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Ahwazi Crash Secret UK-Iran Business Meeting – 2015

Ahwazi Crash Secret UK-Iran Business Meeting: On Friday 3rd July 2015 I went into the offices of the British Iranian Chambers of Commerce (BICC) with a group of British-Iranian Ahwazi Arabs and human rights activist Peter Tatchell to gatecrash a secret meeting promoting UK-Iran trade and investment in NIOC (National Iranian Oil Company) House in Westminster.

Iran of course is very much back in the news now, following the attacks on its nuclear installions by Israel and the USA, concerned that Iran might be developing nuclear weapons. At the moment Israel is the only state in the Middle East with nuclear weapons and they and their US partners are very much concerned to keep it that way. But this protest was against the continuing savage oppression of the Awazi in Iran.

Iran is of course a state with a highly oppresive authoritarian religious regime – as Amnesty International report they surpress “the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly” with “Women and girls, LGBTI people, and ethnic and religious minorities” experiencing “systemic discrimination and violence.”

The Awazi Arabs are Iran’s largest Arab speaking community and their largely autonomous state of Al-Ahwaz was forcibly taken over by Persia in 1925. And they suffer more than any other ethnic group from Iranian oppression.

Oil was first discovered in Al-Ahwaz in 1908, and the Anglo-Persian Oil Company formed to exploit it (in was renamed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company in 1935) was directly controlled by the British government from 1914 to 1951 when oil was nationalised under the the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC.) Almost all of Iran’s oil is in the Ahwazi regions. Anglo-Iranian is now rather better known as BP.

Iranian violent persecution, forced displacement and the suppression of Ahwazi Arabs and their culture has continued since 1925, turning their homeland, thought to have been the inspiration of the Biblical ‘Garden of Eden’ into a a desolate wasteland, the poorest area of the Middle East.

*Peter Tatchell talks with some of those taking part in the secret meeting*

A recent Facebook post gives a short clear summary of Iran’s history – here’s the text:

“IRAN ONCE HAD DEMOCRACY – THE WEST DESTROYED IT.
Every time Western leaders talk about “freedom and democracy” in Iran – they either don’t know history – or they’re hoping you don’t.

IRAN HAD DEMOCRACY – Until the CIA and MI6 overthrew it. Why? Because Iran dared to nationalize its own oil. That was 1953. The elected Prime Minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, was toppled by Operation Ajax. Why? Because British Petroleum (yes, that BP) didn’t want to lose control.

So let’s stop pretending the West ever cared about the Iranian people.
It was always about oil and imperial control. And those parroting “freedom” today – without this context – are sadly, useful idiots for empire.”

The post goes on to promote the book “The Devil’s Chessboard” by David Talbot, founding editor of Salon, which apparently “tells the full story” of how the “Dulles brothers weaponized the CIA to crush democracy abroad – from Iran to Congo to Guatemala” though I’ve not read it.

*‘We demand Dignity and Justice for Ahwazis’*

You can read more about what happened inside NIOC House on My London Diary, though I think the pictures and captions give a good idea there are many more there. I had some difficult in working in the low lighting in the corridor and from some trying to stop me taking pictures, but was not seriously harrassed, though I was stopped and wasn’t able to get a picture of Lord Lamont as he was confronted by some of the protesters, although the other photographers did.

One man – recognised by the protesters as an Iranian Embassy official – began to assault one of the photographers but was restrained by others from the meeting. After ten minutes the protesters decided they had make their point and we all made our way down to the foyer. Here we were met by police who stopped us leaving.

While we were not arrested we were prevented from leaving for over 45 minutes, although I and the other journalists all showed our press cards. It was hot and I was pleased to drink some of the cold fruit juice the building manager hospitably offered. The photographer who had been assaulted complained to the police before went up to the sixth floor – when they came down he was told his assailant might have diplomatic immunity and the photographer decided not to press charges.

Eventually all of us were released, presumably as the BICC wished to avoid publicity about their meeting. The protesters including some who had stayed outside the building then posed on the steps for photographs.

More on My London Diary at Ahwazi crash secret UK-Iran business meeting.

