Newbury / Reading court Kindness Hearing
Planter | 05.04.2006 00:47 | Anti-militarism | Free Spaces | Health | Oxford | South Coast
Further transformations occurred at Reading magistrates court today as two planters attended court to seek closure / resolution to an imposed restitution penalty of £201, following sentencing earlier in the year (09/02/2006 - Newbury) for a radical conviction for planting fig and vine trees at the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston.
In the process of planting trees for 'human kindness sake' on 5th August 2005, an international community of vine and fig tree planters were arrested at AWE Aldermaston. In February 2006 their conviction was upheld as they returned to court where they were given a four weeks prison, suspended for six month (until Nagasaki day August 9), and asked pay £201 restitution. All planters refused to pay the restitution.
Today two from the UK returned to Newbury Court (first) and later the same day to Reading Magistrates court to seek resolution by reiterating at the fines court that it would be kinder to cut the fuss and clarify that it would not be paid, afresh. To pay focusses on the perceived problem the fence, whilst Berkshire County Council are not objecting to a new lazer facility at this dangerous war-making research site.
One Planter Les commented that he would not pay the restitution and was about to leave the country for Sweden for further plantings at a weapons factory in the next few days, and would they kindly deal with the matter. The three lay magistrates were offered options to how this could be done.
a) community service
b) wash abusive graffiti of magistrates toilet walls
c) divert monies instead to promote wellbeing and mental health care
d) prison or another appropriate option
He commented in court that "surely courts ought to give rulings which enforce on others to be kind and not mean".
The magistrates then kindly retreated, then kindly returned to stating on return that:
a) The fines officer would be required to write to the compensatee (the Ministry of de Fence) to see if the monies were really needed (in light of current concerns that prisons are heaving with prisoners and few spaces are available)
b) Planter Les was then given bail (for refusing to complete a 'meanie form') and ordered to return on 9th May at 0930am.
Before leaving Planter Les thanked the kind magistrates and invited them to join the next plantings in Sweden later in the week. They turned down the offer of a group hug (being hand-shakers).
Folded Peace Cranes were left with the clerk and kind kinders outside the courtroom.
Wink wink.
Hopstubbe Mor“Promote the “finely-honed and subtle, yet unmistakable artful wink that can be seen from miles away, across borders and privilege lines, over ridgetops and into the cities, a wink that makes a wish when an eyelash falls” - not known.
Today two from the UK returned to Newbury Court (first) and later the same day to Reading Magistrates court to seek resolution by reiterating at the fines court that it would be kinder to cut the fuss and clarify that it would not be paid, afresh. To pay focusses on the perceived problem the fence, whilst Berkshire County Council are not objecting to a new lazer facility at this dangerous war-making research site.
One Planter Les commented that he would not pay the restitution and was about to leave the country for Sweden for further plantings at a weapons factory in the next few days, and would they kindly deal with the matter. The three lay magistrates were offered options to how this could be done.
a) community service
b) wash abusive graffiti of magistrates toilet walls
c) divert monies instead to promote wellbeing and mental health care
d) prison or another appropriate option
He commented in court that "surely courts ought to give rulings which enforce on others to be kind and not mean".
The magistrates then kindly retreated, then kindly returned to stating on return that:
a) The fines officer would be required to write to the compensatee (the Ministry of de Fence) to see if the monies were really needed (in light of current concerns that prisons are heaving with prisoners and few spaces are available)
b) Planter Les was then given bail (for refusing to complete a 'meanie form') and ordered to return on 9th May at 0930am.
Before leaving Planter Les thanked the kind magistrates and invited them to join the next plantings in Sweden later in the week. They turned down the offer of a group hug (being hand-shakers).
Folded Peace Cranes were left with the clerk and kind kinders outside the courtroom.
Wink wink.
Hopstubbe Mor“Promote the “finely-honed and subtle, yet unmistakable artful wink that can be seen from miles away, across borders and privilege lines, over ridgetops and into the cities, a wink that makes a wish when an eyelash falls” - not known.
Planter
Homepage:
http://ickevald.net/vineandfigtreeplanters/
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