Jaya Sacca, a long term peace activist was remanded in Lewes Prison this afternoon (JJULY 14TH) by District Judge Arnold. On Wednesday 13th July he was ‘arrested’ and handcuffed by members of Guardian Security hired by arms dealers EDO MBM. He was ‘detained’ by the security firm for allegedly stepping onto the road which constitutes the ‘no protest zone’. At the time no police were at the scene. Mr Sacca is also alleged to have assaulted one of the security guards when four of them ‘arrested’ him as attempted to leave the area.
www.smashedo.org.uk
CONTACT: Andrew Beckett 07875 708873
PRESS RELEASE
JULY 14TH
EMBARGO: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PEACE CAMPAIGNERS ATTACKED BY PRIVATE POLICE FORCE.
Jaya Sacca, a long term peace activist was remanded in Lewes Prison this afternoon (JULY 14TH) by District Judge Arnold. On Wednesday 13th July he was ‘arrested’ and handcuffed by members of Guardian Security hired by arms dealers EDO MBM. He was ‘detained’ by the security firm for allegedly stepping onto the road which constitutes the ‘no protest zone’. At the time no police were at the scene. Mr Sacca is also alleged to have assaulted one of the security guards when four of them ‘arrested’ him as attempted to leave the area.
The terms of the injunction as enforced by Sussex Police mean that it is illegal for protestors to film the security guards no matter what the provocation. One protester Paul Leniowski has already been remanded in Lewes Prison by Judge Arnold for three days for attempting to film Guardian Security.
Andrew Beckett press spokesman for the campaign said:
“This is a direct attack on our right to protest. In a democratic country how can a private security force be allowed to handcuff members of the public on the public highway? They are unaccountable to anyone. When the police arrest someone there are procedures for complaint and redress, with these untrained hired goons there is nothing. They constantly video us, except when they want to break the law- We must have the right to video the security personnel. EDO MBM are once more trying to enforce the injunction they would like rather than the one they have got.”
Support Demo for Jaya Sacca outside Lewes Prison 4pm Friday 15th
The same security guards were present today as EDO/MBM employees conducted a two minute silence for the victims of London’s bombings. Protesters on the scene who attempted to hold a vigil for all victims of bombing were intimidated into leaving by Guardian Security.
Andrew Beckett said “We are in a situation where a private security firm can make allegations which lead to imprisonment without any possibility of us gathering evidence to counter their lies and fabrications. We were unable to confront the hypocrisy of bomb makers holding a vigil for bomb victims. ”
SMASH EDO urge all those who are against the arms trade and for freedom of speech to join them on the regular Wednesday demo between 4 and 6.
Notes for Journalists
Brighton&Hove is a UN Peace Messenger City.
The Injunction referred to was served under the1997Protection from Harassment Act (originally designed to protect people from stalkers) and is the first of its kind directed at activists outside of the animal rights movement. Crucially it is a civil injunction but carries criminal penalties. It affects anyone deemed to be a protestor
Initially EDO/MBM requested a large “exclusion zone” comprising the whole of Home Farm Industrial Estate. They and Sussex police also wanted to limit demonstrations to two and a half hours, with less than ten people who had to be silent. Judge Gross refused to impose these conditions at the initial hearing. In his summing up he said, “The right to freedom of expression is jealously guarded in English law” and consequently refused to impose the requested limits on size, timing or noise made at demonstrations.
EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S arms conglomerate EDO Corp, which was recently named No. 10 in the Forbes list of 100 fastest growing companies. They supply bomb release mechanisms to the US and UK armed forces amongst others. They supply crucial components for Raytheon’s Paveway IV guided bomb system, widely used in the “Shock and Awe” campaign in Iraq. EDO also withdrew a threatened libel action against Indymedia over being named as “warmongers”.
Lawson-Cruttenden & Co, a solicitors firm working for EDO have been instrumental in developing the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 from a measure designed to safeguard individuals to a corporate charter to make inconvenient protest illegal. They have pioneered to use of injunctions to create large “exclusion zones”. They have secured numerous injunctions against anti-vivisection and anti-GM protestors.
Campaign against EDO MBM, People involved in the anti-EDO campaign include, but are not limited to: local residents, the Brighton Quakers, peace activists, anti-capitalists, Palestine Solidarity groups, human rights groups, trade unionists, academics and students.
The campaign started in August 2004 with a peace camp. It’s avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton.
CONTACT: Andrew Beckett 07875 708873
PRESS RELEASE
JULY 14TH
EMBARGO: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PEACE CAMPAIGNERS ATTACKED BY PRIVATE POLICE FORCE.
