CRASBO SELECTA

“What they’re trying to do is bring in control orders for ‘domestic extremist’ via the back door” – Animal Rights campaigner.

The repression of AR activists by fair means and foul continues unabated. Following two dawn raids in Evesham and Gosport on November 10th, four activists were arrested and charged with conspiracy to criminal damage. NDET and NETCU officers orchestrated the raids.

The four were released after over eighteen hours in custody but with wide-ranging police bail conditions. Those conditions were designed to prevent them from engaging in any form of animal rights activism. They were forbidden to  “participate in, assist travel arrangements, facilitate or organise in any way any animal rights related activity, stall, website, protest or demonstration”. Although the bail conditions were overturned at the first opportunity in court, being replaced with far less stringent residency conditions they represent yet another development in police attempts to stifle dissent.

The raids, which involved over thirty cops, some sporting balaclavas and carrying fire extinguishers, followed on from earlier raids on the same property back in October 2008 (See SchNEWS 652). In that case, where a banner-drop was transformed into ‘conspiracy to blackmail’ the raids were justified because spray paint had been used to make the banner, and similar spray paint had been used to do graffiti elsewhere - all charges were dropped.  The recent raids were carried out on similarly flimsy grounds

In fact the same property had been raided three times previously that year - (perhaps they should just give up and install a revolving door). No convictions resulted from those raids. Incredibly this time round police attempted to get the arrestees remanded!
It has now become standard for animal rights activists to receive CRASBOs - (anti social behaviour orders imposed following convictions), which forbid participation in otherwise legal activities on pain of re-imprisonment.

Two men, Bob Griffiths and Robert Lewis were recently sentenced to 18 months each for breaching the SOCPA laws that specifically make campaigning against ‘animal research’ establishments illegal. They were also issued with ten year CRASBOS that will prevent them from taking part in any form of animal advocacy. CRASBOS were also imposed on all those convicted of the SHAC blackmail offences (See SchNEWS 663) - in some cases these ASBOS which prohibit all forms of campaigning legal or otherwise are set to last a lifetime. 

* For more see http://netcu.wordpress.com