Help out a MayDay Arrestee

by reviewer Wed May 19, 2004 17:38

Having reviewed a number of different collections of footage from the navan road, I have not yet come across one instance of the gardai instructing people to leave the area.

What they did do was to repeat any number of times that "If you do not leave this area immediately, force will be used" but they never said people had to go.....

by iosaf Sun May 16, 2004 14:50

An attempt to over-view the Gulf Conflicts as one protracted campaign against Tyranny, Corruption and New World Order Nastyness.

Such a model might prove useful in that it would involve the same characters, and other ones. Daddy Bush would play a bigger part, and the words "proxy war" would naturally come into the essays, columns and comments. And the human rights abuses in this region of the planet which are the most unacceptable anywhere could be examined without propaganda.

The Start date could be the Iraq-Iran War.
http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/ShalomIranIraq.html
shalom iran iraq. i love zmag.

by lina Sun May 16, 2004 00:11

"This is our chance to make utter arses of the pigs"


did you call them pigs to their faces ? no wonder you were arrested .

by guest Sat May 15, 2004 21:11

For gods sake the Guards made many requests over loadspeakers for the crowd to disperse.

That counts as a request to remove your person.

by Ciaron - Dublin Catholic Worker Sat May 15, 2004 02:44 087 918 4552

Good one Fergus...nonviolent resistance canbe the most empowering experience of your life or the most disempowering. It's all got to do with the solidarity the movement musters. It helps when people facing the courts ask for help.

In the first Gulf War more serious resistance came out of the U.S. military than the U.S. peace movement. The peace movement called on the military not to go to Iraq to kill. By the time the 400 court martials came the peace movement had largely collapsed and evaporated, leaving the young military resisters isloated. Many went to the military courts without peace movement support, many received 6 months - 6 years for their nonviolent nonco-operation.

Think I remember you and your younger borther joing us in the red dyed pool statue transformation at Shannon in Dec 2002. Nice act of solidarity then, hope you get it returned a hundredfold.

Don't let the begrudgers get you down, their cyniciism is a thin veil for their cowardice. They live on a short leash.

Hope to be in contact soon.

by David C. Fri May 14, 2004 21:37

What are you charged with, Fergus? Is it breach of the peace? It doesn't sound like you did anything illegal. The Guards might have some photographic evidence of your arrest themselves, and you should be able to force them to hand it over during the discovery phase before your trial. Do you have a solicitor? You might also try to use a FOIA request. Even if you're denied then you can use the denial to suggest ill intent on the guard's part. RTE might also have something - they usually have lots of footage that they don't air. A bunch of letters showing that you tried to prove innocence will help a lot. Also try to look into the record of the Guard who's a witness against you - they might have a few shady things that you can use to cast doubt on his/her word.

Even if you can't get any photo/video evidence there's still lots of ways you can defend yourself. Gather ideas from other Indymedia participants!