://www.mast.victims.org
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German Protest 24th June
3 years ago when the mast movement was a lot more organized and certainly there seemed more national campaigners we and planning sanity put an awful lot of hard work and money into arranging a national demo.. it took an awful lot of work ... press release about twice a week ALL of which got major coverage both national and local right across the country.... interviews on radio by loads of people all over the place and tv interviews too as at the time we were extremely successful at getting media coverage... and still just if we are being kind 300 people turned up in London... bearing in mind we had more than 300 campaigns in london it self.... it wasn’t the great success it should have been as most people were" busy" with other priorities... always other priorities.
WE managed to convince the authorities and the police - who turned up en masse - that 10,000 campaigners would be there.... we were promised by 100 s of campaigners across the country that they would be there honest! Each said they bring others in coaches.. it didn’t happen
WE told personally well in excess of 2000 people about the importance of coming together.. united front etc... even MAUK turned up we newslettered emailed everything you could possibly think of - INCLUDING SCHNEWS.
But it didn’t work.
To be honest we did clash with the big war demos across the country.. but I ve talked to lots who were going to be at our demo and they didnt turn up for them either.. what we lost there was the great swath of Green party people and Environmental activists who would have turned out for us even though they were not mast campaigners....
So if you decide to go with this beware.... if you want to make an impact we really need to garauntee 1000s... otherwise It looks like people arnt really that bothered - or not bothered enough .... certainly that’s the impression we gave last time
Im not saying im against this idea.... im just saying that weve been there with the same intentions with the same belief that people really are prepared to get off their a... for this cause - and then weve been let down big style... maybe you think we did it wrong.. we MUST have done something wrong..... remember Chris Maile has a massive background in direct action... hes organized loads of "activities" demos etc...
Personally as ive said before id prefer to see a London network set up ( Mast sanity London) with a loose structure... this will enable more personal contacts with London campaigns... personal contacts often encourage more loyalty and people once in a more local friendly supportive group will be more likely to turn up for a demo at any time.... If you build that structure first then I feel any future demos certainly in the capital will be very successful
Cheers
Lisa
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From Karen Barratt
The two main reasons to have a demo are
1 To effect a change in Govt policy - this only works if there is widespread public support AND enough MPs who feel the same way and can put pressure on the Govt eg poll tax. Enormous numbers do not necessarily get a result eg anti-Iraq war.
2 To get publicity and raise public awareness - this either needs millions to turn out eg. Countryside Alliance, Anti-war etc OR very small groups doing eyecatching/ illegal stunts eg.animal liberation, Fathers4justice.
Mast campaigns don't really fit any of these scenarios. Lisa has already described the London Rally - the work, effort and expense for virtually no return. On the other hand local protests spread over a number of locations will attract even smaller numbers and will only attract local media anyway. Many of us keep the local publicity on the issue going anyway.
You also have to decide what you're demonstrating about ie planning policy, health and who you're targeting ODPM / D of Health.Byron Ave campaigners had a lobby of parliament in 2001 specifically to try and get the then Planning Min Lord Falconer to change the proposed revision of PPG8. He would not meet us but we got other MPs to set up the AP Mobile Group. The lobby was organised with the co-operation of Winchester MP Mark Oaten. Even this event which was well attended got little national coverage. It got a great deal of local publicity because at that time the Byron Ave campaign could muster several hundred supporters. These days, five years on, we'd be lucky to get half a dozen people to give up a Saturday. That is the reality.
The idea of masses taking to the streets to force change is very attractive - I know, I've done it on so many occasions for different causes. Even though few demonstrations got a successful result it could be very uplifting, promote solidarity, raise morale which kept campaigners fighting IF enough people turned up . Unfortunately if only a handful come along it has the reverse effect. Be honest. How many people could any of us 'deliver.' In any case as Lisa pointed out it takes time and organisation to be effective even if the support was forthcoming. I don't believe it is.
