Pledge of Resistance Aftermath October 2nd saw the final legal saga over my involvement in the Pledge of Resistance, the Brisbane group formed to engage in nonviolent direct action against the Gulf War. The Pledge of Resistance got off the ground on the 1st January with a few signatures of people willing to resist any war effort to the point of civil disobedience. Though late in forming, people were keen to act almost immediately, so the first resistance action was organized for 4pm on the 16th January (midnight of the 15th January US time), the time of the deadline for war. About thirty people blocked the main doors of the defence headquarters and recruitment centre in the city. We poured blood and oil over the glass doors, held up banners, and set up a peace recruitment table, where we took names of those willing to join the Pledge of Resistance, or simply to sign a statement against the war. To our surprise the powers that be decided against calling police to arrest us, and merely kept the doors closed until closing time, one hour later. They probably did not appreciate we would be back the next day to continue the blockade, but at 8 a.m. we returned to close the doors again. This time the doors were kept open, and those who chose to enter, pushed through or walked over us. Under much provocation, including a kick to the head for Bruce Blair, we remained nonviolent. At about 10am, using a paint brush and human blood, I wrote the words "No blood for oil", on the wall. Then Ian Mur-rel wrote the same words plus "Swords into plowshares", in oil on the large concrete awning he had agilely scaled. We were unaware that at that very moment we were writing there words, the first bombers were in the air commencing Operation Desert Massacre, a war of 'naked aggression' which would shortly see 100,00 to 200,00 dead, the worst environmental catastrophe in history, and hundreds of billion of dollars worth of property damage. No-one will go to trial for this, but the weird irony is that for trying to stop it, eight of us were charged with destruction of property and obstruction of commonwealth property. When we reached the watchhouse and heard the news of the bombing, prison seemed like the only place for one with a conscience to be. The next working day, Monday, we returned to close the defence office and reopen the peace recruitment centre. This time arrests were much quicker and seven people were charged with obstruction again. Thinking that a much larger action might be in order, and listening to predictions of a long war, we then decided to spend time organizing an action, with one hundred people, agreeing to be arrested, blocking the doors of the building. On the 27th February, its bloodlust seemingly temporarily satiated, the US announced a ceasefire. Appalled by the subsequent gloating, and total blindness of the victors to their own crimes, we felt compelled to once again return to the defence offices to mourn the dead and expose the evil of militarism. This time dressed in black, ten of us entered the offices. In mourning, we maintained total silence, while some of us posted up photographs of bodies. Once again a peace recruitment table was set up outside, and leaflets were distributed. The ten were all arrested and charged with obstruction of commonwealth property. Some of us spent a few days in jail while others did further community service or paid fines. My final trial ended amazingly with the prosecution dropping the charges after the judge pointed out a technical flaw in their case. I was expecting two to six months jail. It's great to be on the outside, but I do not count it as a victory, only my good luck in the judicial lottery. A real victory will be when my calls to place human rights and human life above property and other laws which defend the violence of the state are accepted by the police, magistrates, and juries. But we cannot wait till then to resist. Jim Dowling