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one law for the rich.......

rikki | 29.06.2006 18:27 | Repression | Social Struggles | London

businessmen held an unauthorised demosntration within the designated socpa zone earlier this evening, and no-one got reported or arrested.

the institute of directors has been campaigning against the extradition treaty that allows suspected dodgy businessmen to face trial in the united states. this follows the likely extradition of two city businessmen alleged to be involved in the enron scandal.

although the institute claims not to have anything to do with tonight's demonstration, they admit they were informed by "a group of independent businessmen" of the planned march and protest which began outside the institute of directors building in pall mall and made its way to the home office which is inside the government socpa zone.

outside the home office journalists learned that the demo had not been authorised as required by the legislation. they were told that belgravia police station had been informed, but that no official permission had been sought. this was pointed out to a passing policeman who then radioed for advice. a police car then attended the scene, but quickly left the area.

one more example of the political decisions made by police in deciding whether to take action under this legislation.

rikki
- e-mail: rikkiindymedia@googlemail.com

Comments

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ALL the laws are for the rich

29.06.2006 20:05

Anyone know exactly how many laws we are meant to know ? There must be tens of thousands. And since 'ignorance of the law is no defence' we are supposed to research them all for themselves.

Of course there are only two natural laws relating to humanity, the strong take from the weak and the smart take from the strong, every other law is a bastardisation of those 'principles'.

Danny


The UK-USA Extradition Treaty affects eveyone in the UK, not just the rich

30.06.2006 06:19

The unequal UK-USA Extradition Treaty affects eveyone in the UK, does not just affect the rich.
e.g.

Gary McKinnon - accused of "hacking" into over 90 US military computer systems (no administrator password, no internet firewall) in search of UFO information.
he is facing 70 years in prison and over a million dollars in fines, for alleged criminal damage which he denies.
 http://FreeGary.org.uk

Babar Ahmad - accused of running a website hosted in the uSA, but controlled from London, which had discussion forums where people discssed support for Chechen rebels and the Afghan Taliban. This was not illegal in the UK in 1999.
Astonishingly, even though British troops are currently fighting the Taliban in southern Afghanistan right now, the Taliban is still not a "proscribed terrorist group" here in the UK.
Some of the "suspcious" items alleged against Babar include a tourist plan of the Empire State Building in New York, showing the entrances and exits, lifts etc.
which was seized from his family home. This was a souvenier brought back from a tourist trip to the USA, by his father, even before Babar was born.
Even such flimsy "evidence" cannot now be challenged during the extradition hearings in an English (or other UK) court.
 http://www.freebabarahmad.com

The "NatWest 3" themselves, David Bermingham, Giles Darby and Gary Mulgrew,
who will no longer be rich after all the legal fees:
 http://www.friendsextradited.org

All these cases involve alleged crimes which happened physically in the UK, and which could be tried in UK courts, under UK laws, they do not involve fugative criminal suspects, or escaped convict, who have fled across international borders, which is what extradition cases traditionally involve.

Gary and Babar also risk being treated as "enemy combatants" and face Guantanamo Bay style restrictions, if they do end up in the USA.

Under the Treaty and the Extradition Act 2003, the US authotities no longer have to provide any prima facie evidence of a case before a British court, where it can be challenged by the defence lawyers. If the British authorities want to extradite someone from the USA, their Constitution rightly demands that there should be prima facie evidence presented to a US court.
Prima facie evidence is not necessarily the full detailed evidence which a full trial will hear, but at the moment zero evidence whatsoever is heard in extradition cases to the USA.

No other European Union country tolerates this
in their extradition arrangements with the USA, which was inflicted on us by Tony Blair and David Blunkett.



fg
mail e-mail: info@FreeGary.org.uk
- Homepage: http://FreeGary.org.uk


Imperial citizenship brings certain legal privilege

30.06.2006 23:25

US courts can lock up any UK citizen without any evidence for two years, no discussion of it in parliament, no sign of the US reciprocating. British residents are still in Guantanamo for longer than two years. The UK used to kid itself it was the 51st state but it's just an overseas base. If you want to become a legal citizen all you have to do is join the marines and die in Iraq.

 http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/04/04/MN284532.DTL
Marine killed in action to receive posthumous citizenship

A resident for 23 years, a marine for 13 years and he still wasn't a citizen when he died. That is a tough immigration hurdle.

Danny