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.
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
Hide the following 5 comments
why no defence?
17.11.2011 16:47
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
Fortnum 145
Outrageous
17.11.2011 19:41
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
This could have been a useful conduit for publicity and media attention.
A little disappointing
Re: Somewhat suprised
17.11.2011 22:26
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