OscailtPine Gap 4 Head to Darwin, Head to Jail!They're in There For Us, We're on the Loose for Them!
Breaking news: Italian MP, Sgarbi denounces the Statistical Fraud on COVID-19. The speech of the Member of Parliament Vittorio Sgarbi in the session of the Italian Camera, Meeting no. 331 of Friday 24, April, 2020. Vittorio Sgarbi, denounces the closure of 60% of the businesses for 25,000 COVID-19 Deaths, of which the National Institute of Health says 96.3% died NOT of COVID-19 but of other pathologies. That means only 925 have died of the virus. 24,075 have died of other things.2008-02-11T10:17:41+00:00Indymedia Irelandimc-ireland@lists.indymedia.iehttp://www.indymedia.ie/atomfullposts?story_id=86180http://www.indymedia.ie/graphics/feedlogo.gifYoutube Footage from the Gates of Pine Gaphttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2194162008-02-11T10:17:41+00:00MargaretHere are a couple of You Tube videos. I posted from Pine Gap Christians Against ...Here are a couple of You Tube videos. I posted from Pine Gap Christians Against ALL Terrorism 2006. People may be interested.<br />
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There are two speeches one by Ciaron O'Reilly and one by Bryan Law about the functions of the US spy base at Pine Gap in Central Australia.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEtArL7mStI#GU5U2spHI_4" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEtArL7mStI#GU5U2spHI_4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEtArL7mStI#GU5U2spHI_4</a><br />
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Catholic Worker Ciaron O'Reilly speaks at the gates of Pine Gap Oct<br />
7th 06. Action organised by the www.PineGap6.org following Dec 05<br />
"Citizens Inspection" at Pine Ga[www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ciaron_O' Reilly]<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fISiZwT_X4Y&feature=user" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fISiZwT_X4Y&feature=user">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fISiZwT_X4Y&feature=user</a><br />
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Bryan Law's speech at the Gates of Pine Gap US Spy Base outlines the history and purposes of PG. [ www.pinegap6.org] Ends with the<br />
"Transformation of the Sign" telling the truth about PG.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzjdxaRaTf4&feature=user" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzjdxaRaTf4&feature=user">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzjdxaRaTf4&feature=user</a><br />
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Australian citizens line up and make the request of authorities to<br />
inspect Pine Gap US Spy Base as part of www.pinegap6.org attempted citizens inspection of the base. The action resulted in the 5 arrests of those who insisted on inspecting.<br />
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yours in peace<br />
<br />
Margaret<br />
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The Lie of the 'Surge'http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2194532008-02-11T17:21:12+00:00redjadeAs part of the strategy of lulling the world public to sleep regarding the Iraq ...As part of the strategy of lulling the world public to sleep regarding the Iraq War is to use 'Contractors' (aka Corporate Mercenaries) to do the fighting instead of US Military and other countries' troops in the now dwindled 'Coalition of the Willing.'<br />
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So the car bombs and genocide is down (because Maktada al Sadr has called a temporary ceasefire since the end of last summer) and therefore US Troops are dying less (bribed by the US to stop shooting at them - timed for the US primaries)<br />
<br />
But meanwhile no one (but Juan Cole, of course) notices that the Mercs dying - up 17%!<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Juan Cole writes....</em></strong><br />
<strong>US civilian contractor deaths were up 17% in 2007,</strong> which is, according to experts, an "incredible" statistic. Makes a person suspicious that the fall in US military deaths was a little artificial and that contractors were sometimes sent in, instead, and that their deaths do not garner the same attention as those of US troops.<br />
more at<br />
<a href="http://www.juancole.com/2008/02/70-killed-or-found-dead-on-sunday-big.html" title="http://www.juancole.com/2008/02/70-killed-or-found-dead-on-sunday-big.html">http://www.juancole.com/2008/02/70-killed-or-found-dead....html</a><br />
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<small>al Sadr's declared 6 month ceasefire is almost over, by the way</small>Bryan Law in Berrimah Prison, Darwinhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2195072008-02-12T12:32:51+00:00CiaronBryan Law was taken into custody on Monday on his arrival in Darwin. He is prese...Bryan Law was taken into custody on Monday on his arrival in Darwin. He is presently in Berrimah Prison, Darwin.<br />
