>
> >
> >URGENT UPDATE CHECK THE BOTTOM OF THIS MESSAGE FOR ACQUITTAL OF LOCH GOIL
> >PLOUGHSHARES IN SCOTLAND
> >
> >
> >cONTENTS
> >1) "Bread Not Bombs Ploughshares" Retrial, Preston, Update
> >2)Trident Illegal Says Sherrff in "Loch Goil Ploughshares" (4 week) Trial
> >
> >
> >***FOR THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE DAILY UPDATES FROM THE BREAD NOT BOMBS
> >>PLOUGHSHARES TRIAL, PRESTON - CHECK THE BREAD NOT BOMBS WEBSITE (under
the
> >>trial section) address: http://www.plowshares.se/english
> >>
> >>
> >>Day 4 - Tuesday Oct 19th.
> >>The day began with a single file procession through downtown Preston,
> >>carrying anti-nuke signs and lead by Yuko with Buddhist drumming. We
> >>stopped at a large monument of four workers being shot down by British
> >>military during the general strike of 1842. The killings happened while
> >>several thousand Preston workers were demonstrating against wage cuts
and
> >>for the charter of democratic rights. Below the monument are the words
> >>with which Vera Baird, the barrister at the first Bread Not Bombs trial
in
> >>June, closed the defence.
> >>
> >>"Remember, Remember,people of proud Preston that progres towards justice
> >>and democracy has not been achieved without great sacrifice.
> >>Remember, remember, people of proud Preston to defend vigorously the
> >>rights given to you. Strive to enhance the rights of those who follow"
> >>
> >>Here Peter Billington from the Lancaster Trades Council addressed us
> >>linking the struggle and sacrifices of the workers movement with the
> >>Ploughshares activists now on trial in Preston.
> >>
> >>We then moved onto the peace garden established by the Preston City
> >>Council in response to the mass anti-nuclear weapons movement of the
> >>1980's. The garden is surrounded by modern sculpture of peace doves and
> >>engraved peace poems of local school students. Here Sr. Yuko of Japan
and
> >>the Nipponzon Myohoji Peace Pagoda (Milton Keynes) told the story of
> >>Saidako and the traditon of folding peace cranes. She left an oragami
> >>peace crane at the garden and we walked on to Preston Crown courts where
> >>we were addressed by Zelda. Zelda reflected on her 6 years working as a
> >>nurse in Nicaragua during the U.S. funded contra war and the daily grind
> >>of the war on the poor and its most vulnerable victims. We remembered
the
> >>dead, the imprisoned, established a prayer vigil and a roadside vigil
> >>attracting many supportive "honks for peace" from passing motorists.
> >>
> >>Inside the court the Judge ruled out any defense based on International
> >>Law. Annika gave powerful testimony backed by character witness from
Fr.
> >>Arthur Fitzgerald of St. Michaels Church Liverpool. The court was
> >>adjourned at 3 p.m.
> >>
> >>Day 5 - October 20th.
> >>After arriving at Preston Crown Court we were addressed by Tony Winters,
a
> >>local Pax Christi peace activist and former member of British
Intelligence
> >>in post-war occupied Japan. Tony reflected on the source of nourishment
> >>the ploughshares witness, trial and solidarity offers the local peace
> >>community. He also reflected on the power of the witness in confronting
> >>the many layers of deial we have built up about the existence and
> >>destructive potential and role of these weapons. Rowan Tilly of the
> >>"Seeds of Hope Ploughshares" community reflected on the 1996 acquital of
> >>the 4 women who disarmed the Hawk fighter. She reflected that the
> >>significance may not be found in the decisions of courts but the spirit
of
> >>solidarity and resistance that moved through the communities of
Liverpool
> >>and Preston. Ciaron O'Reilly updated the assembled on the fall of the
> >>Indonesian government that ordered the Hawks and the chaos that we and
> >>they have created in East Timor and throughout East Timor.
> >>
> >>Inside the trial proceeded with Rowan Tilly attempts to give character
> >>witness for Annika, coninually interrupted by the Judge. She was
followed
> >>by Stellan Vinthagen's lengthy and powerful personal testimony. (Check
> >>the Bread Not Bombs website: http://www.plowshares.se/english) for a
more
> >>detailed description of this testimony).
> >>
> >>Stellan's testimony was followed by the departure of the jury for the
day
> >>and legal argument. During this argument the judge ruled out the
defence
> >>of necessity and consent and stated he would direct the jury that the
> >>defendants had no legal defence to the charge of "conspiracy to cause
> >>criminal damage" to Trident Vengeance.
> >>
> >>The trial will finish tomorrow with closings by Stellan, Annika's
> >>barrister and the prosecution (they expect to be done by noon), the jury
> >>will be sent out to reach a decision. The charge carries a maximum of
ten
> >>years imprisonment.
> >>
> >>We will gather at St. Wilfred's, Chapel St. at 8.30 a.m. to proceed to
> >>court by 9.30.
> >>Further details call Ciaron 07930 961842
> >>Bread Not Bombs Ploughshares website: http://www.plowshares.se/english
> >
> >LOCH GOIL PLOUGHSHARES 3 TO BE ACQUITTED
> >Trident Illegal Says Sheriff
> >
> >Today, Wednesday 20th. October, Sheriff Margaret Gimblett has decided to
> >instruct the jury at Greenock Sheriff Court to acquit Angie Zelter, Ulla
> >Roder and Ellen Moxley on the charges against them of damaging a Trident
> >facility in Loch Goil in June this year.
> >
> >In her remarks the Sheriff effectively said that British nuclear weapons
> >were illegal. The defence had submitted that there had been established
> >that there had been no malice in the women IBK-s action. They had been
> >acting to prevent a crime under international law so had reasonable
excuse.
> > The Sheriff should acquit the women.
> >
> >Sheriff Gimblett said:
> >I have concluded that the three accused in the company of others were
> >justified in thinking that Great Britain in their use of Trident, not
> >simply possession, the use and deployment of Trident allied with that use
> >and deployment at times of great unrest, coupled with a first strike
policy
> >and in the absence of any indication from any government official then or
> >now that such use fell into any strict category suggested in
International
> >Court of Justice opinion, the threat or use of Trident could be construed
> >as a threat, has indeed been construed by others as a threat and such is
an
> >infringement of international law and customary law+ICY-..The three took
> >the view that if it was illegal and, given the horrendous nature of
nuclear
> >weapons they had the obligation in terms of international law to do
> >whatever they could to stop the deployment and use of nuclear weapons in
> >situations which could be construed as a threat...I have nothing which
> >would make it seem to me that the accused acted with criminal
> >intent...Therefore I intent to instruct the jury that they should acquit
> >all three accused on charges 1 to 3..and the first part of charge 4.
> >
> >The court has been adjourned untiltomorrow to allow the consideration of
> >the second part of charge 4 and for the jury to be instructed.
> >
> >Contacts and sources of Information: Greenock Office 01475-785893
> >(mobiles 07775711054 or 0378267833)
> >At other times: David McKenzie 01324880744 (07775711054)
> >:Jane Talents 01436 679194
> >COMPREHENSIVE PRESS PACK AVAILABLE
> >
>
> ______________________________________________________
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