[Peace-discuss] Non-violent direct action...

[John W.]

On Mon, Jul 5, 2010 at 9:37 AM, Robert Naiman <naiman.uiuc at gmail.com> wrote:



> A case could be made that this isn't so much an example of jury
> nullification as of a jury taking seriously its obligations under
> international law.
>

I'm sure the jury members were thinking of international law among other
things.  But the defendants were tried in a British court for breaking a
British law, Conspiracy to Cause Criminal Damage.  It is that law which the
jury nullified in the instant case.




>  On Mon, Jul 5, 2010 at 4:46 AM, John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Looks like a clear example of jury nullification, which we have discussed
> > from time to time....
> >
> >
> > On Sat, Jul 3, 2010 at 3:23 AM, C. G. Estabrook <galliher at illinois.edu>
> > wrote:
> >
> >>
> >>      Weapons decommissioners found not guilty
> >>
> >>
> >>      2 July 2010 (11:am)
> >>
> >>      Hove Crown Court, Brighton UK
> >>
> >>      Final two Decommissioners Found NOT GUILTY!
> >>
> >>      The jury in the trial of seven activists who decommissioned a
> >> Brighton
> >>      arms factory to prevent Israel war crimes in Gaza in January 2009,
> >> have
> >>      now found all seven activists not guilty of Conspiracy to Cause
> >> Criminal
> >>      Damage by unanimous verdict in Hove Crown Court.
> >>
> >>      The seven entered the factory on 16th Jan 2009, causing nearly
> >> £200,000 of
> >>      damage and shutting down production. They offered no defence other
> >> than
> >>      the prevention of imminent war crimes.
> >>
> >>      Simon Levin, Tom Woodhead, Ornella Saibene, Bob Nicholls, Harvey
> >> Tadman
> >>      were all acquitted on Wednesday.
> >>
> >>      The final two Elijah Smith and and Chris Osmond were acquitted this
> >> morning.
> >>
> >>      Chris Osmond said "This action was taken was taken because of EDO
> >> MBMs
> >>      illegal supply of weapons to the Israeli military. We brought the
> >> suffering
> >>      of ordinary Palestinians into a British courtroom and confronted
> with
> >> the
> >>      evidence they took the brave decision to find that our actions were
> >>      justified"
> >>
> >>      All have now been found not guilty by unanimous verdict.
> >>
> >>      A press conference will take place at:
> >>
> >>      1m at
> >>
> >>      Mary Magdalene Community Centre
> >>      55 Upper North Street
> >>      Brighton
> >>
> >>      Messages of support have already arrived from Caroline Lucas, MP
> for
> >>      Brighton Pavilion, and Noam Chomsky.
> >>
> >>      Caroline Lucas said:
> >>
> >>      'I am absolutely delighted that the jury has recognised that the
> >> actions
> >>      of the decommissioners were a legitimate response to the atrocities
> >> being
> >>      committed in Gaza. I do not advocate non violent direct action
> >> lightly;
> >>      however in this situation it is clear that the decommissioners had
> >>      exhausted all democratic avenues and, crucially, that their actions
> >> were
> >>      driven by the responsibility to prevent further suffering in Gaza.'
> >>
> >>      Noam Chomsky said
> >>
> >>      'I would like to express my respect and admiration for those who
> are
> >>      undertaking non-violent resistance to oppose British participation
> in
> >>      Israel's cruel crimes in Gaza.'
> >>
> >>      News site Ynetnews.com reports that the Israeli Ambassador in
> London
> >> is
> >>      'furious.'
> >>
> >>      http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3914014,00.html
>
> --
> Robert Naiman
> Policy Director
> Just Foreign Policy
> www.justforeignpolicy.org
> naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
>
> Urge Congress to Support a Timetable for Military Withdrawal from
> Afghanistan
> http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/act/feingold-mcgovern
>
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