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| 9th
June 1995
| Issue 26 SchNEWSCJA ARRESTOMETER You've Been Bailed!Into the nineties with Britain.Police are increasingly using draconian new powers under the Criminal Justice Act to stop people protesting.This week in Essex Isla Humphreys was bailed not to go to any live export protests or meetings - anywhere a in the country! Her crime? Sitting in front of the lorries at Brightlingsea, breaking her previous bail conditions in the process. Up in Yorkshire nineteen protesters trying to stop work at an open cast mine have been bailed not to go within one mile of any open cast site is the country .They have also been given a residential order which means they must sleep at the same address they gave the police each night until their court case! Not since the 1984/85 Miners Strike have such restrictive bail conditions been used as more and more people get off their arses, on the case and fight back. SchNEWS SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONThe total number of arrests at this years live exports protests has now exceeded 1000. Many of the arrests have been for petty offences such jumping up and down the kerb, beeping car horns, and complaining about other peoples arrests. The best explanation for such a high number of arrests is that the police can impose bail conditions that prevent the protester returning to the scene of the dispute. In Shoreham harbour , for example, the vast majority of Thos arrested have been given bail conditions which prevent them going near the harbour areas, while road protesters are usually given bail conditions not to enter the road construction site (One road protester from Manchester has even got conditions not to enter any road construction site in the country!). The trial date resulting from the arrest are being set months later (sometimes over six months later), giving the police the tactic of arresting people to reduce the number of people at popular demonstrations. Defendants know that the penalty for breaking bail could be prison until the trial date, months later, so most are too frightened to return to the protests. In the recent protests against the M65 motorway, for example, defendants returning to the eviction site at Stanworth valley, near Blackburn, have been locked up in a bail hostel. Preventing people from protesting by imposing bail conditions runs totally against the principle of having a right to protest; especially as the defendant is often totally innocent.. For this reason bail conditions have been challenged. At the No M11 Link Road campaign about 20 cases were taken to the High Court to get restrictive conditions (for such offences as 'criminal damage to a piece of string'!) lifted. Two people arrested at the M77 motorway protest at Pollock in Glasgow refused to accept their bail conditions and were remanded in custody until their trial. Solicitors have attempted to challenge the Shoreham bail conditions but have so far failed. However future challenges to draconian bail conditions may be successful if pressure is put on the magistrates. The bail sections of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), which came into effect in April, have made this bad situation worse. Section 40, typical of the bigoted nature of the CJA, disqualifies anyone who is on bail serving as a juror in court. This erodes the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Section 27 of the act, could lead to even worse bail, as it allows the police rather that the courts to set the bail conditions. They can do this if they think the defendant is either likely to fail to surrender to custody, interfere with witnesses or commit another offence while on bail. No doubt they will use this to justify the draconian conditions at live-export and roads demonstrations. Section 26 of the CJA has the potential to imprison many protesters as it removes the presumption of bail for all those charged with a new offence while on bail for another. So, if you are arrested at Brightlingsea while on bail for an arrest made at Shoreham, you may be put in prison for months leading up to your trial date. This breaks article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights which presumes that detention be ordered unless necessary, article 6(2) which states that "everyone charged with a criminal should be presumed innocent until presumes guilty according to the law". After months of being denied the right to protest against an issue they feel strongly about defendants will finally end up in court. Unless the defendant is charged with something very serious (most are not), they will not get legal aid nor will they have a right to a Jury trial. The net result of being nicked for bail conditions is often a hefty fine and a criminal record, which will be taken account of if the defendant gets arrested again.
