So the time has come to take stock of what has been a trial,not of the sequani six that stood trial for 18 weeks and supported one and other through many emotional trauma and stood strong for the animals and the right to protest, no not them.I refer to the trial of solidarity between defendants and those that offer support to them,up to a point,and then totally screw things up. It is very gratifying when financial help is given to aid the travel expenses of defendants,not just the monetary relief,the knowledge that there are people from outside the witness box who care is a great boost to ones morale..
The collection for financial assistance to aid the sequani six was very gratefully received and appreciated.The figure raised,purportedly, £2100. was divided between the defendants.
NOW THE WARNING.
The Judge decided that he would rescind his previous ruling that expenses would be allowed four days after the first person was acquitted,that meant that all defendants would be,at the least,out of pocket for 18weeks of travel to and from the court plus pre trial traveling,some of the `six` also lost wages. The reason the judge would not allow expenses was because of a printout from indymedia handed to the judge, gleefully by a detective who had spent most of the 18weeks sitting in the gallery.
The printout referred to `the money collected covered all of the traveling expenses` for the defendants. This erroneous statement has now become a stumbling block for the sequani six`s claim for expenses,the judge has asked for proof of how much was collected and distributed,something the organizers of the collection refuse to do,so whose side are they on? The right thing to have done would have been to either comply with the request or at least provide proof that the `erroneous statement` was not correct.
If the money can be accounted for then expenses would, in all probability be paid.
So the question is why can the figures not be accounted for?
The lesson is: Be wary of accepting the proceeds of unaccounted funds,even though you may be hard up,as most of us are these days,get the distributor to sign the amount over to you,get a receipt,ask the distributor of said funds for up to date accounts every time monies are given to you. This would go some way to avoid the shit the defendants find themselves in financially,as if 18weeks is not enough!
The perpetrators of this mess know who you are,so why don`t you put things right.