NATO War Summit in Warsaw, Poland
All Out to Oppose NATO and Its War Preparations! Dismantle NATO! Get Canada Out of NATO!



Anti-war activists are converging on Warsaw, Poland to vehemently denounce the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's 2016 Summit taking place July 8-9 and all the moves to embroil the peoples of Europe in imperialist war preparations, particularly those aimed at Russia. Around the world, including in Canada, activists are holding events as part of a Global Day of Action Against NATO.

The Communist Party of Canada (Marxist-Leninist) calls on Canadians to support and join in these events and to keep up the opposition to Canada's involvement in NATO. Opposition to NATO expansion and its calls for increased military spending are very important in Canada, which has been fully integrated into the U.S. war machine. The Trudeau Liberals announced on July 8 that Canada would take command of a NATO military force of 1,000 soldiers in Latvia, including 450 Canadian troops and armoured vehicles as part of NATO's military encirclement of Russia.

NATO Expansion Denounced as Threat to Global Peace

In its April 3 call to action against the Summit, the World Peace Council (WPC) points out:

"Since the 1990s, NATO has expanded its membership and theatre of operations. NATO currently has 28 member states across North America and Europe. Another 22 countries are engaged in the Euro Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC). A further 19 countries are partnered with NATO through programs such as the so-called 'Partnership for Peace,' 'Mediterranean Dialogue,' the 'Istanbul Cooperation Initiative' or the 'Partners across the Globe Initiative.'

"This expansion alone reveals NATO's fundamental purpose: to be a key tool of imperialist domination of the globe.

"Over the past two decades NATO and its affiliates have attacked Yugoslavia (and its province Kosovo), Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Syria with the obvious goal of overthrowing these countries' governments. In most of these cases the government was targeted by NATO because it refused to accept the dictates of U.S. or EU foreign and economic policy. In none of these cases has the goal or result been democracy and peace -- the only legacy is death for the people, destruction and displacement -- with increased power, control of resources and profits for NATO states."

The WPC also points out how the U.S.-EU carried out regime change in Ukraine to use it as a cat's paw against Russia and provide a pretext for NATO intervention, which has come in the form of the largest build-up of hostile military forces on Russia's western border since World War Two.

"NATO's actions, as the favoured military tool of U.S. and EU imperialism, have led to an ongoing climate of confrontation between the major nuclear-armed states. Such provocations lead inevitably to escalating tensions and the real threat of a nuclear confrontation and a generalized war that unavoidably would destroy all civilization across the planet," the WPC states.

Anti-war activists converging in Warsaw particularly denounce the ways in which the Polish people's security is being threatened by Poland's increasing involvement in NATO aggression. They point out in a recent statement:

"The proposals of the present Polish government to station permanent NATO bases in Poland and build a new Missile Defence Shield in the country would not guarantee the country's safety but rather place it on the frontline of these new hostilities[against Russia]. NATO is urging all member states to increase their military spending to at least 2 per cent of GDP. Not only will this intensify the arms race in the world, but it will mean that during a time of economic austerity more funds will move from welfare to war. When the governments and Generals meet in Warsaw in July an alternative voice must be heard."

Actions to Oppose NATO

The WPC has undertaken a campaign with numerous European and North American peace forces who also oppose NATO's aggressions and existence. The "Yes to Peace! No to NATO! Campaign" calls for the dissolution of NATO at a global level, supports the struggle against NATO in each of its member states, and promotes the right of the people in each country to unilaterally withdraw from the NATO military alliance. In particular the WPC has been working with its member organizations to mobilize the anti-war forces against the Warsaw Summit.

From July 8 to 10 in Warsaw, anti-war activists from Europe and beyond say they will carry out the following:

"- On Friday 8 July we shall hold a conference bringing together the organisations and activists of the peace and anti-war movements. This will be an opportunity to discuss and debate alternatives to the policies of militarisation and war being proposed by NATO. In the evening we shall hold a large public meeting. We already have a number of prominent speakers (both international and from Poland) confirmed, including former Colonel Ann Wright, Maite Mola, and Tarja Cronberg.

"- On Saturday we will take our protest to the streets of Warsaw to express our opposition to the NATO summit.

"- On Saturday evening a cultural/social event will be held. [...]"

They state: "Our goal is a world without war and nuclear weapons. We are fighting to overcome NATO through the politics of common security and disarmament and solidarity with global peace, anti-war & anti-militaristic movements."

(TML Weekly No. 28, July 9, 2016)