OZ Catholic Workers Acquitted for Criminal Damage Charges Arising from Exorcism of Raytheon Brisbane
international |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report 
Saturday July 26, 2008 13:00
by Jim Dowling - Peter Maurin Catholic Worker Farm
Peter Maurin Catholic Worker Farm, Dayboro, Queensland, Australia
Australian Raytheon witness Acknowledges Raytheon 9 Action & Acquittal!
An hour after a Wynnum magistrate found Lisa Bridle and I not guilty of
"disobeying a police direction", police rang my home to let me know that Raytheon did not
wish to proceed with willful damages charges resulting form another (our
third) exorcism at their Brisbane offices.
Although the two charges are not related and under different acts, it
appears Raytheon once again is more afraid of further embarrassment , than
it is concerned with prosecuting people who "damage" their property.
The court case yesterday got underway with Raytheon Project
Manager Russell Daniels giving evidence Russell started out making the
ridiculous claim that he heard us shouting "verbal obscenities". When
pressed to elaborate by Lisa under cross examination, Russell said that he found us
talking about Raytheon killing children obscene. Despite prosecution
objections, Lisa was allowed to answer her next question which was, Did he find
it obscene that Raytheon weapons actually killed and mutilated so many
children?
Russell proceeded to deny (rather unconvincingly, I thought), any knowledge
of Raytheon bombs.
During my cross examination, I asked Russell if Cruise Missiles, Harm
Missiles, Paveway missiles, any other Raytheon missiles, or
any of the 4 types of Raytheon cluster bombs were made at his offices.
He denied it, and when asked if he knew about these weapons being made by
Raytheon, he once again denied nay knowledge of it. (He had been working for
Raytheon for 5 years). Russell was also shown the 3 A3 posters that we had
put on their office walls, depicting Raytheon weapons and children
mutilated by Raytheon weapons (Photos from a market place bombing in Baghdad and
the infamous Qana bombing). He read out the words "War Crimes by
Raytheon", but said he had not looked at these posters closely before despite them
being left on his office walls on 3 separate occasions. Hear no evil. See no
Evil. Speak no evil.
Later a young Raytheon secretary claimed no knowledge of Raytheon making
weapons at all.
Most interestingly however, Russell did admit knowing about the Ryahteon9
action in Ireland! So these brave Irish resisters can take heart that their
message has reached the furtherest outposts of the Raytheon Corporate
empire.
Lisa gave evidence that while she as a mother observing the suffering of
mothers in Lebanon or Baghdad, and how powerless they must feel, as Raytheon
weapons destroyed their lives. She could see how much easier it was for her
as middle class Australian to act. So act she did.
I was allowed to read details of Robert Fisk's description of a cluster bomb attack
which ripped apart at least 9 children in Hillah,Iraq. I then referred to the Raytheon
website where they proudly describe their cluster bombs and that at least 400
had been used in Iraq by the US forces (That is up to 800,000 bomblets with 160
million razor sharp pieces shredding ' "soft" area targets') This last phrase is
from Raytheon's own website). I then explained how I believed only the demonic could
account for ordinary people being involved in the construction of such evil
devices. This then led to our attempt at exorcism of the Raytheon corporation.
In summing up Lisa pointed out that she had "a reasonable excuse" fro doing
what we did, but also pointed out that the charge the police had used was
unlawful because under that act they could only move us on if it was a public
place or a shop. The prosecutor tried to argue that it was a public place, but after
much deliberation the magistrate was forced to agree
with Lisa, and we were found not guilty.
When I arrived home (the next morning as it turned out after breaking a fan
belt), Anne directed me to the message from the Morningside
police who had charged me with wilful damage for our third exorcism. The
voice on the answering machine informed me that I did not have to appear
in court next Monday as "The complaint had been withdrawn".
Hope this will inspire others. From little things, big things grow..
For our part Raytheon can expect to see us again.. soon.
For background and photos of original action.....
http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87327
Comments (5 of 5)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5Well done people! The message is spreading slowly.
Brisbane's Mainstream Media Covers Up for Raytheon
http://bushtelegraph.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/a-questio...-1114
The four big defence companies in Australia; Raytheon, Boeing, Thales, and BAE, are now allowed to hire, fire and re-deploy people based on where they were born.
Under a recently signed defence trade agreement between Australia and the U.S. Australian based arms dealers are required to investigate the birthplace of their workers and anti-discrimination laws have been bent to allow this.
Countries proscribed include: Afghanistan, Belarus, Burma, China, Cyprus, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, North Korea, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe.
Employees effected just have to have been born in any of these countries (Australian citizenship is not considered) and the U.S. can add to or change this list anytime they like.