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Jim Dowling, Adele Goldie & Donna Mulhearn are still on the loose.Jim Dowling, Adele Goldie and Donna Mulhearn Taken Into Custodyhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2195932008-02-13T10:37:40+00:00Jefferson LeeDonna Mulhearn, Adele Goldie and Jim Dowling from the 'Pine Gap Four' were taken...Donna Mulhearn, Adele Goldie and Jim Dowling from the 'Pine Gap Four' were taken into custody this morning Tuesday 13/2/08 at 11am Darwin time (12.30pm e.s.t.) in a private house in the suburb of Ludmilla in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. <br />
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They arrived on flights from Sydney and Brisbane overnight. Police admitted they were under surveillance and tracked their address through car registration numbers. On Monday the fourth member of the group Bryan Law had been taken into custody and sent to Berrima Gaol for refusing to pay fines imposed by an Alice Springs court late in 2007 following the occupation of the US war facility outside Alice Springs known as Pine Gap. <br />
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The three arrested this Tuesday were informed that the police were issuing warrants - Their choice was immediate payment of fines or transference via police vehicle to the Darwin Central lock-up and then processing to Berrimah Gaol. in the Darwin suburbs. The three informed the police they would not pay the fines on principle and were immediately taken into custody. Supporters maintained a two hour vigil outside the Central Lock Up between 11am and one pm (Darwin time) today. (Unfortunately the local media were flat out covering the 'Sorry Day' event and the medical treatment of Timor Leste President Jose Ramos Horta in Darwin Hospital). Overnight there was mention in the 'Northern Territory News' newspaper of the prior arrest (Monday 12/2/08) of Bryan Law. A brief interview with Donna Mulhearn also appeared on ABC Radio. <br />
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The Pine Gap Four were last seen departing the police station at 1pm local time here and will be in Berrimah Gaol for the next 5-6 days Even if they "work off" the fines imposed on them in the Alice Springs court in late 2007, they still face the prospect of the Federal Crown Prosecutor pursuing them in the Darwin Supreme Court - which is listed for hearing on Wednesday 20/2/08. The Federal Crown prosecutor laid original charges against the four under a never before used national security law framed in the 1950s in the context of World War Two and the Cold War. The appeal for a heavier sentence appears vindictive and persecutive because of the success of the non-violent anti war action against Pine Gap where "trespass" by the "Christians Against All Terrorism" group closed the base for a number of hours during the change of shift. <br />
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Local activists in Darwin are calling for the release from gaol of the "Pine Gap - Berrimah Four", the withdrawal of outstanding fines and the withdrawal by the Crown Prosecutor's Office of any appeal attempts to increase penalties. Peace activists who have been contacting the new ALP Attorney General have urged the government to cancel the antiquated laws under which the peace activists were arrested under. <br />
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This statment is issed by eye-witness to their arrest Jefferson Lee from the Australia-East Timor Association who is supporting their immediate release. Solidarity Photos from Down Underhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2196282008-02-13T16:00:16+00:00a cropper, an editor, a midnight photoshopper Drop The Charges Now...Mr. Attorney General...Free The Pine Gap Fourhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2198502008-02-16T04:02:02+00:00Jefferson LeeIn December 2005, four Australian activists ("Christians Against All Terrorism")...In December 2005, four Australian activists ("Christians Against All Terrorism") were arrested while carrying out a citizen's inspection of the U.S. Pine Gap war base, near Alice Springs. In short, a simple "trespass" action which, even then, they had permission from the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land - whereas the builders of this so-called "Space Research Facility" in 1967 never had permission nor sort it. They are the real "trespassers".<br />
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Donna Mulhearn, one of the four, who had previously visited Iraq as a human shield, said afterwards : "How on earth can a hotch-potch group of unfunded, untrained, unarmed (and in my case unfit!) Christian pacifists break into one of America and Australia's most significant military bases, and in relative ease, causing the base to be shut down for several hours? In a nutshell: it was a miracle! For heaven's sake we even told them we were coming!"<br />
