CPS Drop Prosecution of Brighton Activist Arrested Calling For Boycottt of Israel

Press release

7th February 2007

Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign

CPS DROP PROSECUTION OF BRIGHTON ACTIVIST ARRESTED CALLING FOR BOYCOTT OF
ISRAEL

PHOTOS AVAILABLE

The Crown Prosecution Service have cited ‘lack of evidence’ as the reason
for dropping their charges against Chris Osmond, a member of Brighton and
Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign who was arrested and charged with an
offence under the Public Order Act at a peaceful demonstration against the
Israel’s participation in the Davis Cup at Eastbourne on 22n July 2006.

Ann Hallan, a member of the Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity
Campaign who was also at the demonstration commented today ‘The Crown
Prosecution Service has seen sense at last. The arrest was going beyond
the powers police have under the public order act - this was yet another
example of the infringement of the right to protest. The police were
targetting certain activists for arrest - they had a sheet of 20 photos
with pictures of known activists and were dying to arrest someone. The
demonstration was entirely peaceful. Two people, under police supervision,
were leafletting near the entrance to the stadium while the rest of the
demonstrators were kept behind barriers at a distance.’

The protesters at the match were responding to calls from Palestine and
Israel calling for a boycott of Israel until it complies with
international law and universal principles of human rights. The boycott
includes an academic, cultural and sporting boycott. The call for an
international boycott has been signed by 180 civil society organisations
in Palestine.

At the time of the protest Israel was engaged in a murderous assault on
Lebanon. Over the Summer Israel murdered over a thousand civilians in
Lebanon

The action is part of a wider campaign to build a mass boycott movement
against apartheid Israel.

Further information:

Ann Hallam - 07900321619
Chris Osmond - 07845039980,
email  thewallmustfall@riseup.net


Notes to Editors:

1. For comments please call 07845039980

2. The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) aims to raise public
awarenessabout the occupation of Palestine and the struggle of the
Palestinian people. PSC seek to bring pressure on both the British and
Israeli government to bring their policies in line with international law.
PSC is an independent, non-governmental and non-party political
organisation with members from communities across Britain.
3. On 9th June 2005 a coalition of Palestinian Civil Society Organisations
issued a ‘Call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel until
it complies with International Law’.

See  http://www.stopthewall.org/downloads/pdf/BDSEnglish.pdf for the full
statement and signatories.

4. Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights in 1967 in
contravention of international law.

Since then Israel has moved over 380,000 settlers into these occupied
territories in contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention (article 49),
the Hague Regulations and United Nations Security Council Resolutions.
Israel continues to build an illegal apartheid wall inside the West Bank
despite the Advisory Ruling of the International Court of Justice in 2005
that the wall is illegal. Fifty five illegal Israeli settlements will be
on the Israeli side of the wall separated from the West Bank.

Since 2000 Israel has demolished 628 Palestinian houses, home to 3, 983
people, in acts of collective punishment. These demolitions constitute a
war crime. (Above statistics confirmed by Israeli Information Centre
Btselem see www.btselem.org)

3, 808 Palestinians have been killed as a direct result of Israeli
military actions and 29, 456 injured during the current upraising which
began in September 2000.

5. For latest news and updates please see www.palestinecampaign.org