REFUSING WAR
Since 2003, when the war in Iraq broke out, Payday has organized or joined a number of international campaigns working with some organisations in the Global Women's Strike (GWS) to support soldiers and conscientious objectors who refuse to fight or men and women who refuse conscription.
We have supported individual campaigns in many countries including Turkey, Greece, Israel the US and the UK. These campaigns were almost always led by women - partners, mothers, sisters, relatives. For many years, with Queer Strike, we joined an international and successful campaign to free Chelsea Manning, a transexual army analyst who leaked thousands of classified military files to Wikileaks.
We have also worked to defeat legislations that punish refuseniks or that exonerate war crimes. We have also opposed rape within the military and military families as well as the mistreatment of soldiers and veterans.
FOR MORE INFORMATION on our support to past campaigns by & with refuseniks, visit www.refusingtokill.net, our former website. For an overview, watch our 2005 video Refusing to Kill - Refuseniks around the world speak out
By Payday men’s network
In 2021, we co-hosted with many organisations the online showing of the film Objector organised by the Jewish Network for Palestine and others.
By Payday men’s network
One of the movements that has recreated itself one generation to the next, has been the Shministim, a movement of high schools students who have pledged to refuse to do their military service.
By Payday men’s network
In 2021, with GWS and Women of Colour GWS we campaigned against the Overseas Operations Bill and with other anti-war and human rights organisations we defeated the government who conceded that prosecuting War Crimes should not be time limited.
By Payday men’s network
With Women Against Rape and Black Women Rape Action Project, we spoke out against rape in and out of the military, and supported the victims whatever the gender.
By Queer Strike and Payday men’s network
We celebrate Chelsea Manning’s release from prison on Wednesday 17 May 2017. Her initial 35-year sentence for disclosing classified information on war crimes and corruption was commuted by former President Obama.
By Payday men’s network
British soldier Joe Glenton was convicted to 9 months in jail in 2010 for refusing to return to Afghanistan. We joined the international campaign for his release.
Payday men’s network
In 2007, Israeli refusenik Adas Amit was imprisoned five times for her ongoing refusal to join the Israeli military. Payday wrote to her, thanked her for her brave action and let her know the support she had.
By Payday men’s network
In 2006, with the Global Women’s Strike (GWS), vets and peace organisations we opposed the Armed Forces Bill which threatened soldiers who desert or refuse to occupy a foreign territory with life emprisonment