Jaya Sacca, a long term peace activist was remanded in Lewes Prison this afternoon (JULY 14TH) by District Judge Arnold. On Wednesday 13th July he was ‘arrested’ and handcuffed by members of Guardian Security hired by arms dealers EDO MBM. He was ‘detained’ by the security firm for allegedly stepping onto the road which constitutes the ‘no protest zone’. At the time no police were at the scene. Mr Sacca is also alleged to have assaulted one of the security guards when four of them ‘arrested’ him as attempted to leave the area.
The terms of the injunction as enforced by Sussex Police mean that it is illegal for protestors to film the security guards no matter what the provocation. One protester Paul Leniowski has already been remanded in Lewes Prison by Judge Arnold for three days for attempting to film Guardian Security.
Andrew Beckett press spokesman for the campaign said:
“This is a direct attack on our right to protest. In a democratic country how can a private security force be allowed to handcuff members of the public on the public highway? They are unaccountable to anyone. When the police arrest someone there are procedures for complaint and redress, with these untrained hired goons there is nothing. They constantly video us, except when they want to break the law- We must have the right to video the security personnel. EDO MBM are once more trying to enforce the injunction they would like rather than the one they have got.”
Support Demo for Jaya Sacca outside Lewes Prison 4pm Friday 15th
The same security guards were present today as EDO/MBM employees conducted a two minute silence for the victims of London’s bombings. Protesters on the scene who attempted to hold a vigil for all victims of bombing were intimidated into leaving by Guardian Security.
Andrew Beckett said “We are in a situation where a private security firm can make allegations which lead to imprisonment without any possibility of us gathering evidence to counter their lies and fabrications. We were unable to confront the hypocrisy of bomb makers holding a vigil for bomb victims. ”
SMASH EDO urge all those who are against the arms trade and for freedom of speech to join them on the regular Wednesday demo between 4 and 6.
Notes for Journalists
Brighton&Hove is a UN Peace Messenger City.
The Injunction referred to was served under the1997Protection from Harassment Act (originally designed to protect people from stalkers) and is the first of its kind directed at activists outside of the animal rights movement. Crucially it is a civil injunction but carries criminal penalties. It affects anyone deemed to be a protestor
Initially EDO/MBM requested a large “exclusion zone” comprising the whole of Home Farm Industrial Estate. They and Sussex police also wanted to limit demonstrations to two and a half hours, with less than ten people who had to be silent. Judge Gross refused to impose these conditions at the initial hearing. In his summing up he said, “The right to freedom of expression is jealously guarded in English law” and consequently refused to impose the requested limits on size, timing or noise made at demonstrations.
EDO MBM Technologies Ltd are the sole UK subsidiary of huge U.S arms conglomerate EDO Corp, which was recently named No. 10 in the Forbes list of 100 fastest growing companies. They supply bomb release mechanisms to the US and UK armed forces amongst others. They supply crucial components for Raytheon’s Paveway IV guided bomb system, widely used in the “Shock and Awe” campaign in Iraq. EDO also withdrew a threatened libel action against Indymedia over being named as “warmongers”.
Lawson-Cruttenden & Co, a solicitors firm working for EDO have been instrumental in developing the Protection of Harassment Act 1997 from a measure designed to safeguard individuals to a corporate charter to make inconvenient protest illegal. They have pioneered to use of injunctions to create large “exclusion zones”. They have secured numerous injunctions against anti-vivisection and anti-GM protestors.
Campaign against EDO MBM, People involved in the anti-EDO campaign include, but are not limited to: local residents, the Brighton Quakers, peace activists, anti-capitalists, Palestine Solidarity groups, human rights groups, trade unionists, academics and students.
The campaign started in August 2004 with a peace camp. It’s avowed aim is to expose EDO MBM and their complicity in war crimes and to remove them from Brighton.
e-mail:
Comments
Hide the following 7 comments
please send letters of support
14.07.2005 20:06
Jaya Sacca
Remand Prisoner
HMP Lewes
Brighton Road
Lewes
East Sussex
BN7 1EA
in solidarity
Revenge Attack of EDO ...
14.07.2005 23:20
EDO lawyer TLC had requested a case management conference instead of making a full reply to the defense arguments served, and applied to remove all reference in the case to EDO's complicity in war crimes or the defendants argument that EDO are involved in criminal activities by supplying the US/ UK and Israeli war machines. He claimed that such issues were 'irrelevant.'
But the judge ruled that the protesters could argue in their defense that they are acting to prevent war crimes and crimes against humanity by protesting outside the EDO factory, and asked for a composite document of all the legal argument and evidence against EDO to be served in the next few weeks. The judge also ruled that the court will request the Attorney General to intervene in the case and respond to the protestors arguments and evidence against EDO in a second CMC in September. The full trial is listed to begin on late November and to last two weeks.