Read more http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/stories/200...cript
Yesterday nine of us returned to Raytheon’s Brisbane offices to carry out our fifth deliverance rite (exorcism).
At the same time Brisbane Convention Centre was host to a week long “Land Warfare Conference”. Merchants of death such as Raytheon, British Aerospace, and even the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) had their latest weapons on display.
Apparently (haven’t been in myself), a tank, jointly made by Raytheon and Samsung, features prominently as you enter the front door. (Fascinating news to those of us arriving at the Raytheon offices about ten kilometres away, as we discover the adjoining building to Raytheon is the Samsung building. We had no previous knowledge of Samsung being involved in war profiteering before being shown an advertisement for this new tank.)
A number of people had been outside the Convention centre with placards and Banners, and a sneaky enterprising person managed to write ”No War” in big red letters on the front of the building. It is reported that Veteran activist Gareth Smith was arrested while attempting to enter the convention centre. He was posing as an upstanding citizen. I am not sure if he was hoping to buy a Raytheon tank or discuss the finer points of genocide with the IDF, but he was arrested before he had the chance to do either, or similar “upstanding citizen” type actions. He will appear in court at a later no doubt charged with “disturbing the war” or similar heinous crime.
Meanwhile, back to the nine of us at Murrarie.
As well as the tools of exorcism, we brought imitation cluster bombs – yellow painted drink cans labelled “Raytheon” with details of the real product and its affects inside. We placed the cluster bombs around the front foyer and in the garden, and commenced our liturgy. We read our exorcism prayer for nearly an hour inside and outside the foyer which we had posted with colour pictures of Raytheon handiwork – the victims of war. As usual, police finally came, four of them freshly from defending the Convention centre war fest.
The usual discussion ensued about the “correct way” to “protest”; us explaining the difference between a “protest” and an exorcism; and the police telling us we would be “removed” if we did not move from the property.
We then joined our friends on the footpath with placards and banners. One young officer from the Bomb Squad made an effort to come up and tell us how strongly he supported us. (Directing him to the bomb-makers upstairs got nowhere, of course). He passionately stated his opinion that we would be much better off staying outside Raytheon property and educating the public form the footpath. We thanked him for his advice and asked him to join us sometime. (Somehow I don’t think either of us will take up the other’s suggestions quickly)
A mild diversion ensued after police went away to another part of the property. A person who worked for Raytheon or the property owners, grabbed a couple of signs which Gaby had put down. He ran away with them when challenged. Feeling the need for a little exercise, I gave chase along with Gaby. “I bet I can run faster than you”, I called out as we headed through the car park. “Yeh, but what are you going to do then?”, he called back. “Get the signs back “, was my reply. (But really I was thinking, “I don’t know!”). Soon after though, he threw the signs over a 2 ½ meter high enclosure around industrial bins, and I climbed over and got them. Coming back over the police were nearby. We explained what had happened and they told off the Raytheon worker. (Or at least they said they did). And that was the end of the morning exercise.
So mild diversions aside, the struggle with the demonic forces behind Raytheon continues. Give us a call if you want to join us next time.
Peace
Jim Dowling
Peter Maurin Catholic Worker Farm
16th May 2009
Raytheon resisters receive $500 or ten days
Two people who occupied the lifts Of Raytheon office last November yesterday received $500 fines in Wynnum (Brisbane/Australia) magistrates court.
Another trial before theirs enabled a small group to picket the courthouse for two hours with signs such as “Put Raytheon on Trial”. They also placed bright Yellow canisters around the front of the court. Each canister contained information about the Raytheon cluster bombs which they resembled.
Bernie Moloney and Jim Dowling are part of a group engaged in ongoing resistance to the presence of Raytheon in Brisbane . Raytheon are the world’s largest manufacturer of Guided missiles, as well as manufacturing four types of cluster bombs, and various other weapons of mass destruction.
During the trial Bernie and Jim were able to describe and show pictures of Raytheon slaughter, as well as cross examine a Raytheon security worker Kevin Smyth.
Kevin had been with Raytheon for ten years, but claimed only to be made aware of Raytheon's manufacture of cluster bombs etc, by the trial. When asked if it concerned him that Raytheon was responsible for the carnage depicted in the photos in front of him, he replied, “No not at all”. His disturbed appearance belied his answer, however.
All the police witnesses were also obviously disturbed by their role in defending such a corporation. However appeals to higher consciences as well as the Nuremburg Principles of International Law, met with the usual numb response. The magistrate himself remained stoic throughout the proceedings, while giving Bernie and Jim considerable leeway to ask questions many magistrates would have not allowed.
Bernie and Jim both informed the magistrate that they would not be paying any fine.
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