maya evans became the first person to be convicted for holding an unauthorised demonstration under the SOCPA laws introduced in august 2005. milan rai was the first conviction as an organiser.
their 'demo' was reading out names of british and iraqi people killed in the war. since then, they helped organise a further demonstration highlighting the massacre of civilians in fallujah. for this 'offence', they are in court tomorrow.
their 'demo' was reading out names of british and iraqi people killed in the war. since then, they helped organise a further demonstration highlighting the massacre of civilians in fallujah. for this 'offence', they are in court tomorrow.
Peace activists Maya Anne Evans 27 and Milan Rai 41 from Hastings are
back in Court on the 10 April 2pm Horseferry Magistrates facing charges
under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act for peacefully
demonstrating against the Iraq war in October 2006 opposite Downing
Street and Parliament.
Maya Anne Evans became the first person convicted under the Serious
Organised Crime and Police Act in 2005 when she peacefully read the
names of British soldiers who had lost their lives in the Iraq war (1).
She now has a criminal record and is about to be repossessed by the
bailiffs for refusing to pay the fine(2).
Milan Rai was the first person convicted for organising the unauthorised
demonstration the two attended in 2005, he was reading out some of the
100,000 names of Iraqis(3) who have been killed by US/UK forces since
the invasion March 2003.
Maya and Mil now face charges for organising and participating in a 24
hour peace camp which took place last October to mark the anniversary of
the massive US assault on Fallujah in November 2004(4) and the Lancet
Medical report(5).
Although the only ones charged Mil and Maya were not the sole
organisers. At the forth coming trial the two will be representing
themselves and calling the other 8 organizers to give evidence.
Maya says: "I am not going to co-operate with the erosion of our freedom
of speech. It is my democratic right to freely remember and respect the
deaths of the war dead."
If convicted of organising an unauthorised demonstration the two could
face a possible 51 weeks in prison or a hefty fine.
Maya adds: "It's outrageous the government are using such draconian
tactics to silence anti war protest. Peaceful demonstration should not
be illegal."
CONTACT
mayaevans at fastmail.co.uk
milanrai at btinternet.com
OTHER NOTES
1.At the time Maya read 97 names, the figure now stands at 134 UK
soldiers killed in Iraq
2.Maya has recently published a book 'Naming the Dead' available on
www.j-n-v.org
3. In October 2004 a medial journal The Lancet published a report
estimating 100,000 Iraqis had died due to the invasion of US/UK troops
into Iraq.
4. In November 2004 the US - with British assistance - launched a
massive assault against the Iraqi city of Fallujah, killing hundreds of
civilians, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and
using white phosphorus - a substance that burns down to the bone - as a
weapon against the city and its inhabitants. Since then US-led forces
have continued to attack towns and cities across Iraq, and played a
major role in pushing the country into a state of civil war.
5. According to the latest survey published in the Lancet October 2006,
coalition forces in Iraq have killed 186,000 Iraqis since the start of
the 2003 invasion (
http://tinyurl.com/y98ksu). The CIA says that the
occupation of Iraq has become "the 'cause celebre' for jihadists ...
cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement"
( http://tinyurl.com/s45se) and the head of the British Army has said
that the presence of British forces in Iraq is "exacerbat[ing] the
security problems" there (Daily Mail, 13 October).
report on 'no more fallujahs' event at http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/354676.html
full socpa coverage at http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/12/358676.html
back in Court on the 10 April 2pm Horseferry Magistrates facing charges
under the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act for peacefully
demonstrating against the Iraq war in October 2006 opposite Downing
Street and Parliament.
Maya Anne Evans became the first person convicted under the Serious
Organised Crime and Police Act in 2005 when she peacefully read the
names of British soldiers who had lost their lives in the Iraq war (1).
She now has a criminal record and is about to be repossessed by the
bailiffs for refusing to pay the fine(2).
Milan Rai was the first person convicted for organising the unauthorised
demonstration the two attended in 2005, he was reading out some of the
100,000 names of Iraqis(3) who have been killed by US/UK forces since
the invasion March 2003.
Maya and Mil now face charges for organising and participating in a 24
hour peace camp which took place last October to mark the anniversary of
the massive US assault on Fallujah in November 2004(4) and the Lancet
Medical report(5).
Although the only ones charged Mil and Maya were not the sole
organisers. At the forth coming trial the two will be representing
themselves and calling the other 8 organizers to give evidence.
Maya says: "I am not going to co-operate with the erosion of our freedom
of speech. It is my democratic right to freely remember and respect the
deaths of the war dead."
If convicted of organising an unauthorised demonstration the two could
face a possible 51 weeks in prison or a hefty fine.
Maya adds: "It's outrageous the government are using such draconian
tactics to silence anti war protest. Peaceful demonstration should not
be illegal."
CONTACT
mayaevans at fastmail.co.uk
milanrai at btinternet.com
OTHER NOTES
1.At the time Maya read 97 names, the figure now stands at 134 UK
soldiers killed in Iraq
2.Maya has recently published a book 'Naming the Dead' available on
www.j-n-v.org
3. In October 2004 a medial journal The Lancet published a report
estimating 100,000 Iraqis had died due to the invasion of US/UK troops
into Iraq.
4. In November 2004 the US - with British assistance - launched a
massive assault against the Iraqi city of Fallujah, killing hundreds of
civilians, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes and
using white phosphorus - a substance that burns down to the bone - as a
weapon against the city and its inhabitants. Since then US-led forces
have continued to attack towns and cities across Iraq, and played a
major role in pushing the country into a state of civil war.
5. According to the latest survey published in the Lancet October 2006,
coalition forces in Iraq have killed 186,000 Iraqis since the start of
the 2003 invasion (
http://tinyurl.com/y98ksu). The CIA says that the occupation of Iraq has become "the 'cause celebre' for jihadists ...
cultivating supporters for the global jihadist movement"
(
http://tinyurl.com/s45se) and the head of the British Army has said that the presence of British forces in Iraq is "exacerbat[ing] the
security problems" there (Daily Mail, 13 October).
report on 'no more fallujahs' event at
http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/354676.html full socpa coverage at
http://publish.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/12/358676.html 
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