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Violence Against Women, Charlie X & MI6 – 2014

Violence Against Women, Charlie X & MI6 – Friday 14th February 2014 was the second One Billion Rising event with an event in Trafalgar Square. I walked away down Whitehall to photograph Charlie X protesting over climate chaos and then went to MI6 at Vauxhall Cross for a protest on the 12 anniversary of the illegal transfer of Shaker Aamer from torture at a US airbase in Afghanistan to Guantanamo before returning home.

One Billion Rising – End Violence Against Women – Trafalgar Square

People had come to strike, dance and rise in defiance against the injustices suffered by women at the second One Billion Rising event, begun as a call to action against the UN figure that 1 in 3 women in the world will be beaten or raped.

This was an initiative by playwright and activist Eve Ensler (known for her play The Vagina Monologues), and her organisation V-Day, and the first event in 2013 had involved over 10,000 events worldwide. In 2014 things were happening in 168 countries.

The Home Office say there are an average of 85,000 women raped each year in England and Wales, along with 400,000 sexually assaulted and that 1 in 5 women experience some form of sexual violence in their adult life.

“The event started with a brief photo-op which was just lots of people posing behind a banner. I almost missed it, but I wouldn’t have really missed much. I didn’t recognise many of them, though they may well have been celebreties.

One I did know was Bianca Jagger, who I’ve photographed on various occasions. But you many well spot others you know.”

Afterwards there was some dancing on the stage and I photographed some of those who had come to the event. I left before the speeches.

More pictures at One Billion Rising – End Violence Against Women

Charlie Chaplin Climate Chaos – Downing St,

At the gates to Downing Street I met Charlie Chaplin mime Charlie X holding the head of PM David Cameron protesting against climate chaos and in solidarity with those who are flooded out and with those fighting fracking around the UK. His message was ‘Frack This for a Larf!

It was as his e-mail earlier had indicated, “crap weather“, cold and wet with the latest in a series of storms hitting London, and that this was the perfect context for a protest drawing attention to a protest over climate chaos and in solidarity with those people being flooded out across the country.

I had come up to London not knowing if my home would be flooded by the time I returned. Parts of the streets outside had been under a few inches of dirty water as I walked to the station and the ditch at the back of our garden had overflowed a couple of hundred yards downstream.

The local drains were all flooded and we were having to go to friends in the next street to wash etc – or rely on public services further afield. I was pleased to find the situation no worse when I finally arrived home but it was another week before Thames Water managed to get our sewage flowing again.

Charlie Chaplin Climate Chaos

‘Justice Demands the Truth’ Vigil – MI6, Vauxhall Cross

“On the 12th anniversary of Shaker Aamer’s illegal rendition to Guantanamo, a protest called on MI6 to tell the truth and stop working to stop him being returned to his family in London, and handed in a Valentine card to MI6 head Sir John Sawer.”

It was on St Valentine’s Day 2002 that Shaker Aamer “was illegally and forcibly transferred from Bagram Airbase, where he had been tortured as MI6 agents looked on and helped with his interrogation to Guantanamo, where his imprisonment without trial and with frequent and regular ill-treatment and torture continues to this day.”

Aamer’s home and family were a short distance away in Battersea but he had been captured by bandits when working for a charity in Afghanistan and sold the the US authorities there.

On the same day in 2002, his youngest son was born in London, a son living with his family in Battersea who has never seen his father. In 2014 Aamer was still being held in chains in solitary confinement and his health was in danger after a lengthy hunger strike.

The US could find no evidence of his involvement in terrorism and he was cleared for release in 2007 – but they wanted to send him back to Saudi Arabia where he would have conceniently disappeared without trace.

Aamer had married a British woman and been granted residency to live in the UK and was applying for citizenship before his capture. His supporters were convinced that he was only still being held in prison “because of various lies told by British security agencies MI5 and MI6 to our government, which Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary from 2001-6 and later Secretary of State for Justice apparently believed.”

Those lies were told because both US and UK intellegence agencies would be highly embarassed by the evidence he would give about his continued torture in Guantanamo and his torture at Bagram.

Security at the MI6 building refused to accept the Valentines card they tried to present, but eventually they pushed it through a gap in the gate. But Shaker was only finally released and able to return to the UK on 30th October 2015.