INSIDE SchNEWSJim Chambers has now been inside for 114 days on remand for alleged criminal damage to a road construction site. Please write to PV 2504, HMP Pentonville Prison, Caledonian Rd., London, N7 8TT Chris Cole is also inside Pentonville Prison for six months for breaking an injunction against British Aerospace PB0538. IT'S OVER!ITF the company involved in the shipment of live freight from Shoreham have announced they will no longer use the harbour: Heavy policing costs due to the protests forced Sussex police to restrict the number of shipments to four a fortnight. ITF have announced that this arrangement is uneconomical and will be using Dover instead. There are now only four remaining shipments in the next fortnight, which can begin up to four hours before high tide. The shipments are next week on Wednesday 14th June (high tide 12.57 PM) and Thursday June (high tide 1-49 PM). The probable days for the week after are Wednesday 21st June (high tide 6-53 PM) and Thursday (high tide 7-56). Ring CALF on (01273) 720401 for details. Let's stop those last lorries!
RONALD'S IN TEARS!Ronald McDonald and his merry crew of murderers were hampered in their attempt this week to film a new advert. Around 70 technicians, actors etc. stood by and watched as demonstrators unfurled banners and generally got in the way. When the police and council officials were called in by the advertising agency, both said the protestors had as much right to wander in the park as the filmakers did! Meanwhile in America the director of an educational planetarium/museum in Kansas has been sacked for refusing to promote McDonalds food to 5th graders. As a vegetarian and animal rights supporter working at the planetarium for four years, Rita Mortenson didn't feel it was part of her job to encourage kids to eat burgers just because McDonalds had starting sponsoring the museum. Mortensons replacement starts his talks to 9 year olds by saying, "First stand foremost, we want to thank McDonalds Corporation for sponsoring our program." In Britain the McLibel trial bought by McDonalds against 2 unwaged London Greenpeace supporters continues, and now looks like it will become one of the longest libel trial ever! Critics have always backed down when McDonalds threatens them with writs but this time the protesters refused to give in and manky old Ronald is cringing at the amount of bad publicity this trial is bringing. Ahhh... more info from 0171 7131269 SchNEWS IN LONGAround six hundred cyclists took part in the last Critical Mass in London. Critical Mass is a regular event every month in 19 towns around the country where cyclists and pedestrians reclaim the streets for a day. One cyclist was pushed under a car by a policeman and given a formal warning - for jumping a red light. P.S. Brighton has its very own Critical Mass starting this Saturday at 12.30. meet at the south side of St Peters Church (by the tower) *** Meanwhile, a group of irate pedestrians in London took the launch of Alfa Romeo's new car to be a good enough reason to launch flour and yellow paint at both the car and the smarmy directors standing next to it. The police, too slow to catch the pedestrians (perhaps they need some practice walking instead of driving?), took out their anger on the Small World and Squall contingent, there to record the action. They were arrested, held for 24 hours, and charged with assault and criminal damage. So much for a free press. *** 10 Anti-fascists appeared in court on Monday charged with public order offences at a James Conolly memorial march in Edinburgh. They were arrested while defending themselves against an attack by a group whom they took to be fascists. The attackers however turned out to be undercover cops who added resisting arrest and police assault to the charge! Approximately 50 fascists were also nicked on the day - but released without charge. Donations to the defence campaign PO Box 797, Glasgow, G1 5JF *** Dial an Anarchist! Ring 0141226 5066 and speak to those nice people at the Solidarity Centre in Glasgow. They are providing a growing number of activities (darkroom, library, desktop publishing etc..) for grassroots political and community campaigning groups, as well as a base for anarchist/ libertarian socialist activity. They need office furniture, stationary, cash etc. Contact 3 Royal Exchange Court, 85-87 Queen St., Glasgow, G1 3PA. *** Drama on the high seas as Greenpeace activists re-squatted the North Sea oil-rig owned by Shell and others blocked the tug in Aberdeen intended to top the rig to the North East Atlantic - where it is to be dumped. Water