BREAK THE LAW

It could have been an historic case further undermining our right to protest. But a judge ruled that all but one of thirteen people taken to court by an animal exporter were within the law by taking direct action at the port. They appeared in the High Court last Friday in an attempt by Roger Mills and his company Live Sheep Traders to ban them from demonstrating against animal exports at Brightlingsea in Essex.

Arguing that the sheer number of arrests - 583 to date - and the existence of Brightlingsea Against Live Exports (BALE) -whose leaflets were 'an attempt to whip up emotion and incite others to break the law' - was clearly a conspiracy to injure his business .He wanted costs and damages of more than �500,000 and a High Court injunction.

However, the Judge Mr.Justice Forbes said that there were occasions when unlawful activities gained the admiration for law-abiding citizens "What Mahatma Gandhi did was certainly against the law......but most people approved of what he did."

One of the defendants Andrew Abbot argued that he had a moral right and duty to hinder the live export trade and that his protests had been aimed at the government "who not only allow but effectively encourage this abhorrence" He was given an injunction not to interfere with the trade thru' Brightlingsea for his troubles. However, the judge refused to grant injunctions against the other twelve.

If Mills had won with the use of civil law it would have meant protesters would have had a lot more to worry about than the Criminal Justice Act (CJA). There are very few ways in this country that people can change policies they consider to be wrong. That is why there has been such an upsurge in direct action in recent years.

* In a similar case this year the Department of Transport (DoT) and Tarmac took out an injunction for costs of �3.5 million against 47 named people involved in the Twyford Down road protests. This was later changed to each defendant having to pay �500 to the DoT. Needless to say most haven't yet coughed up a penny.

* More than 1,200 people have been arrested during the protests against live animal exports at ports and airports across the country in operations costing more than �7 million, according to police figures.

* The RSPCA called for a new inquiry into the transport of live animals after it was revealed that a consignment of British sheep from Dover, travelled for more than 57 hours from Holland to Greece without water or rest.

The first two people nicked under the Draconian 'trespassory assembly' sections of the Criminal Justice Act (CJA) are up in court this Tuesday (Oct 3rd) Margaret Jones and Richard Lloyd were arrested outside Stonehenge in June - whilst commemorating ten years since the Battle of the Beanfield.*

The new law bans gatherings of more than 20 people on private land - but was recently defeated in court when self-proclaimed King Arthur Uther Pendragon, official sword bearer of the Secular Order of Druids -was acquitted. Police evidence that their we're 27 people there included a German TV crew, some legal observers, a couple of drunk Italians (and a partridge in a Pear tree!). Because of this ruling the defendants feel that their is a strong vested interest in convicting them. They need your support! 9.30 am Salisbury Magistrates Court, Market Square.

*When riot police trashed travellers and their vehicles to stop the Stonehenge Free Festival, and carried out the largest mass arrest of civilians for centuries - see SchNEWS 25

A new group has been set up to try and encourage young people to register to vote. M-Power is part of Activ88, the youth wing of Charter 88. "We do believe that a mass registration of young people, all making coherent demands for what they believe in, would be a powerful force to back up the campaigns that are happening around the country," says spokesman Colin Harvard.

With so many young people excluded from the voting process due to DSS hassle, apathy, homelessness and a variety of other problems, M-Power sees itself as encouraging a wider debate on the subject-including those who feel that voting is simply a waste of time. Even if a lot of young people decided not to vote in the next election, then this would prompt the question why? M-Power hope to address these issues now.