Anti War activist sentenced to 28 days in prison
uk features | 25.11.2005 17:44 | Anti-militarism | Iraq
On November 16th, Anti war activist Milan Rai of Justice not Vengeance was sentenced to 28 days in Lewes Prison, for "wilful refusal to pay" a fine. The fine was imposed after an action in November 2004, when Milan stencilled anti-war messages onto the Foreign and Commonwealth Office buildings in Whitehall, to protest the impending attack on Fallujah. Actions against the invasion of Fallujah took place in several British cities around that time.
Anti war slogans and fake blood over foreign office
At the hearing in Hastings, Milan argued that his actions had been shown to be morally justified by the subsequent civilian deaths and the use of White Phosphorus in the US led attack on the Iraqi city. He made it clear that he was not prepared to pay the compensation order that been imposed.
Milan was released on November 29th. Over 300 solidarity letters and cards were sent to him at Lewes Prison. Whilst in Lewes, he kept a prison diary which can be viewed at the Justice Not Vengeance website.
Links:
Fallujah reports: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Fallujah Solidarity actions: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
uk features
Comments
Hide the following comment
Solidarity to a pioneer
28.11.2005 19:29
We are seeing martyrs to the cause of peace. Milan's imprisonment stands together with the kidnapping today of Norman Kember. Good luck and blessings to both.
This protest - and the heavy cost that Milan Rai is bearing upon his shoulders - is a shining light to all the rest of us in the resurgent peace movement to get moving, get organising, get demonstrating, get ranting, get forcing home our point that in the age of nuclear weapons we choose non-violence or we choose annihilation.
How did the dinosaurs die out? They shocked and awed one another to oblivion.
Once more into the breach, peace activists!
Matthew Edwards
e-mail:
matthewedwards999@yahoo.co.uk