canons were used on the squatters who are protesting at Shells planps to dump the toxic laden rig into the sea. *** Protests continue on the £65 million Thanet Way extension in Kent. So far 32 people have been arrested, predominately under Section 68 of the CJA for 'aggravated trespass'. Kent police have obviously decided to try to stop the protests gaining momentum. Don't let them. 01227 770 835. Some of the Thanet Way Action Tribe had a bit of a surprise recently in the woods - stumbling across a dead women who'd been missing for seven years. *** The last house on the route of the M11 Link Road in East London has still yet to be evicted. Protesters took the house while security popped out to use the phone! A huge colourful tower is now growing out of the roof ! Visitors are welcome - its your chance to be part of the Dept. of Transports recurring nightmare 0181 527 4896 *** Oops sorry! Last weeks (usually totally accurate) SchNEWS claimed Leeds Earth Firsters were victims of the first mass arrest under the CJA. In fact last November, nearly 30 Essex hunt Sabs were arrested. There were numerous assaults by police and one protester was hospitalised with a broken nose and ribs. *** Protest against open cast mining at Selar, West Glamorgen is going strong. They've had loadsa media coverage and local support has been fantastic. They still need lots more people to get down there. Contact Cardiff EF! on 01222 383363 *** Work is about to start on the Wells 'relief' road. The road will go through local school playing fields and is locally unpopular. Direct activists needed ASAP Ring 01749 880639 for info. *** Two years ago British Aerospace (BAe) signed a contract with the Indonesian government to supply them with 24 Hawk war aircraft. 200,000 East Timorese have been murdered since Indonesia's invasion 20 years ago and BAe Hawks from a previous deal have been used there. Despite this, and Indonesia's atrocious human rights record, the British government still sanctions the sale of deadly military equipment to Indonesia. Protest against the sale of Hawks on 10th June. Contact No Arms to Indonesia 0171561 1236 ***
Party and ProtestSAT 10th - 11th Media Jam at Phoenix Gallery, Brighton.. A weekend celebrating DiY media. 01273 739634 SAT 10th Stop the Hawks - No Arms to Indonesia 0171561 1236 MON 12th SCRAM walk against south coast super highway. Folkestone to Honiton. 0171737 6641 MON 12th Trial of David Bowen, framed for Strangeways Prison uprising. 9.30 am. Nottingham Crown Court, 60 Canal St., NG1 7EJ. TUE 13th Mass action against 100th shipment at Brightlingsea - 100 people have pledged to get arrested with a mass sit-down in front of lorries. 01245 420178 TUE 13th Blackburn magistrates court will be the scene of a tribal gathering, when nearly seventy people are up for charges in the fight against the M65. All support welcome for a party inside and outside the count 0161 861 1895. 15th -17th Human Rights Convention organised by Liberty 0171 403 3888 FRI 16th Beginning of National Anti-Angling Week Info Pack 0117 944 1175 SAT 17th Rage Against The Cage - National march against vivisection, Devonshire Green, Sheffield 01142 530020 SAT 17th Demo against Live animal Exports : Pencester Gardens, Dover 12 noon 17th - 25th Unicorn Camp, Sancreed, West Cornwall 01256 893369 SUN 18th Camden Green Fair 0171 722 3710 SUN 18th Picnic + rally against M66 in Manchester at Daisy Nook, near Droylesden 0161 627 4862 SUN 18th The UK Solar Energy Society Sun Day 0121 459 1248 MON 19th Trial of anti-fascists nicked at Welling Demo. 10 am Maidstone Crown Court, Kent. TUE 20th Car-free Day in Bath. Avon Gorge Earth First! 01374 953160 21st - 22nd CJA Gathering & celebration at Stonehenge. THUR 22nd Global Future Exhibition on ecology + human rights, Olympia, London 0167 443066 and Finally....The White Book is out! Now known as The Book, it is about to hit the streets. Listing hundreds of organisations and protest groups it will be invaluable for getting info on doing you own local direct actions as well as on groups that are active near you. Make sure you get your copy! 01273 685 913
To subscribe to SchNEWS send 1st class stamps/donations (payable to Justice?) SchNEWS c/o on-the-fiddle PO Box 2600 Brighton East Sussex. Tel: (01273) 685 913. Or pick one up @ Peace Centre, Gardener St, Brighton and around town Justice? meet every wednesday 7pm @ the prince albert, trafalgar st Email: Justice@intermedia.co.uk Strictly @nticopyright - customise.. photocopy.. distribute. Oi, you lot... ring us with yer crap arrests! |
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