They expressed outrage over the decision to criminalise student protest and now vowed to step up their fight against corporate power corrupting freedom at Lancaster University.
In his summary the judge said that he disagreed with the University managements claim that the protesters had used intimidation. This allegation of intimidation was an important part of the university managements claim - they had even employed a specialist harrasment and intimidation legal firm in putting the case together.
But the judge agreed that it was ridiculous to claim that holding banners, blowing whistles and handing out leafletts was 'intimidation'.
But he argued that it was 'disruption', and therefore gave a minimum sentence of a two year conditional discharge and no fine. The protesters have, however, to pay costs of £300 each.
There will now be more protests at Lancaster University. This case has turned many members of staff, students and the general public against the management regime.
The university now wants to outlaw elections to its ruling body, replacing these with a system of appointments - of corporate cronies. However, the will now face a turbulent time, as they alienate more people. Please come and help protest at these decisions on Sat October 15th, George Fox Building, Lancaster University!
The case at Lancaster symbolises a more general crackdown on our freedoms by those who support this system of perpetual wars, poverty, environmental devastation and corporate power.
Comments
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UPDATE: Corporate crony vice chancellor sends message to staff.
30.09.2005 18:25
Wellings is at the forefront of the corporate takeover of scientific research. As Prof Nicholls, a biologist wrote of this man: "he has never held a university position nor probably had anything to do with students. It is symptomatic of the commercialisation of our universities that he takes the attitude he does - that his own students can be trespassers in their own university".
---
So here it is: Message from the Boss Man:
---
Staff will be aware that a court case, brought by the CPS against a
group of six students and members of the local community who protested
at a conference at Lancaster University last year, was held at Lancaster
Magistrate's Court this week.
The protestors were today found guilty of aggravated trespass and given
a two year conditional discharge.
There has been a lot of publicity generated by the supporters, some of
it inaccurate, but the University could say little at the time as it
would have been prejudicial to the case. Now I would like to explain the
reasons why the Crown Prosecution Service took the decision to go to
court.
After the disruption, the protesters posted a description of their
actions on the internet and also put up a video of their activities
which appeared to indicate that criminal activity had taken place.
As Vice-Chancellor I am required to maintain the good order of the
University. When presented with allegations of criminal activity or
other serious incidents I discuss the matter with the University
Secretary and the Head of Security and other members of the staff on a
need to know basis. This ensures that allegations are not canvassed
widely, the privacy of any victim is preserved and the rights of the
accused to a fair hearing are maintained.
If there is any evidence, this is passed to the police. These procedures
have been in place for a long period and other institutions will have a
similar approach.
I felt that the actions of the protestors went beyond what would
normally be accepted as peaceful protest on campus and referred the
matter to the police. Historically we have a strong commitment to
peaceful protest and we continue to permit such protests including
others by these protestors themselves in Alexandra Square.
The Crown Prosecution Service decided that there was a case to answer,
and from then on it was out of the University's hands. The CPS brought
the case to court.
The University has an obligation to maintain freedom of speech and we
have well publicised policies in place setting out how this is achieved.
The University also has an obligation to the majority of staff, students
and visitors who wish to get on with their legitimate business and
academic research without disruption.
I intend to raise this issue at next week's Senate meeting.
Paul Wellings
Vice-Chancellor
Lancaster University
30 September 2005
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What utter and contemptable bollox!
I hope someone at the sanate meeting tells him that the reality is that our time-honoured traditions of legitimate protest at this University go well beyond the right to the odd rally in a square - Lancaster and other Uni's have a rich history of student occupations, sit-ins and teach-in's. These are not acts of tresspass, but legitimate parts of student politics.
So get your corporate lilly livered arse the fuck out of our freedoms, Mr Boss Man!
Lanc Uni Staff
Coming to terms with the verdict
30.09.2005 18:31
There is a Wiki that has appeared -
There will also be a reflective session -
The text of the front page of the WIKI is pasted below:
Analysis of the George Fox 6 verdict
Six students found guilty of aggravated tresspass in Lancaster Magistrate's Court, September 30, 2005. Prosecuted by their own University for handing out leaflets at a conference that many consider highly controversial.
See BackgroundInformation to get clued up.
The arguments on which the sentence was based were:
* Oxford English Dictionary's distinctions between DisruptionandInterruption (seriously!).
* The students could not be unaware that they were NotWelcome to protest on campus in this manner.
* It was not the students FreedomofSpeech that were denied, but that of the corporations attending (this point is very interesting and the judge made it clear that in a free and democratic society you should not just be allowed to make cluster bombs, missiles, jet fighter planes and lethal chemicals, but also be allowed to meet with your academic friends and elaborate the Corporate Academic Warfare Project in peace - WITHOUT being confronted with stories about the consequences of your human rights abuses around the world on a daily basis. Thus the idea freedom of speech has been deployed to protect Capitaqlists who abuse a whole range of human rights.
* What more is there??
Relentless - All The Way, Baby!
Homepage:
http://gfsixverdict.pbwiki.com
Statement by the George Fox 6 on the verdict
30.09.2005 18:50
We remain proud of what we did and we still believe that the moral victory is ours.
The university, and the charges that it supported, have been condemned by many of its own academics, and by academics around the world, as well as local councillors, Quakers, human rights groups such as Liberty, the National Union Students, the Council for Academic for Freedom and Standards, the Association of University Teachers, Scientists for Global Responsibility, Lancashire Trades Union Congress, Lancaster Student Union and other student unions and members of the public around the country.
As far as we and they are concerned, it has been the university's ethics that
have been on trial, and they have been found guilty. We will be appealing the
courts decision.
The Judge dismissed charges of intimidation presented by the prosecution,
saying there was no evidence to suggest that we had acted in an any way
likely to cause fear. He found that we simply disrupted the meeting
momentarily. We still dispute the accusation of disruption, since we only
wanted to make our views heard for a few minutes and did not intend to stop
the conference from happening.
We also wish to challenge the law which was used against us. We believe
that if we can be found guilty for what we did then the very right of protest itself is thrown into doubt. All protest causes some inconvenience, but this is why we are rightly proud of our right to freedom of speech, which includes a right to be heard. We feel that this prosecution is part of a worrying trend towards an erosion of civil liberties.
The George Fox Six
Homepage:
http://www.free-webspace.biz/GeorgeFox/
Legal issue for appeal - scope of ECHR article 10
30.09.2005 20:56
Article 10 states:
10.1 "Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers. This article shall not prevent States from requiring the licensing of broadcasting, television or cinema enterprises.
10.2 The exercise of these freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities, may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary."
The key part here is the phrase "freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference BY PUBLIC AUTHORITY". Throughout the Convention, the human rights at issue are those of the individual against actions of the state or its representatives. It was a response to world war two's graphic demonstration of what can happen if the power of the state over the individual is left unchecked.
I as a private individual cannot violate your article 10 right to free expression. The convention is all about the responsible exercise of "public authority" by the state and its representatives. Even if I as an individual wanted to deny Lord Sainsbury his right to freedom of expression I could not, legally, ever do so.
The university on the other hand, as a publicly funded body (though who knows for how much longer) has an obligation to act in accordance with the convention.
Mike
grow up
02.10.2005 07:40
So you've got support from unworldly, naive teachers and the dinosaurs at the TUC. Big deal. It's about time the Lancaster 6 realised why the country's taxpayers, both private citizens and businesses, fund universities, and it isn't so that silly students can play at politics.
les
Where is the Students Union...?
02.10.2005 21:39
RVR800
Students Union
03.10.2005 13:14
comment
video from outside the court - banners and people
21.10.2005 04:20
someone else