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FM145: Defiant statement from the defendants outside of court

Fortnum145 | 17.11.2011 14:52 | Policing | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles

"As the government’s cuts continue to destroy the economy and people’s lives we will not be put off by these attempts at humiliating and punishing us."



Today, the 10 of us who were on trial have been found guilty of taking part in a protest.

A protest that was dubbed ‘sensible’ by the senior police officer at the scene.

We were standing up, or more accurately sitting down, against our government making harsh cuts to public services, whilst letting companies like Fortnum and Masons get away with dodging a total of tens of billions of pounds of tax every year.

Then we are put on trial, whilst it’s clear the real criminals are the tax dodgers, the politicians and the bankers who caused this financial crisis and who continue to profit.

We are supposed to have a democratic right to protest yet people like us, exercising that right and expressing our discontent feel the force of the law and receive harsh and disproportionate sentences.

We have been convicted of Aggravated Trespass, an example of a law created in the 1990′s as an attack on our rights to protest and which is used in situations like this one to turn protesting into a crime.

We will, of course, continue to fight this and will be appealing the judgement.

As the government’s cuts continue to destroy the economy and people’s lives we will not be put off by these attempts at humiliating and punishing us.

Fortnum145
- Homepage: http://fortnum145.org/2011/11/17/defiant-statement-from-the-defendants-outside-of-court/

Comments

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why no defence?

17.11.2011 16:47

Apparently the defendants didn't actually submit any defence. Is that true? If so, why not?

It doesn't seem to be that they "refused to recognise" the court, they appear to have been playing along with the rules of the judicial system otherwise. So why not bother to present any argument in the court -- even as a political point? Surprising that Bindmans would have suggested that? A lesson to be learnt for the next trial?

puzzled

Why no defence ?

17.11.2011 18:56

This was on the advice of our legal team. In short we did it, the police had overwhelming evidence we did it so to offer any sort of defence was a waste of time and would simply have cost time and money.

Fortnum 145

Outrageous

17.11.2011 19:41

Even by the standards of the courts and Snow in particular this is outrageous.

People convicted of expressing an opinion. Staff, who it can be clearly seen were not intimidated, claimed to be intimidated.

It really is 1984. Double plus ungood.

A N Other

Somewhat suprised

17.11.2011 20:04

I'm a little surprised and disappointed to see how easily you all rolled over and just accepted the court and its decision. Why was there no fight, no disruption to the Court proceedings, no political statements ?

This could have been a useful conduit for publicity and media attention.

A little disappointing

Re: Somewhat suprised

17.11.2011 22:26

> I'm a little surprised and disappointed to see how easily you all rolled over and just accepted the court and its decision.

The article clearly says "We will, of course, continue to fight this and will be appealing the judgement." So not rolling over, but preparing an appeal. This might answer all your other questions where you were disappointed (although I do no believe anybody was stopping you from fighting, disrupting, or making statements).


> This could have been a useful conduit for publicity and media attention.

It has been widely reported on mainstream and independent media. I think that in general we should leave whether to gain publicity & media attention to defendants - it's their lives on the line.

HtF2

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'As the government’s cuts continue to destroy the economy and people’s lives...'

18.11.2011 16:42

Only for those dependent on the state. And those who cling to the state deserve all that they get, or don't get as the case may be. You're defending the jobs or those ordinary "working class" people who beet you, imprison you, bomb people in other lands, rape, torture and murder in your name, on the orders of the greedy 1%. These jobs must go and the economy must get smaller for the sake of the earths future. Great protest, shit cause. You can ignore the greedy 1%. Stop giving them your money, but not if you're dependent on them for your daily bread.

anarchist

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IMC UK is an interactive site offering inclusive participation. All postings to the open publishing newswire are the responsibility of the individual authors and not of IMC UK. Although IMC UK volunteers attempt to ensure accuracy of the newswire, they take no responsibility legal or otherwise for the contents of the open publishing site. Mention of external web sites or services is for information purposes only and constitutes neither an endorsement nor a recommendation.

O please

22.11.2011 10:04

"it's their lives on the line."

Let's not be melodramatic shall we. This is the UK not Iran or China, they are unlikely to get more than a slap on the wrist.

Grown Up

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