Voices in the Wilderness UK
Wednesday Jan 15th 12.00
0845 458 2564/ 0794 7839992

Anti war pledger pleads guilty to "high quality intrusion"

Les Gibbons, a former British marine, of Gosport pleaded guilty today to
"high quality intrusion" at Portsmouth naval base last Saturday 11 January.
Les had attempted to blockade the gates to the base on the day the Ark Royal
was due to leave for the Gulf, part of George Bush's armoury for the new war
on Iraq.

Les, who wore a shirt to court displaying the words "Dissent without civil
disobedience is consent", was charged under a 1981 byelaw based on the 1892
Land Act with "trespass on premises of a protested organisation" at
Portsomouth Magistrates Court.

Les said, "I pled guilty to intrusion but I pointed out that there is low
quality intrusion and high quality intrusion. What I did on Saturday was a
high quality, peaceful, friendly intrusion aimed at preventing more
suffering in Iraq. What the Ark Royal is doing going out to the Gulf is a
low quality, warlike, violent intrusion which threatens to worsen the
suffering in Iraq already caused by the 1991 attack and 12 years of
sanctions."

Les brought a puppet of Tony Blair with a rocket sticking out of his head to
court, another unwelcome intruder. Les was fined £30 and ordereed to pay £25
costs.

Les can be contacted on 07985 281736

Voices in the Wilderness UK is a group calling for the immediate and
unconditional lifting of economic sanctions and an end to the current
threats of war on Iraq www.voicesuk.org This weekend Jan 18-19th they
have organised a weekend of nonviolent direct action at Northwood, Britain's
military HQ in NW London to mark the 12th anniversary of the first Gulf
attack and to oppose the proposed new attacks..
sign the pledge of resistance to the "war on terrorism"
www.j-n-v.org