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The Stop CATerkiller campaign continues: Action and Court Report

STOP CAT! | 24.08.2004 22:09 | Anti-militarism

We're continuing to take the campaign to CAT, and not going to let any amount of police repression stop us. Everyone and anyone is welcome to join us in the fight to get CATerkiller out of Palestine - just e-mail us at the address below. Below are links to info on CAT and our past actions.

Yesterday (23/08/04) activists went to Caterpillar’s Finnings depot in Cannock. 3 activists entered the main building on the site and spent about 10 minutes talking to workers and handing out leaflets, before being roughly ejected by security. They then went to one of the other buildings and did exactly the same thing. After that, though, the third building was secured against us.

Meanwhile, other activists staged a demonstration on the road leading into the main building. They made lots of noise, and held a banner saying ‘Caterpillar: demolishing Palestinian homes’. People also went and placed leaflets under the windscreens of every car in the car park.

We then went to Caterkiller’s financial services division in Solihull. Funnily enough, they didn’t open the door for us, but we did find that the combination of wind and rain left a lot of leaflets stuck all over their windows and signs.

Later in the day, some other activists were in court; a pre-trial hearing for their prosecution over a previous action at CAT’s Solihull site. The 8 dispute the charges of failure to give their name when asked (in connection with ASBO law), and 1 of them challenges a charge of criminal damage. The court date was set for 17th, 18th, and 19th of January. All are innocent, and on the basis of evidence we’ve seen, we firmly expect that won’t be convicted.

Throughout, the time in court, the police harassed activists, in a manner described by an onlooker as ‘disgraceful’. There were 2 police inside the courtroom, a further 9 inside the building and around another dozen standing outside - all were on duty, and considering the length of our time in court, we estimate the cost of policing us (at the taxpayer’s expense) to be at around 40 hours of police pay: equivalent to an officer’s work for an entire week. Apparently, similar levels of security aren’t necessary for those accused of serious violent crime or drug related offences – just social activists with the audacity to challenge police lies. Before the court appearance the police also apparently felt it their public duty to stand in front of a banner the activists were holding up at the edge of a public footpath. They must think that it’s their business to choose which political messages the public get to see.

==
links to recent actions:

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/06/273107.html - Occupation of CAT machinery at their stand at a trade fair.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/09/276508.html - pre DSEi rooftop occupation

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2003/11/280130.html - taking the message about CATerkiller in Palestine to shops that stock their merchandise.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/287035.html - shrewsbury factory occupation March 04 (photos:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/287129.html and  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/03/287228.html)

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/04/289816.html - action against Rafael (Israeli arms dealer)

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/05/291568.html and  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/05/291359.html - pickets of financial services offices.

actions in 2002:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/11/45857.html - 100 activists occupy CAT plant in Italy

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2002/04/27646.html - Desford HQ occupation

==
For more information on CAT, check out:

 http://www.catdestroyshomes.org
 http://www.gush-shalom.org/archives/kurdi_eng.html
 http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/magazine/corpwatch/caterpillar.pdf
 http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engmde150332004
 http://www.rachelcorrie.org
 http://www.stopcat.org

STOP CAT!
- e-mail: caterpillarout@yahoo.co.uk
- Homepage: http://www.catdestroyshomes.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

contacts

25.08.2004 11:10

Sort of short on contacts in this posting.

Have you a list of emails we can send a message to Caterkiller?

Sounds like you are having some impact on them for the police to be giving you that attention. Staffs police are not interested in solving crime if the Newchurch campaign is anything to go by.

FtP


more details

25.08.2004 23:54

> The 8 dispute the charges of failure to give their name when asked (in connection > with ASBO law)

can you give any details of this offence, as not heard of it yet myself - does it apply to anywhere/anything, or if a particular order/injunction's been made, or what?

thanks, and well done

please


Section 50 of the |Police Reform Act 2002

26.08.2004 07:57

is what the CPS is relying on:

50
Persons acting in an anti-social manner


(1) If a constable in uniform has reason to believe that a person has been acting, or is acting, in an anti-social manner (within the meaning of section 1 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (c. 37) (anti-social behaviour orders)), he may require that person to give his name and address to the constable.


(2) Any person who-

(a) fails to give his name and address when required to do so under subsection (1), or
(b) gives a false or inaccurate name or address in response to a requirement under that subsection,
is guilty of an offence and shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

However, the original arrests were for a public order matter, and the cops were repeatedly asked if there was any legal basis for their requests for names and addresses. They never answered the question.........

So, all the CPS have to prove is that "freedom of expression" is the same as "anti-social behaviour", and that it is reasonabl;e to expect members of the public to read copper's minds!

freethepeeps


i wasn't there, but

26.08.2004 09:10

I think the Antisocial Behaviour Act makes failiure to give details arrestable - this was justified on the grounds that cops would have to escort pesky troublemaking kids home if they were being antisocial (i.e. socialising in public). I may be wrong, but I think thats how it is.

ASBOs and the ASB Act are the most fascistic pieces of legislation yet, just add mandatory biometric id cards and faster than you can say 'Stasi' we've got a lovely police state. Stop CAT, Smash ASBOs!

legaloid


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