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Menwith Hill - Peace demonstrators arrested under SOCPA

Peter Clarkson | 03.04.2006 10:44 | Anti-militarism | Repression

Two Keighley women arrested under section 128 of SOCPA at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate.

Saturday 1st April 2006

Two Keighley women, Helen John and Silvia Boyes are the first known arrests
in England under Section 128 of the new Serious and Organised Crime and Police
Act 2005 (SOPCA) which makes trespass at a few handpicked military sites
(mainly American military and nuclear sites in the UK) a criminal offence,
potentially carrying a 51 week prison sentence.

The two women were arrested on Saturday 1st April 2006 within hours of the
new Act being brought into force, by Ministry of Defence police at NSA Menwith
Hill where the women have been accused of an alleged trespass.

NSA Menwith Hill, the United States spy base near Harrogate in Yorkshire
illegally monitors telecommunications traffic to and from Europe. Communications
passing through Britain are intercepted by the base, including private
telehone calls, faxes, emails and other communications.

Peter Clarkson
- e-mail: ragnarok@dsl.pipex.com

Comments

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£10,000 fine possible too

06.04.2006 16:26

Are Helen John and Silvia Boyes are mafia requiring SOCPA attention ? When do Don Blairusconi's casinos open again ? The You Can't Be Serious Organised Crime and Police Act constantly refers to people in the masculine, does it even apply to women ? ie "Demonstrating without authorisation in designated area (1) Any person who- (c) carries on a demonstration by himself in a public place in the designated area" Not by themself, or their self or herself, himself - all the way through the act.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but Sylvia nd Helen could also be fined up to £5000 each as well as imprisoned.

(5) A person guilty of an offence under this section is liable on summary conviction- (a) to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 51 weeks, or (b) to a fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale, or to both.

Current Levels of Fines in the UK as of 2005
Scale Amount of fine
1 £200
2 £500
3 £1,000
4 £2,500
5 £5,000

Danny

the new face of terrorism

06.04.2006 17:20

I just saw todays the cover of todays Independent, I wouldn't have written my previous post if I had as they do the story justice: headline cover story all in black, a good article too.

Helen and Sylvia, the new face of terrorism
 http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/legal/article356033.ece
"Persistent activity by protesters places them at risk of being mistaken for terrorists."

Persistent abuse by police places them at risk of being mistaken for fascists.

Danny