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2 Arrested at Plymouth Stop The War demo

sandriana@cloggie.org | 23.02.2003 14:34 | Anti-militarism

At a Stop The War demonstration in Plymouth yesterday Tony Staunton, Chair of City of Plymouth Unison and Secretary of Plymouth Socialist Alliance, and Pete Heddle, NUS Campaigns Officer, also of the Socialist Alliance, were arrested and charged under public order legislation with 'refusing to obey a lawful order'.

At a Stop The War demonstration in Plymouth yesterday Tony Staunton, Chair of City of Plymouth Unison and Secretary of Plymouth Socialist Alliance, and Pete Heddle, NUS Campaigns Officer, also of the Socialist Alliance, were arrested and charged under public order legislation with 'refusing to obey a lawful order'.

This was on a route pre-agreed with the police, and both Pete and Tony were attempting to keep marchers in order as requested.They were picked out by Devon & Cornwall police for arrest from a crowd of 400 people.

This is a crackdown on the right to protest, an attack on civil liberties, and victimisation of active trade unionists and marks a turning point in the establishments's attitude towards the antiwar movement.

Tony and Pete will be appearing in court on Wednesday 25th.

Please send messages of support to
City Of Plymouth Unison, 190 Armada Way, Plymouth PL1 1LD,
email  plymouth-city@unisonfree.com

sandriana@cloggie.org
- e-mail: sandriana@cloggie.org

Comments

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Court Support

23.02.2003 14:58

Tony and Pete will be appearing at Plymouth Magistrates Court on Wednesday 26th February (so this Wednesday then) at 10am. Any support outside would be welcomed, bring banners, musical instruments etc. (Plymouth Magistrates court is the one nearer St. Andrew's Church) Oh and Matt says whoever has the 'Not in my Name' and 'Stop the War' banners if you could bring them along! Hope to see you there!

juvenile_delinqient

Only the start

23.02.2003 16:21

The fact that these guys were arrested from the normally law abiding and 'respectable' socialist groups, is just a minor skirmish in the storm of police repression that is sure to follow any serious activity once bombing begins.

If you live in Plymouth get down there, make some noise and fuss outside the court as to why they have been arrested. They could get acquitted, but that's up to you as well! The cops and the courts hate people demonstrating outside, especially when it's an issue that there is mass opposition to, and they with the state behind them are running scared.

In my ever-lengthening political lifstyle I've only ever seen such a mass oppostion to the poll tax, and those of you that remember that one, we won it!

Not absolute beginner