I'm sorry if this sounds negative. It is not meant to be. I think it is much more effective to do what many of us have been doing ie raising awareness through lobbying, nationally and locally and feeding information to the press. That is what I intend to carry on doing.
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I agree with Lisa. I think it is a waste of resources to try and pull a national event off in six weeks. It is bound to fails and make us look silly and unsupported to the few people who will have bothered to notice. such events need a year or so preparation. Andrea
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
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I read the comments from Mast Sanity’s Lisa, Karen and Andrea on the German protest action day
http://sharenews.twoday.net/stories/1895711/
and I wonder if they have read the article at all.
So, to rebut, what is it really “Risiko Mobilfunk” is suggesting?
- A stand at local markets, where information material is handed out people.
- Demonstrations
- Posters display on private garden fences, in private house windows on street lampposts etc.
- Handing out Flyleaf’s on the High Street, and putting them in Pubs, Cafes, supermarkets literature shelves
- Press-releases and/or readers letters in the local and national press
- Meetings with town/city Mayors, GPs, and other relevant persons
- And if someone owns acoustic-com/com monitors:
- An offer of free monitoring of private persons homes especially if they live near to a mast/antenna/base-station. Inhabitants should have to fill out a pre-pre-prepared health questionnaire.
There is NO Mention of huge organized Big City Demonstration!
All of the suggestions by “Risiko Mobilfunk” are small scale “LOCAL” Actions, Not Big City/Capital Demonstrations, planned a year beforehand, only to land on the same day as the massive Iraq anti-war demonstrations, and un-flexible enough not to change the date when it became clear that the Iraq anti war demonstration would be held on the same date and place in the UK.
No, what “Risiko Mobilfunk” are suggesting is for All the Local community resistance groups to make their marks on the day, with actions within their Communities, with the opportunities at hand, and contacting their local papers, (if many enough do it, it will end up in the national press anyway, as a novelty.) local politicians etc. (who after all have to live with us as neighbors and are dependant on our votes to stay in power, just look at the beating Labour just has taken) as well as our GP´s who’s patients we are, and who have to look after our health and well-being.
At this hour the German invitation has been translated to: Danish/English/Dutch/French and published on websites in the same countries as well as in other countries in one of these languages, and people in other countries are working on translations and organizing actions
In many other countries, like they say on British news “Out there, Where You Are”.
Best regards.
Agnes.
http://www.mast-victims.org
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Dear Sarah P,
The reason why people are unable to do much about protestimg, is because of the effects. They are exhausted because of the insomnia; assailed by many other debilitating symptoms and the lives of those affected must be unremitting hell!
I have felt the effects in the homes of victime near the Orange mast in my village and I am completely unable to bear them in the worst affected homes. My energy levels drop like a stone, I feel nauseated and dizzy, get headaches and want to lie down! I would not be able to make the efforts I make at present if our house should ever be affected.
When people realise that none of our 'representatives' e.g. Government, the Department of (Ill) Health (as I term it!) and the Health 'Protection'? Agency' will listen to us, they lose hope, go into denial and do their best to have fun and enjoyment away from the mast. Normal Life is impossible. Several of our victims go out as much as possible; take short breaks away (when all their symptoms disappear, only to return as soon as they get home). They are scorned and ridiculed by some people who have no effects and will not believe that they suffer, and kinder people are too busy living their lives to get involved! Some people decide to sell their homes and leave - after all, the government says there is no proof so they suddenly say,'Oh yes! We feel fine!' and tell me that their symptoms have now disappeared.
Some people get very aggressive when I try to inform them about the suffering. 'Why don't they just leave if they're really suffering like that?' 'I don't believe you!' they say. My own daughter will not listen to me and wants me to stop concerning myself about the matter in case I become ill. I'm only afraid of the consequences of eventually having a 3G mast half a mile away (the Parish Council passed one as soon as I resigned my position as Councillor). There is also a Tetra mast - I don't know how long that has been there.
Best regards,
Gill Lyden
From Mast Sanity/Mast Network