You can read more about the protest and see many more pictures on My London Diary at ‘Justice Demands the Truth’ Vigil.

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All photographs on this page are copyright © Peter Marshall.
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One Billion Rising, Chaplin & MI6

Three sets of photographs I made in London on a wet day nine years ago, Friday 14th February 2014.

One Billion Rising – End Violence Against Women – Trafalgar Square

This was the second worldwide annual ‘One Billion Rising’ with events taking place in 168 countries and women had come to Trafalgar Square to strike, dance and rise in defiance against the injustices suffered by women around the world.

In England and Wales, the Home Office reports that there are an average of 85,000 women raped each year, and 400,000 women sexually assaulted. They report that 1 in 5 women (aged 16 – 59) has experienced some form of sexual violence since the age of 16.

I arrived in time to photograph the start of the event, and stayed to watch a little dancing on the stage. The dancers there were under a canopy but I and much of the audience got rather wet watching. I wasn’t sorry that I had to leave shortly for an appointment at Downing Street.

More at One Billion Rising – End Violence Against Women.

Charlie Chaplin Climate Chaos – Downing St

My Downing Street appointment was not with the Prime Minister David Cameron, but with a rather better known figure, Charlie Chaplin, or rather his look-alike mime and activist Charlie X.

Given the weather he had abandoned the black trousers for waterproof yellow ones, but otherwise the was dressed as usual with his whited out face, small moustache, bowler hat, black bow tie and jacket. Sensibly as well as his walking stick he had brought an umbrella and had some hazard tape to keep his bowler in place in the high winds.

He was there to make a one-person silent protest over the failure of governments including our own to take real measures to combat carbon dioxide emissions which are causing global warming and climate chaos. At the time many of us across the country were suffering from flooding, with my own home having been under severe threat for almost a week – and left without mains drainage we were having to walk several minutes to a friends to wash and use a toilet that could still be flushed.

Charlie X was also there to draw attention to the dangers of fracking in the UK and show solidarity with communities who are fighting against it in their area. His mimed protest called on Cameron to act green not just talk green and stop listening to the highly funded lobbying by the dirty fuel companies.

Charlie Chaplin Climate Chaos

‘Justice Demands the Truth’ Vigil – MI6, Vauxhall

I was pleased to be able to dry out slightly and get just a little warmer on the bus to Vauxhall were I joined the Save Shaker Aamer campaign who where protesting opposite the well-known MI6 offices there on the 12th anniversary of the British resident’s illegal rendition to Guantanamo in February 2002.

On My London Diary I give more details of the case of this Muslim charity worker who was kidnapped by bandits and sold to the US army and tortured before being taken for rurther torture at the prison camp.

MI6 officers were present during some of the torture and his return to this country would be embarrassing for them. They were widely thought to have been secretly briefing against his return and telling lies to Jack Straw, Foreign Secretary from 2001-6 and later Secretary of State for Justice which he apparently or perhaps conveniently believed.

Shaker’s release to the UK would also embarrass the US security agencies responsible for his continuing torture at Guantanamo where he stood up for his rights and those of other prisoners. Although the US security agencies including the CIA, State and Defense Departments cleared him to be released six years ago, they wanted to release him to his native Saudi Arabia, knowing that as a former dissident he would quickly disappear there without trace.

Because of the continuing rain, after posing for photographs and a short vigil in front of the MI6 building the protesters moved a little further away for a rally on the pavement under one of the railway arches before going to try and hand in a Valentine card for the head of MI6, Sir John Sawer, which stated:

“MI6, we would love you to … help us bring Shaker Aamer home. Shaker Aamer, unlawfully imprisoned and tortured in Guantanamo for twelve years – he faces no charge or trial- he has been cleared since 2007 to leave Guantanamo. So why is Shaker Aamer still there? Shaker Aamer would love to be at home with his wife and family in the UK. M16, you could help. Tell the truth about torture! MI6 have a heart, don’t block Shaker Aamer’s release to the UK from Guantanamo.”

Security on the gate refused to accept the card, but eventually the protesters simply pushed it through a gap in the gate and left for a final protest opposite the building.

More at ‘Justice Demands the Truth’ Vigil.