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In mid-2007 Jim Dowling, Adele Goldie, Bryan Law & Donna Mulhearn were found guilty at a jury trial in Alice Springs under the Defence Undertakings Act 1952 (the first people to be prosecuted under this act in the 50+ years of its existence - an antiquated "Cold War" law which required the personal signature of former Liberal Party A/G Ruddock to even activate). The Prosecution demanded jail time at that trial, claiming their actions "struck at the heart of the national security and national interest". On the contrary, the Judge, recognizing the peaceful nature of their actions, and influenced by the gut reaction of the four empaneled jurors who reflected the anti-war sentiment in the Australian community, only handed down a fine. Even then, the ridiculous fine of $10,000 for a hole in the wire fence was also imposed. The Crown Prosecutor case revealed that Parliament has been denied the right of any scrutiny over what the American Defence Department actually does inside Pine Gap and added to this by failing to call the American Head of the Base (always an American) to give evidence on the role of the base in prosecuting the Iraq War.<br />
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The Commonwealth Crown Prosecutor's Office, not content with having already wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars on six taxpayer funded Q.C.'s from Sydney in the Alice Springs case, are now appealing the so-called leniency of the sentence before the Darwin Supreme Court - over three days from Wednesday 20th February 2008. This is to silence public disquiet over our involvement by default in the Iraq War in ways that neither the Australian Parliament nor its citizens have any "right to know". How secretive ! How vindictive against the "whistle-blowers"! How undemocratic !<br />
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Why not put the big money legal fees and judicial costs about to be spent in Darwin Supreme Court towards ending the war in Iraq where 75% of Australians disagree with the Howard-Bush "surge" position of open-ended killing or fixing up the other social problems that are rampant in the Northern Territory? Reliable sources say over one million civilians have already died since former PM Howard committed Australian support for the Iraq War adventure in 2002-2003. Australia's complicity in these deaths is exacerbated by our permitting the US to control and run Pine Gap which is integral to missile guidance, etc, which (deliberately?) targets civilians as "collatoral damage" in long distant bombing operations with "smart" and not so "smart" bombs.<br />
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Bryan Law says the appeal is "an opportunity to advocate for judicial recognition in Australia of the nature and special circumstances of civil disobedience crimes, and the kind of sentencing regime which ought to be applied to same in a civilized democracy."<br />
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Clearly the right to civil liberties in Australia, the right to non-violent civil disobedience without undue, harsh, or vindictive punishment and even free speech are all open to challenge in this case. The new Attorney General risks the tainting of his office with the Howard Government "war" tag by allowing this appeal to go ahead. He will forever be seen as having performed Ruddock's "dirty work" if this case proceeds to the appeal level.<br />
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As I write the four offenders are all in Berimah prison serving "time" in lieu of payment of fines imposed by the Alice Springs Court. Now they face another court for the same offence. Sack the Crown Prosecutor now please, if that's the only way to preserve your sense of decency and the credentials of the Labor Party as a party of peace - not war.<br />
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Regards,<br />
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Jefferson Lee,<br />
former member of the Council for Civil Liberties,<br />
Special Projects Officer Australia-East Timor Association<br />
former teacher in Politics, International Relations, Journalism at UNSW, Deakin and UWS Universities, respectively.Heart sinkinghttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2198672008-02-16T13:21:43+00:00DAWC MemberA dark day in the "decent peace-loving people VS the warmongers who have weaved ...A dark day in the "decent peace-loving people VS the warmongers who have weaved themselves into the very fabric of our society" struggle.<br />
My heart genuinely goes out to these folks. At the end of the day, did they kill someone, rape someone, hurt anyone in any way? Of course not. Thugs can walk free and be bound over to keep the peace. But show up the Military and go straight to jail.<br />
Kind of says it all folks. Justice for the masses....as long as they tow the line.<br />
Makes me despair or our home-grown heros - the Raytheon 9. While we're still confident that we can put forward a good case, you never can tell whats going on in the background and what elements within the govrnment will be secretly saying to the solicitors, the judges and even the jury. I only hope that honesty and truth win over, but I won't hold my breath.<br />
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Respect to the Pine Gap 4 for paying the price for their decenct and humanity. We will be thinking fondly of you :o)Donna & Adele Out - Donna's Reflectionshttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2200242008-02-18T12:25:27+00:00MargaretDonna and Adele have been released from prison.
