"They conspired to do A B and C ... with Persons or Persons Unknown." - Who are persons unknown?

Persons unknown are the naughty ones, in the daylight hours they could be teachers, taxi drivers, the unemployed, squatters, hippies, tennis coaches, midwives or anarchists. In the evenings they don balaclavas, gloves, lock picks, paint stripper and various other tools of the Persons Unknown trade and they take direct action to try and stop the insidious murderous industry which is the vivisection / arms trade / bio-tech / etc industry.

The above conspiracy law can link you to these individuals whether you know them to talk to or even if you have never met them at all. By legally organising (protest / stalls / leafleting) against these industries and there suppliers above ground, you may inspire someone who you don't even know to take illegal direct action. e.g. paint strip a car / make a death threat etc. Or they may have sworn at an employee at your local arms manufacturers.

Now whether you support direct action or not, or whether you support vivisection or not it simply doesn't matter. We are in a situation where the police don't even need to prove you did something wrong or EVEN that you knew about the actions taking place. They can still just say you conspired. Sorry.

Now lets draw up another hypothetical, I smash up a shop because I'm pissed out of my face. I am arrested. I am charged. I am convicted. I get a slap on the wrist and pay compensation to the shop keeper. Probably not even a conviction in reality, its probably not really worth taking any further.

I smash a shop window that supplies pencils to HLS / Sequani (insert your favourite bastards here) and you are looking at 2 years minimum, better yet, you aren't even the person who smashed the window, you are the press officer / website updater for the campaign against said bastard company. You are looking at 5 years for doing sweet FA. Because lets face it you probably knew the person and even if you didn't they don't give a flying shit.

Press are fed story after story saying how they were "PART OF A CAMPAIGN" that used illegal tactics (not that THEY used illegal tactics) past actions are dragged up again to remind the public of why millions of tax money is being thrown at a generally peaceful movement who has never killed anyone.

Having said all this about direct action, evidence used in court has included, polite letters, polite phone calls, using the word murderer, scum or even in one case writing the word scum in the dirt on the floor.

Job done, does anyone care about the sentences? These terrorists would rather see a rat saved that YOUR child. Aren't they the people who blow up scientists? I bet they accept animal tested drugs if they needed them!

These are just a few of the seeds sewn by the media, phama / vivisection lobbyists, NETCU, CPS and other government spineless faecal outlets.

We live in serious times when the animal liberation movement is being portrayed as the Goliath and the Pharmaceutical Lobby, Police and Government as the David. Some lobbyist deserves a serious serious pay rise apparently.

For those of you reading this, we as the animal liberation movement ask only one thing, regardless of you view on animal exploitation or our actions as activists. We need solidarity, we need you to recognise how the police are trying so hard to marginalise our movement. If not for our sake, for your sake, because when you oppose industry and the status quo you WILL feel the full brunt of the opposition if not now then soon.

All the best and solidarity to all prisoners, activists and anyone who gives a fuck about anything and is willing to take action.

Chris