BRIGHTON 9: STICKING IT TO THE MANIKIN

Activists from the Gandhian non-violent, non-smashing shit up direct action campaign UK Uncut are on trial for, er. smashing shit up. The 9 were arrested during an occupation at the Top Shop and Top Man on Western Road, Brighton (yes that Brighton; the local one that’s not in Egypt or Turkey or Israel or Palestine or Mexico or the Mezzanine region of Colombia, but Brighton, where we live).

They are all accused of causing 4 grands worth of damage to a manikin in Topshop. If this figure seems high its not because of a bullshitting claim by tax-dodging scum Topshop, its because the these particular shop manikins were carved from the single gigantic diamond that Topshop’s owners could afford after keeping all the lorryloads of cash the UK government let them have.

In what could be seen as a rematch of last years EDO Decommisioners’ trial (see SchNEWS 729), Kellys Solicitors will once again be facing-off against Steven Shay of the CPS. The trial is being held at the Brighton Magistrates for about two weeks from Wednesday 14th. Given that Shay couldn’t even get convictions on a group who admitted over £180,000 worth of damage to an arms factory, we’re hoping he can’t do any better with a much shakier case.

Defendants claim that the damage to the shop was not caused by the speak-truth-to-power peaceniks but rather by a squad of thuggish coppers who barged in their size 10 magnum boots waving their truncheons about. The defendants are also up for superglueing themselves to the shop’s windows, which the prosecution will no doubt argue took several sprays of windolene and several wipes with a cloth to remove.

In light of the hammering that people have received after the riots, the defendants are understandably concerned that their protest will be met with punitive sentences. However, the sketchy evidence of the prosecution compares badly with the  ‘stand up and be counted’ attitude of the protesters. Supporters of the Brighton 9 are confident of victory. A friend of the 9 said “this is a politically motivated prosecution, the state clearly has a problem with UK Uncut’s ability to make the headlines and are seeking to make examples through cases such as this and the Fortnum 145. Luckily for us their evidence is falling apart already, hopefully it’ll be laughed out of court sooner rather than later”.