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Spartaci, Spartacum, Spartacuses?

Fortnum 145 | 07.09.2011 15:14 | Policing | Public sector cuts

I have put myself back on trial to support the F&M defendants because I believe the CPS has no more reason to prosecute them than they do to prosecute me. It is in no-ones interest to penalise peaceful protest. It is in everyones’ interest to support people who stand up against injustice.

Anonymous Spartacus

In June, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped charges against 109 of the Fortnum 145, after doing the same with the few younger protesters some time before that. Their reason for continuing with the remaining 30 has been cited as the possession of ‘leaflets and signs‘.



Of the 109, over 20 have decided to reinstate their cases. The reasons might vary from person to person – some want to be found not guilty, as they were supposed to be, others are wanting to stand proudly with the remaining defendants – who have been targeted on the basis of the reading material they are accused of carrying.

These people are employing what we’ve been calling the Spartacus tactic. And collectively they are, well… I’m not sure. It’s a Latin name, but we’re using it in English as a proper noun (in which case we can’t modify the name itself) or maybe it’s really being used as an adjective – but is it a Latin adjective because of the etymology or an English adjective because of… Nevermind.

The CPS have more or less arbitrarily chosen 30 defendants to continue to prosecute. I have revived my case to say clearly that if my case was dropped, these cases should also have been dropped. The only just thing to do now will be to end the prosecution of all of our group of “entirely sensible and non-violent” protesters.

Tom, Spartacan from Birmingham

You’ll certainly be hearing more about the Spartacorum (-arum?) as they stand with their co-defendants, demanding to be found not guilty!

Update:A Spartacussian has written this blog so you can hear her story first-hand.

Fortnum 145
- Homepage: http://fortnum145.org/2011/09/07/spartaci-spartacum-spartacuses/

Comments

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Sparticus

08.09.2011 00:00

"who have been targeted on the basis of the reading material they are accused of carrying."
We are now living in a totalitarian state, which is criminalising freedom of thought!!

Sparticus


You are not Sparticus!!

08.09.2011 00:51

Get a grip!

Sparticus led tens of thousands and is in the history books.
You are not and won't be.

James


@ James

08.09.2011 09:02

Faulty reasoning, mon frere.

Apart from a handful (e.g. Crixus and Oenomanus) most of the tens of thousands who participated in the uprising associated with Spartacus' name are anonymous, though by no means absent from the history books.

It was exactly these 'nameless ones' who stood up in Kubrick's 1960 cinematic depiction to say 'I'm Spartacus'.

All power to the Spartaci (as it should be).

Squatticus