Turi Vaccaro: Ploughshares activist in prison in the Netherlands

This is a translation of the Turi Vaccaro support group newsletter, produced originally in Dutch.

Turi Vaccaro

In prison for ploughshares action Address: Turi Vaccaro HvB De Boschpoort Nassausingel 26 4811 DG Breda Netherlands Email: steungroepturi@hotmail.com

Dear Friends of Turi,

Turi has decided to appeal against the judgement.
The judgement (which came on 27th October) was a prison sentence of 6 months, and a demand to immediately pay 750,000 Euro towards the cost of the damage that was done. If Turi is not able to pay this, he will need to spend a further year in prison, after which time this claim will still be outstanding. Turi has decided to appeal against this judgement.
Turi is still officially on remand, due to the pending appeal. The hope is that if there is not a definitive judgement within 6 months, this remand will not be extended, and Turi will be set free at the start of February. There is the possibility that he will still need to spend a year in prison at a later date. There is as yet no date set for the appeal hearing. A request has also been made to the court to lift the remand, and to release Turi as soon as possible.

If you want to write to Turi:
Turi Vaccaro, prisoner number: 1894430
P.I. 'De Boschpoort', Nassausingel 26, 4811 DG Breda.

How is Turi doing in jail?

Turi is very happy with all the post that he has received. He has written this newsletter to thank everyone and to explain how he is doing. He has not been able to write to everyone individually.

Turi has been a fruit eater for many years, and now he is also fasting. Turi writes the following:
"Father Angelo Cavagna of Bologne in Italy organises a fasting-relay every year, to demand that the Italian government to reduce the military budget. This fasting goes on until christmas" Turi also wants to initiate such an action. An appeal was made by internet, but there has been no reaction. Turi will ask father Angelo Cavagna for more information, and maybe there will be some more developments here.
"According to the promises I made to Mary in the church of Hoogerheide (directly before the action), I must be stricter in only eating fruit. So far, I have been eating a lot of fruit, but also beans and rye bread, and also cheese occasionally. Actually, I would like to be vegan.
I get vegetarian food, but I don't eat cooked food any more. Here, fruit is very expensive. I drink a lot of grape juice. Getting organic food is not possible, the lawyer has asked the director of the prison to supply me with fruit, but hasn't received an answer. Sometimes, I have health problems such as abcesses, and I am not careful with breaking my fast. Gandhi followed a fruit diet for 6 months, and he said that it was the best period in his life. I will eat only fruit until the 11th February, the feast of Lourdes: and I will go on pilgrimage if I am free then, or as soon as possible."

Turi has decided to go to a stronger form of fasting, and has only been drinking water since 1st December. He has so far not put an end date on this fast. He is doing this fast to follow father Angelo Cavagne.

A prison is naturally full of rules. Nothing is allowed. Turi writes the following:

I refuse to allow them to x-ray me for the TB test, because it is radioactive. For this reason, they have held me in medical isolation for 3 months, and I have become a Hermit "reclusus" in my cell, without fresh air or access to the library or church.
(Recluse: from the latin, recludere, to lock up. In the past: monks who withdrew from society, and sometimes let themselves be bricked up in their cells. Heremit: latin < greeks eremos, lonely, monk.)
I have the bible, and Dante's: 'La Divina Commedia' (Divine Comedy), but they have refused me permission to receive other boks from outside. I will ask the director if it is possible for me to receive books via the bookshop or publisher.
I also spent 20 days in punishment/isolation cell, because I didn't keep my cell so "beautiful", or because I sang, or because I wanted to pick herbs, and they treated me badly.
But, I have forgiven them. It is now calm with almost all of the guards. I still refuse to talk (I only talk during visits). Some guards don't let me call or act in a hostile way (for example, closing the door without waiting a second).

For a few years I have been trying to communicate telepathically with all friends. I am not yet so good at it, and I would like to know how it can be done better. My imes are 7:30am (when I am woken) and in the evening when it gets dark (now around 4:30pm). I haven't seen the sun for 3 months. For this reason, I have to save my eyes, and not use too much electric light. At night, I try to meditate , or early in the morning around 5am or 6am. I go very early to bed, around 8pm, and sometimes I meditate until I fall alseep.

My post is sometimes censored. The letter from Frits was also taken as contraband, and also postage stamps and money of course. Sometimes they don't take a return envelope with stamps. They open my letters when I am not present. Actually, I don't really like to write letters, partly because of the censors, and partly because a stamp is also a form of recognition of the government. Sometimes the queen's head is on the stamps, and you also very rarely find stamps for free. In principle, I don't like money, but in jail I have to buy fruit otherwise I would only get 3 piece of fruit (1 pear, 1 apple, 1 kiwi or something) per week.
My prison bank account is with Rabobank, which should be boycotted due to connections with weapon sales to Indonesia, does anyone know how that can be done?

Since November 2004 I am no longer a document-refuser. I now have an identity card because my daughter wanted to take my family name. I also have to do something official so that my daughter can stay with me, as I've already been deprted 11 times to Italy, with or without papers. Now I have taken a break in my campaigns against documents. Just like every campaign, it is temporary.