EDO’s attempts to include prosecution papers of pending criminal proceedings against some of the defendants (as well as others with no connection to the case!) were refused by the judge. TLC argued for EDO that the injunction trial date should be pushed back into 2006 to take account of the results of these criminal trials, but since the first judge in the hearings had already directed that there should be a speedy trial, at least in part because evidence of stalking was in doubt, this too was refused. TLC admitted to the court that his evidence for harassment by the defendants was 'thin' and this is why he needed to include the allegations in the criminal cases. The sheer arrogance of this argument did not impress the judge.
But EDO did manage to get an order that EDO’s witnesses be allowed to remain anonymous, an important element in making the protesters look sinister and dangerous. EDO’s witnesses will now be identified in the full trial only by an employee number, and their official address be that of the EDO MBM factory in Home Farm Road. The judge gave leave for protesters witnesses to apply for the same anonymity.
The High Court Judge also refused an application by the defense lawyers to vary the injunction to allow demonstrators to film police activity, so that they could defend themselves against brutal arrests, and the assault of Guardian Security guards.
The judge almost gave the demonstrators more room on the road to protest close to the factory to protect them from the perils of the cliff edge behind, but after some confusion about the geography of the site he changed back and left the restriction to the grass verge as it is, with one exception that for reasons of personal safety protesters could stand on the road as a reasonable excuse against an alleged breach
of the Injunction.
But today in Brighton, even with the production of a signed letter from Superintendent Kevin Moore saying Sussex Police were concerned about the danger of the cliff edge, that stepping on the road would be reasonable for safety’s sake , this argument was refused by District Judge Arnold at the Magistrates Court, and Jaya Sacca was remanded to HMP Lewes for three weeks.
She also refused to believe Jaya Sacca 's sworn testimony to the court that the evidence against him of assault, injunction breach, and breach of bail conditions were fabricated by the Guardian Security guards. There were no police witnesses.
As protected persons under the interim injunction Guardian staff can not be videoed, harassed, alarmed or distressed, but they have they apparently have the power to actively do all these things to the protesters with impunity. They are physically assaulting and now arresting demonstrators for anything that they deem is an offence. No policeman has such power of arbitrary subjective arrest.
This development shows that EDO Corporation have effectively bought the power of the state to punish people who act against their own economic interests. Despite the the first High Court judge ruling that 'freedom of expression is jealously guarded in English' Law it is shown to be a fraud, when EDO can pay for it to be removed from anyone who doesn't agree with them.
Despite this we go on, and on, and on and we won't give up.
Noise protests continue every Wednesday outside EDO MBM on Home Farm Road
4-6pm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
_
not scared!
Defend Jaya!
15.07.2005 01:28
Having just heard the injustice that is happening to the people in Brighton, I am going to make sure that i am down for the peace camp in August! This is not just because people from Brighton have come up to Manchester to support prostests up her, but also because there legitament campain is wrongfully under attack by Lawson-Cuttenden as well us Sussex Police.
The double standards shown by Lawson-Cuttenden stinks. Clearly Guardian Security are taking full advantage of the injunction that TLC helped set out to protect a company from people making noise. Surely if you are serving injuctions, you should not be classified as a protected person! But the take full advantage to assult and fit peaceful protesters up with false charges!
Jaya is one of the most peaceful people I know, and the assult he is being set up with is clearly false!
The first sign of a police state is when democratic rights are eroded away, and clearly this is what is happening to the right to protest!
Britain is a police state not a democratic society!!!!
DEFEND THE RIGHT TO PROTEST!
EDOPhobic - Manchester
solidarity with Jaya
16.07.2005 20:25
If there are enough of us there the 4 Guardian security guards won't be able to 'snatch' protesters.
Come to the Jaya support demo at EDO next Wednesday.
safety in numbers
smashEDO update
17.07.2005 08:07
the following address:
Jaya Sacca LH7482
HMP Lewes
Brighton Road
Lewes
BN7 1EA
There will be a bail hearing next week to try and get Jaya released. The
date and time of the hearing will be sent out when known.
Next Wednesday there will be a solidarity with Jaya demo at EDO/MBM on Home
Farm Road from 4-6. Bring along banners and noise-making equipment.
Darth Vader's puppy dog
Where is EDO? Where are their suppliers?
19.07.2005 06:32
Citizen Arrest
Non protestors filming?
23.08.2005 12:25
It might be possible to get some Indymedia folk down there to film and not protest?
steve