Adam Conway in UK jail for anti-nuke protest

international | crime and justice | news report

Wednesday September 08, 2004 22:53

by Eoin Dubsky - Trident Ploughshares

Trident Ploughshares pledger, Adam Conway (25), was sent to prison for seven days today for refusing to pay a 170 GBP fine he received for an anti-nuke protest back in July 2001. Many Indymedia Ireland readers will know Adam from his tireless work on Shannon, in Gluaiseacht, the Grassroots Gathering, Mayday protests and actions. He helped get legal support docs, legal observers training, and nonviolence workshops together for Shannon protests too.

The case has been a long time in the pipeline. On 31st July 2001 Adam was one of a group of four who blockaded the Construction Gate at the Trident base, while three others blocked the main gate. In October 2002 he was found guilty of a breach of the peace by Justice of the Peace Fraser Gillies.

It was the same magistrate who dealt with the case today, as Adam was asked to give an account of why the fine had not been paid. Adam told the court that his conscience did not allow him to pay. The JP summarily sentenced him to seven days.

It is likely that Adam will serve his sentence in Greenock prison and be released on Friday, with the result that support mail to the prison is unlikely to reach him in time. However, messages of support can be sent to prisoners@tridentploughshares.org and they will be given to Adam on Monday when he again attends the Helensburgh court, this time for cutting through the perimeter fence at Coulport during the Trident Ploughshares camp there last August.

A Trident Ploughshares spokesperson said: “This magistrate’s distaste for peaceful protest against Trident is well known, so the outcome is no surprise. Adam was expecting a jail sentence and accepts that it is the natural result of persistently challenging the criminal behaviour of the British state. Meanwhile the real criminals sit comfortably in Whitehall.”