On Saturday, I had an interview with an italian radio in Amsterdam (via the telephone). From my window I can see people exercising, and sometimes women, and the sky. And the reflection of the sun. I also have a window open all the time for fresh air. I write in my diary, and sometimes in my dream book, and biograhy and poems.
And sometimes I answer a letter (but, sorry, not all of them).

Turi asks various questions in his letter. Some of them are written here. If you can help, please write to Turi

Turi is interested in information about permaculture and addresses where he can get more information.

He would really like documents from the Vatican Concilium Lumen Gentium (on the war) and Pacem in Terris.

He would also like to know more about the saints who, it appears, could live without eating. In particular, saint Ludwina van Schiedam (13th-14th century), and saint Theresa Neumann, two saints in Italy, and one from India.

He cannot receive books or newspapers, but it seems that loose copies are ok.

He values white paper without lines. Empty sheets of blank paper are not given to him, but he asks if you send blank paper then write something on it with pencil. This is so that he can erase the pencil marks and use the paper again.

Turi is heavily inspired by the Bible. He asked for the following to be put in the newsletter:

"It would be nice to see the texts of Isaiah 2.4: 'and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.'
And Micha 4,3 and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. 4,4: 'But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid'.
The public prosecutor cited Joel 3,10 "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears" but he didn't say anything about the context. God said to the enemies of Israel: Wage war against my people, I shall free them (Joel 4,16-2..). The same story exists in Isaiah 37. God liberated Israel of Sasherib, King of Assur and also in Exodus 13,14-18 (against the Egyptians in the Red See) and in Judges, 7 (Gideon frees Israal with 300 people without weapons).
It is clear that God does not want people to prepare an armed defence. We have to trust him. The weapons are the "idols of metal" such as the golden calf in Sinai.
In the old Testament, there are many wars of the Israelites against their enemies, and God did not act as a father, but also killed women and children for the faults of men, but Jesus is clear: "Love your enemy"

It would also be nice to quote from the prophet Jonas. The action was also named after him. Jonas - St.Laurent. Woensdrecht 10th August Nagasaki The Day After, Ploughshare action. Just like Jonah, I waited a long time before carrying out my "mission" (16 jaar) and I have left a text from my daughter about Jonah, which she wrote when she was 8 years old, on a bench by the F16.

[Note from the editor of the newsletter: Based on what Turi wrote, I took the bible and a dictionary. In the dictionary I found the Holy Laurentius. Latin for 'crowned with Laurels'. Laurentius was a Roman deacon who, according to the legend, was burnt at the stake in 258 as a martyr. The reason why is not explained. His feast day is 10th August.
From the bible, I discovered that Jonah had to warn the city of Nineveh of approaching misfortune (once the Lord said to Jonah 'Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me'. But Jonah didn' do this. He fled by boat, and a storm arose, and when Jonah had been tipped overboard the storm subsided. Jonah was swallowed by a large fish, and and he spent three days inside the fish until the Lord brought him back to dry land- at which point he received the order to once more go to Nineveh. The inhabitants showed contrition, fasted, wore hair shirts, and proclaimed loudly to God. God saved the city of Nineveh.]

Support from Italy

Turi has also been active in the Italian movements for nuclear disarmament and anti-militarism. There have been many reactions from Italy. A considerable group of people are involved, and they arae very active. Members of Parliament, and Senators have introduced a motion in the Italian parliament on the illegality of nuclear weapons and the injust sentence that has been given to Turi. Two Italians were also present at his trial. On 8th December, they are organising sit-down protests at the Dutch embassies in Rome and Turin. 8th December is also the anniversary of the signing of a nuclear arms reduction treaty by Gorbachev and Reagan.

Noise demo.

At the same time as the sit-downs in Italy, the support group is organising a noise demo outside the jail where Turi is being held. We meet on 8th December at 11.00am at Breda train station.
EVERYONE WELCOME WITH LOTS OF NOISE!!!!!!!

Financial

Many people who receive this newsletter have already given money, so we don't want to make another appeal. We would rather ask if people know if there are collection pots standing around which could be used once for the benefit of Turi.
Up to now around 740 Euro has come in. Very many thanks for this. We would be very happy with another 200 to 300 Euro.

For more information:

In Dutch: Op de vredessite (www.vredessite.nl) wordt een dossier bijgehouden over Turi en zijn aktie, via het kopje 'kernwapens'. Als er nieuws is melden we dit ook via Indymedia (www.indymedia.nl)

[Note from the translator: In English, check out www.motherearth.org/prisoner/turi.php not produced by the support group, but includes translations of many of the articles about Turi's case and trial]

E-mail: steungroepturi@hotmail.com
Phone: Mariëtte Moors +31 (0)620112411

If you want to visit Turi, please contact Emmie via the above e-mail address. Visiting time is on Thursday morning from 9.10am to 10.10am.

For financial support: Dutch bank account 90 72 88 952 tnv G. Doeven te Deventer, ovv ondersteuning Turi.