Here are two links with Donna's ...Donna and Adele have been released from prison.<br />
Here are two links with Donna's first reflections on the experience<br />
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<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePilgrim/message/227" title="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePilgrim/message/227">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePilgrim/message/227</a><br />
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<a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePilgrim/message/225" title="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePilgrim/message/225">http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ThePilgrim/message/225</a><br />
<br />
Margaret<br />
Update from Darwinhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2201152008-02-19T09:00:17+00:00DonnaDear friends,
Greetings from wet, stormy Darwin where we are all set for the be...Dear friends,<br />
<br />
Greetings from wet, stormy Darwin where we are all set for the beginning of our appeal tomorrow (Wednesday).<br />
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We have a public meeting in Darwin tonight where we hope to enjoy mutually encouraging discourse with local supporters.<br />
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We have had good local media coverage up here, particularly in the NT News newspaper (quite an achievement considering we did not catch a crocodile!) and on the ABC. I did an interview on the local ABC Radio breakfast show this morning, in which the presenter allowed me to broach a number of subjects including my time in prison, non-violent action, my spirituality, Pine Gap and our court case.<br />
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Other newspapers/organisa tions have run stories on their websites, a selection below: <br />
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http://news. smh.com.au/ protesters- jailed-over- pine-gap- breakin/20080213 -1s1j.html<br />
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<a href="http://www.abc" title="http://www.abc">http://www.abc</a>. net.au/news/ stories/2008/ 02/18/2165915. htm<br />
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<a href="http://www.greenlef" title="http://www.greenlef">http://www.greenlef</a> t.org.au/ 2008/740/ 38300<br />
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<a href="http://www.cathnews" title="http://www.cathnews">http://www.cathnews</a> .com/news/ 802/86.php<br />
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<a href="http://www.westende" title="http://www.westende">http://www.westende</a> r.com.au/ stories.php? s_id=839<br />
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http://webdiary. com.au/cms/ ?q=node/2263<br />
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There is also info and updates on several IndyMedia sites around the world, the best one is the Irish site at the link below. Scroll to the bottom to read the most recent reports and pics of Jim, Adele and Donna going into custody. <br />
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<a href="http://www.indymedi" title="http://www.indymedi">http://www.indymedi</a> a.ie/article/ 86180<br />
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you can contribute to the discussion board there, or the other the UK and Sydney sites, below <br />
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<a href="http://www.indymedi" title="http://www.indymedi">http://www.indymedi</a> a.org.uk: 80/en/2008/ 02/391083. html<br />
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http://sydney. indymedia. org.au/story/ solidarity- text-pine- gap-4-heading- darwin-heading- jail<br />
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Feel free add your comments….<br />
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Adele was released on Monday; she is fine and keen to share about her experience and the conditions in Berrima prison soon. <br />
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We will see Bryan and Jim in court tomorrow; they will attend in custody and sit in the dock. <br />
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We’re all in good spirits and excited about the next leg of the journey.<br />
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Thanks for traveling with us, and for all your wonderful support.<br />
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Donna and Pine Gap colleagues<br />
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All the best Pine Gappers!http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2201792008-02-19T20:03:07+00:00DAWC MemberHi Donna
And greetings back from frosty Derry (minus four to be exact)!
