Katakilla, Solihull - Denied the right to protest
Brummie Indymedia | 29.06.2004 22:10
PRESS RELEASE: Subject: Campaigners in Court Over Peaceful Protest about Sale of Bulldozers to Israel
Eight activists will appear before Solihull Magistrates Court at 2pm tomorrow, 30 June, after being arrested last Friday for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression by peacefully demonstrating outside Caterpillar Financial Services near Solihull. The activists asserted their right to highlight violations of international human rights law committed in the Occupied Territories by Israel using Caterpillar bulldozers.
Eight activists will appear before Solihull Magistrates Court at 2pm tomorrow, 30 June, after being arrested last Friday for exercising their fundamental right to freedom of expression by peacefully demonstrating outside Caterpillar Financial Services near Solihull. The activists asserted their right to highlight violations of international human rights law committed in the Occupied Territories by Israel using Caterpillar bulldozers.
Leaflets containing summaries of a letter from the Special Rapporteur for the UN High Commission for Human Rights, to the Caterpillar CEO, were handed to employees as they arrived at work. The letter was a reminder to the company of obligations under international human rights law and pointed out that delivery of bulldozers to the Israeli army through the United States' Government might involve complicity to or acceptance of
actual and potential human rights violations.
The demonstration, which was planned and peaceful, had been openly publicised and involved only 11 activists. However, the police response was a disproportionate interference in their right to freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act 1998, as more than a dozen police officers, in two police vans and panda cars arrived to deal with the small number of activists who were charged under the Public Order Act, taken away and some were kept in police custody for up to 13 hours.
The individuals intend to plead not guilty to the charges. Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers:
"My clients have done nothing wrong and have had their rights to freedom of expression and assembly removed without lawful reason. They will be pursuing a claim for damages against the police as the demonstration had been carefully prepared and was completely peaceful."
Public Interest Lawyers
actual and potential human rights violations.
The demonstration, which was planned and peaceful, had been openly publicised and involved only 11 activists. However, the police response was a disproportionate interference in their right to freedom of expression under the Human Rights Act 1998, as more than a dozen police officers, in two police vans and panda cars arrived to deal with the small number of activists who were charged under the Public Order Act, taken away and some were kept in police custody for up to 13 hours.
The individuals intend to plead not guilty to the charges. Phil Shiner of Public Interest Lawyers:
"My clients have done nothing wrong and have had their rights to freedom of expression and assembly removed without lawful reason. They will be pursuing a claim for damages against the police as the demonstration had been carefully prepared and was completely peaceful."
Public Interest Lawyers
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