- Victory for Elbit 4 as Judge Chambers Backs Down Over Threat of Immediate Imprisonment Archived Message
Posted by Keith-264
on September 10, 2023, 1:47 pm
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https://azvsas.blogspot.com/2023/09/victory-for-elbit-4-as-judge-chambers.html 9 September 2023 Zionists & Hacker (Lee) Harpin vent their fury over an ‘institutionally anti‑Semitic’ justice system Tony Greenstein speech outside Wolverhampton Court on 6 September 2023 before 4 of the defendants were sentenced The first thing I want to do is to thank the hundreds of people who stood in solidarity with the four of us who were given between 9 and 12 months suspended sentences last Wednesday. Our ‘crime’ was trying to prevent the genocidal arms factory, Elbit, from continuing to operate. The importance of solidarity when activists are under attack from the State should never be under estimated. It emphasises that we are not alone in our fight for justice and the struggle against the war makers. The demonstration outside the court and the willingness of activists to turn up from as far away as Wales emphasised the support we have. It is to the shame of Palestine Solidarity Campaign that at no stage, despite its 2021 conference policy supporting Palestine Action, did they lift a finger in our support. PSC Executive and its Director Ben Jamal are interested in only one thing – living off the back of the Palestinian struggle in order to build yet another NGO. The demonstration outside Wolverhampton Crown Court when 4 Palestine Actionists were sentenced and walked free on September 6th 2023 When I walked into the dock and listened to HHJ Michael Chambers, a notoriously reactionary Tory judge, even by the standards of his profession, I was prepared to be sent down and I had packed my prison bag, as had my fellow Palestine Actionists. Chambers had clearly prepared his speech well before he entered the court. The mitigation speeches of our barristers I suspect made little or no impression. His intention was to instil fear in us, so it was a pleasant surprise when he gave us the ‘benefit’ of his doubt that we ‘would no longer undertake violent protests’. Of course Palestine Action has never indulged in violent protests. Noone has ever been injured by Palestine Action. Attacking an arms company which specialises in the supply of lethal weaponry to some of the most horrific regimes in the world is the opposite of violence. However these simple truths elude some of the brightest minds in the judicial system. Nonetheless we were happy to promise the probation service that we would not be involved in similar protests in the next two years and we all intend to abide by that promise. Of course we don’t intend to desist from participating in protests against Elbit’s Death Factories. A short resume of what led to my conviction On 7 March 2021 I was rung up out of the blue by someone from Palestine Action who asked me to drive a van to the Midlands and to collect some ladders. Having hired a van I set off at about 9 pm. It was only when I phoned a number from a service station on the M40 that I was given a phone number and the address I was going to. Ctd.... |
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