It was g...Hi Donna<br />
And greetings back from frosty Derry (minus four to be exact)!<br />
It was great to hear about you and Adele being released.<br />
Hopefully this will be a taste of things to come and soon you will all be back home and getting on with your lives. Lord knows you all deserve it.<br />
Good luck with the appeal and remember all your friends this side of the planet are rooting for you!We are thinking of youhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2202022008-02-20T06:20:48+00:00DanOur thoughts are with you guys. As usual the have the wrong people in the dock. ...Our thoughts are with you guys. As usual the have the wrong people in the dock. Let's hope justice prevails.a report from pg4- 1st day of the state's appeal for heavier sentencinghttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2203252008-02-21T03:58:56+00:00!Dear friends
After day one of the Pine Gap 4 appeal in the Northern Territory C...Dear friends<br />
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After day one of the Pine Gap 4 appeal in the Northern Territory Court of Appeal in Darwin, I’ll repeat what I’ve been quietly declaring all day: “I think we’re winning…”<br />
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After saying that, I’m mindful of the fact that our legal team is still presenting its case and the Prosecution hasn’t had a chance to speak yet, but that’s a minor detail!<br />
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But realistically, by lunchtime tomorrow I might have a totally different opinion.<br />
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I have to confess I was never really expecting to have our convictions overturned at this appeal, but when I admitted such to our very own QC, Ron Merkel, this morning, his response was “why not? The objective is to win!”<br />
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He then put me and my doubt to shame by proceeding to present five hours of dazzling legal argument, whilst barely taking a breath!<br />
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We won the first legal argument: an application by the Commonwealth and its agencies (ie Dept of Defence, Federal Police, ASIO [Ed. Note ASIO = Australian Security Intelligence organisation]etc) to be party to the appeal and have its lawyers at the table.<br />
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Ron argued that any third party intervention would be “meddling” in a dispute between the crown and the accused.<br />
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“It’s an important matter of principle. The rules of intervention are quite clear,” he told the court.<br />
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“The Crown and Commonwealth will put identical submissions; it would be a bi-lateral attack on the accused.”<br />
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After one hour of debate the panel of three judges returned a ruling against the Commonwealth intervention.<br />
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Round One to Ron Merkel. <br />
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The band of Commonwealth lawyers (5) packed up their bags and retreated. It was a good omen.<br />
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Then the real action of the appeal began: Ron began to lay out his arguments of the appeal which are quite technical and complex. They relate to definitions used in the Defence Special Undertakings Act 1952 (under which we are charged) about what is a “prohibited area”, and matters of procedural unfairness at the trial. <br />
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He reminded the judges that protestors at Pine Gap would normally be charged with trespass and dealt with in the Magistrates Court, and of the significance that no one had ever been charged under the 1952 DSU legislation. <br />
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“The issues the act raises at the time of the offence in 2005 are not the issues parliament had in mind back in 1952,” he said.<br />
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“Pine Gap was not in the contemplation of Parliament in 1952.<br />
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“The legislation has extraordinary power to make any area a prohibited area and trespassers punished with seven years in jail.<br />
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“The act produces such as odd outcome in 2005, 42 years after it was passed.”<br />
I will spare further details of the next five hours of legal argument, the judges asked many technical questions and everyone did their best to follow. But Ron’s conclusion was clear: because of the errors made by the original judge our conviction should be quashed and no new trial ordered.<br />
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And he left this question hanging:<br />
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“One may query why this particular course has been taken against these defendants.”<br />
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One may indeed.<br />
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We had good local support at a vigil outside the courthouse before the appeal began and in the courtroom. Also an excellent report on ABC TV tonight.<br />
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Ron did not finish presenting his arguments today, he continues at 10am tomorrow.<br />
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More news tomorrow,<br />
<br />
We Wonhttp://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2209102008-02-26T04:08:25+00:00Bryan LawIn short form the Pine Gap 4 won their cross appeal against the Defence (Special...In short form the Pine Gap 4 won their cross appeal against the Defence (Special Undertakings) Act, and our convictions were quashed and replaced by acquittals. We remain convicted of the Damage charges under the Crimes Act, but have already all served out the time - and so the first Citizens Inspection of Pine Gap is complete.<br />
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The Commonwealth brought out its big gun legislation to punish our daggy little affinity group.<br />
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And our daggy little affinity group handed them serial legal defeats and made sure they'll never use this legislation again.<br />
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I'm going back to Pine Gap for the second Citizen's Inspection on ANZAC Day April 25 2008.Congratulations Pine Gappers!!!http://www.indymedia.ie/article/86180#comment2209952008-02-27T02:19:14+00:00DAWC MemberHi Bryan
Thats fantastic news!
Congratulations to you all on winning your strugg...Hi Bryan<br />
Thats fantastic news!<br />
Congratulations to you all on winning your struggle against the odds.<br />
You took on the system and effectively beat it.<br />
You folks are an inspiration to the rest of us.<br />
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Fair play to yous all!!!!!