On March 18, 2003 - at precisely the same time as George W Bush, John Howard and Tony Blair were declaring an illegal war on Iraq - Dr Will Saunders and Dave Burgess climbed the Sydney Opera House and painted 'No War' on its highest sail. They were arrested and charged with malicious damage and willfully marking a building with paint.

They have just been sentenced to 9 months of weekend detentions and ordered to pay the Sydney Opera House Trust's full compensation demand of $151,000!!

Will & Dave's defense was based on Section 418 of the NSW Crimes Act, which states that you are not guilty of a crime if it was committed with the aim of preventing injury or death, damage to property, deprivation of liberty or criminal trespass. It is now clear that the illegal war in Iraq has resulted in all of these things happening.

Judge Blackmore didn't allow Will or Dave to present their case to the jury. They were not allowed to tell the jury why, or even to state that their defense had been ruled inadmissible. All they could do was stand up and say that no defense case would be presented.

Anna Samson, a spokesperson for the Stop the War Coalition, pointed out the irony of the sentencing judge's position: 'Judge Blackmore argued that there was no difference between the men's desire to make a political point by painting the Opera House and "an irresponsible drunken man" graffiting private property.'

Brett Collins from Justice Action reports that prisoners from Silverwater and Tomago prisons have expressed their solidarity with Dave & Will's actions. "The sentence delivered today reinforces their feelings that the Opera House is not an icon for the people of Australia, but an icon of authority defended by the violence of imprisonment."

From Indy Commenters:

'When I and others stand outside our State Parliament for years, and we are ignored by our politicians. We understand the paint on the ICON, and it is nothing compared to the BLOOD on the streets in a country far far away.' -Edward James

'As a military veteran I also appreciate the courage of your actions. You acted on principle in a bold manner. I respect that. I am fond of the statement by the American Civil War general William Tecumseh Sherman: "I am sick and tired of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have never fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for more blood, more vengeance, more devastation. War is hell." -Eric & Molly

Court Pictures
 http://moz.net.nz/photo/2004/01/30-opera/index.php

Opera House 2 - Interview with the one 'artist' - Dave Burgess
 http://melbourne.indymedia.org/news/2004/01/61151.php

Sydney Stop The War Coalition Statement (on imc sydney)
 http://sydney.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=38430&group=webcast

Campaign + Clean-up Fund Donations
 http://www.sydneyoperahousenowarcleanupfund.org

Dave Burgess is a filmmaker and long term campaigner for the environment and human rights. He has just finished a stint as The Wilderness Society Forests Campaigner in NSW, which helped lead to the protection of virtually all old-growth forest in Northern NSW at the last NSW election.

Will Saunders, a UK citizen, is a professional astronomer who has worked for the Anglo-Australian Observatory for the last three years.