Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

West Country Features | UK Features | West Country Newswire | UK Newswire |

Iraq: Fairford Peace 'disarmers' trial continues

Philip Booth, Gloucestershire Green party | 05.09.2006 15:57 | Anti-militarism

A jury at Bristol Crown Court is being asked to accept for the first time in an English court that peace activists who damaged military property should be acquitted because they were trying to prevent war crimes. Dave Cockcroft, a long standing peace campaigner and local Green party member will be a witness for the defence tomorrow for Dr Margaret Jones and Paul Milling who are accused of "conspiring to cause criminal damage to property" at USAF Fairford in March 2003.

Dave Cockcroft who last month became a Stroud Town councillor, said: "My evidence will consist of presenting information and pictures of cluster bombs being loaded onto B-52 aircraft at Fairford during the bombing of Iraq in 2003. I can remember feeling sick when I saw that cluster bombs were being used. These weapons are commonly referred to as 'drop today and kill tomorrow'. As reported in Lebanon just last week, the use of cluster bombs leaves unexploded bomblets scattered around waiting to tear appart anyone who encounters them. They really should be banned, just like land mines."

Dave Cockcoft added: "I hope the trial gives a little more coverage to the continued use of these dreadful weapons and brings nearer the day when they're banned."

Dr Margaret Jones and Paul Milling have admitted breaking into the base, but claim their actions were "undertaken to disarm weapons of mass destruction with which the US and its ally Britain seek to wage war in Iraq". They were originally questioned in Stroud police station. More than 50 protesters, including a choir, held a demonstration before the case began at Bristol Crown Court on Monday and a vigil will be held there daily while the trial continues.

Dave Cockcroft added: "The pair were attempting to prevent the take-off of the US Air Force planes, which would be used during the conflict later in March 2003. This war was illegal. They did the best they could to prevent a crime from taking place. The Green party was the only main party to oppose this war from the start. Sadly our worst fears have materialised: thousands upon thousands killed, a whole country's infrastructure destroyed and terrorism on the rise."

The jury trial is expected to last up to two weeks and will be presided over by the Recorder of Bristol, Judge Thomas Crowther QC.

Last July, five members of Pitstop Ploughshares who were charged with criminal damage for disarming a US Navy plane refuelling at Shannon airport a few weeks before the start of the Iraq war were acquitted in Dublin after arguing successfully that they had a lawful excuse because they acted in order to protect life or property in Iraq.


Further information:

Gloucestershire Green party call for a ban on Cluster bombs:
 http://www.glosgreenparty.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=653&Itemid=2

For more info on the trial see:
 http://www.guardian.co.uk/antiwar/story/0,,1864319,00.html
 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/09/04/uairbase.xml
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/5313020.stm
 http://www.bristol.indymedia.org/newswire.php?story_id=25208
See photos at Court:
 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/09/350013.html

Philip Booth, Gloucestershire Green party
- e-mail: press@glosgreenparty.org.uk
- Homepage: http://www.glosgreenparty.org.uk

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Solidarity from a Pit Stop Ploughshare

05.09.2006 20:52

Love and Solidarity from the Pit Stop Ploughshares. You're on trial for Us, We're on the Loose for You!

I'm sure the ANZUS Plowshares send you heartfelt thanks. We mmanaged to disarm a B52 Bomber at Griffis Air Force Base on New Year's Day '91.We put a B52 on scramble alert out of action for the twomonths of Gulf War 1 and went to jail for a year. We all came out with no regrets and still active against this war in three different countries. Eventually the base was closed and cleared of all threats to life. they had the Woodstock '99 festival there. Look forward to the first gig at a demilitarised Fairford!

Convicted, acquitted or sentenced it is no reflection on your integrity and act of conscience. It is a reflection on where society is at with this war!

Solidarity

Ciaron O'Reilly (ANZUS Plowshares '91/Pit Stop Ploughshares'03)

Ciaron O'Reilly
- Homepage: http://www.peaceontrial.com


Thanks people

05.09.2006 23:39


You are standing for us all.

t


Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Server Appeal

West Country Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
Indymedia
Migration
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

West Country Actions 2007

West Country Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

West Country Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

West Country Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

West Country Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech