Today [Friday 14th Nov '97] three editors of Green Anarchist (GA) Noel
Molland (24), Steve Booth (38) and Saxon Burchnall-Wood (24), are starting
a three year sentence convicted of "conspiracy to incite criminal damage"
for reporting on direct action in the pages of their organ. A fourth man,
Simon Russell, editor of the Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group (ALF
SG) newsletter, was found not guilty.

After a trial ( nicknamed 'GANDALF'- GA and ALF) lasting nearly three
months and costing 2 million pounds the jury took an incredible four days
before delivering a verdict that has sent shock waves through the world of
alternative press.

"This ludicrous sentence is just trying to scare us into silence, but the
last thing the defendants would want is for people to stop taking part or
writing about direct action. As far as we're concerned, it's business as
usual." - Jo Makepeace, SchNEWS

The trial was the culmination of Operation Washington which, according to
police, had been running for two years, and at its height involved 60
cops. Throughout the course of 1995/6, 55 raids were made across the UK,
with people getting their doors kicked in for such trivial reasons as
buying a GA t-shirt mail order and writing to one of the defendants while
he was on remand!

From the very beginning the trial quickly degenerated into a farce:

* One defendant, Paul Rogers, was severed from the current trial when his
barrister resigned rather than call a secret state witness

* The extensive use of Public Interest Immunity orders meant that many
documents couldn't be shown to jury or defence

* Judge Selwood, an ex major general in the army, at one point described
Green Anarchist as "the most contemptuous document I have ever seen in my
entire career ".

* At one stage Sgt Gunner, one of the Operation Washington team was sent on
a week long all expenses paid 'fact finding' trip to Italy, because he
believed that someone in Italy had receieved a letter from a defendant that
was relevant to the investiagtion!

* One of the defendants was accused of the 'crime' of putting a report about
the Justice Department on the internet. In fact it was North American ALF SG
co-ordinator Darren Thurston who did and the court agreed legal aid to fly
him in from Vancouver, Canada. However on arrival at Heathrow, he was
immediately deported as an 'undesirable alien' on advice from the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police! (that country's equivalent of the Special Branch)
And as one defendant pointed out to SchNEWS: "It's no co-incidence that
Portsmouth was chosen- a highly conservative military dependant area with
the second highest conviction rate in the country."


Conspiracy
The case has highlighted the whole issue of Britain's conspiracy laws which
according to StateWatch are "the most repressive in Europe." According to
the prosecution, even just reporting the facts about animal liberation or
eco-defence actions constitutes incitement, let alone printing opinions in
favour of these. As you can imagine many believe the conspiracy/incitement
laws to be a bit of a 'catch all', with its heavy penalties making it a
useful tool in surpressing direct action after the failure of the Criminal
Justice Act.

The implications could affect the whole of the alternative media - during
the trial magazines such as the Lancaster Bomber, and early issues of Do or
Die - the journal of Earth First! were held up as material likely to incite.

As the statement of solidarity - signed by over 300 groups and individuals
pointed out "It is vital that the press - alternative, independent, radical,
liberal and establishment - unite to defend the basic freedoms under attack
in this case: freedom of speech and freedom of the press. It is not for the
police to determine the limits of our discussions........ It is not the
reporting of direct action which incites further direct action;
environmental degradation, animal abuse, economic injustice, attacks on
freedom, weapons exports, nuclear weapons, lack of democratic process -
these, among many others, are the inciting factors."


What Now?
All three are immediately to appeal their convictions; meanwhile the CPS are
attempting to bring Paul Rogers to trial next year, while Robin Webb who was
acquited last December is facing an appeal by the Crown Prosecution to
prosecute later this month.

Please write
Write to the 3 "guilty" men at: HMP WINCHESTER
Romsey Rd
Winchester, UK
SO22 5DS
As we went to press, the 3 hadn't been issued numbers, but the prison told
us mail would still get to them. contact


More details
Gandalf Defendants Campaign
P.O. Box 66 SG1 2TR
Fax: 00 44 1474 815 458
www.cbuzz.co.uk/SchNEWS
Green Anarchist
BM 1715
London WC1N 3XX

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