Liverpool: Campaigners mark Conscientious Objection Day

Image: Liverpool Pax Christi

Pax Christi Liverpool, with friends from Liverpool Quakers, CND and others, led an event to mark Annual International Conscientious Objection Day recently outside Liverpool Law Courts - to symbolise the prosecution around the world today and in the past of the thousands of men and women who refuse military conscription - who refuse to kill their fellow human beings.

We sang, played music, read poetry, listened to playwright and activist Tayo Aluko share a Paul Robeson speech and distributed flyers with information about the human right to follow one's conscience.

Among COs today we remembered three young Israeli army refusers who say in relation to the current war on Gaza, "We will not participate in genocide". They have served an initial 30 day sentence in military prison which is likely to be extended.

It was Dorothy Day of the Catholic Worker movement who said that Love in Action is a harsh and dreadful thing. Conscientious Objectors certainly suffered for their convictions and still do so today. It was anpportunity to celebrate nonviolence in such a violent climate.

LINK

Liverpool Pax Christi: www.facebook.com/LiverpoolPaxChristi/