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Oxford Iraq

05-10-2006 14:23 | 0 comment(s)

B52 disarmers on trial this week

Toby + Phil outside court on day one of the trial
Update (11/10/06): The trial resulted in a hung jury, with the jurors unable to agree on a verdict after over 12 hours of deliberation!

The trial of two Oxford peace activists who attempted to disarm B52 bombers on their way to Iraq is taking place all this week. Toby Olditch and Phil Pritchard went into Fairford airbase just two days before the planes were used, hoping to disable the bombers and thus save civilian lives in Iraq and inspire others to action.

They were arrested before reaching the planes but have gone on to fight a high-profile legal battle, using their case to challenge the legality of the war and raise awareness. The upshot of this has been that various courts, up to and including the House of Lords, spinelessly (but predictably) refusing to allow arguments about the legality of the war. The legal argument for the trial now focuses on Phil and Toby's reasonable belief that they were acting to prevent war crimes.

Support at court is very welcome during the trial, either to come inside or with banners etc outside; Bristol Crown Court is on Small Street, off Corn Street, in Bristol town centre. Check the trial blog for the latest updates.

Margaret Jones and Paul Milling's trial for a similiar action resulted in a hung jury recently and they are awaiting a re-trial.

Meanwhile a Peace Picnic takes place this Saturday 7th October at RAF Croughton, a local US/UK spybase.

B52two trial blog | B52two homepage | trial report | press release

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29-04-2005 21:25 | 1 comment(s)

RAF Brize Norton Antiwar Demo and Peace Camp

Brize Norton Peace Camp banner
A strange thing happened in the town of Carterton today (23/4/05)– a peace march, believed to be the very first ever protest march through the town.

Carterton is host to RAF Brize Norton - Britains main airbase for waging the war and occupation in Iraq. Most of the British Troops that fly out to Iraq do so from Brize Norton as does much of the supplies. Carterton community is heavily dependent on the base for work and thus heavily affected by British war casualties.

The demo explicitly aimed to interact with the people of Carterton: its message "The war/occupation is illegal and immoral - support the troops bring them home."

report | report+pics | more pics

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10-11-2004 11:09 | 0 comment(s)

Die-in makes a real impact in Cornmarket

Update 10/11/04: On Saturday the attack on Falluja started. Since then there have been protests and actions all over the UK, including vigils in Oxford. Keep an eye on the calendar for more protests or plan your own and tell us

Last Thursday, with the horror of the US build up to the attack on Falluja coming ever closer dead bodies in Cornmarket made a sombre impact. The public were noticeably moved to see a number of bodies, some of whom appeared to have blood on them. They were lying on the street in Cornmarket, the main shopping street in Oxford. All around them were statements chalked on the pavements giving information and explanations. This caused people to stop longer to read what they said. Others took the leaflets or read the posters which had more information.

This was a 'die in' organised by OSAN to remind people of the over 100,000 Iraqi's who have already died since the invasion. With a loud speaker Moslem women and others read out the names of those who have died, their age and how they died. For many of them the cause of death was shrapnel. While I was giving out leaflets I watched the public stopping and with puzzled stares look at the bodies while they listened to the names of the dead Iraqis. It was as if they could not move on and a great sadness seemed to hang over the street. Many people told me they were in support. Of course there were the others who said that it was a waste of time or that we were wrong but the main response was one of real sorrow, feelings of desperation and a need to show we do not agree with what is happening during this very illegal occupation.

report | report + pics | OSAN | NOW | Voices

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09-10-2004 15:02 | 0 comment(s)

Fairford Coach case in Court of Appeal

Denied The Right
The Fairford coach case is at the Court of Appeal this week, on the 14 and 15 of October. The coach detainees will be taking the police to court once again over the basic human right to protest and the right not to be detained. The following press release recently appeared on the Fairford Coach Action website.

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05-02-2004 14:35 | 12 comment(s)

No More Whitewashes!

Nine members of the public decided to use Prime Minister's Question Time today to question directly Tony Blair on the important issues of the occupation of Iraq, and the real reasons that the United Kingdom went to war. Refusing to be silent on hearing the Prime Minister's evasions on these important issues, each stood up and made one simple demand: "No more whitewashes, Tony!"

The Oxford residents are all furious at Parliament's inability to hold the Government to account over its war, which resulted in the deaths of over 10,000 Iraqi civilians, and the subsequent occupation which has killed thousands more Iraqis, as well as hundreds of American and British soldiers. The protestors were keen to point out that the war on Iraq, as well as the occupation, was illegal under international law, regardless of the presence or absence of weapons of mass destruction.

The disrupted speech came several hours after demonstrators dressed as judges poured white paint over downing street's gates in a protest against the government's persistant clearing of itself of any wrong-doing.

Press Release | Report | Solidarity statement and "heckling guide"

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28-09-2003 09:29 | 6 comment(s)

End the Occupation Demo 27th Sept

Aerial view looking towards Speakers Corner and Park Lane

Between 10 and 100 thousand people (eleven ?) from all over Britain marched against the occupation of Iraq in London yesterday.

Pictures and comments: [ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 ]
Pictures, story and comments: [ 1 ]
Women contingent: [report and pics]
Video: [1 long clip, 1 short clip, 1 quicktime virtual tour of crowd]
Debate about coverage of demo on IMC: [ 1 ]

Simultaneously, in Edinburgh a banner drop and a rally took place, whilst it was streaming down with rain.

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19-08-2003 23:00 | 3 comment(s)

Judicial Review Granted in RAF Fairford Coach Case

fairford coach case pic
Peace campaigners have won the right to challenge police decisions to detain and prevent them from demonstrating against the war on Iraq at Fairford air base in March this year. Over 120 people from two coaches were searched, detained, and forcibly returned to London with a huge police escort. Granting permission for their judicial review case to proceed Mr Justice Richards commented that the issues it raised were "substantial" and "of importance" to merit a full High Court hearing.

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17-07-2003 13:41 | 1 comment(s)

LIBERTY Slams Use of Anti Terrorism Act to Suppress Peace Protests - Did the Home Secretary Lie to Parliament?

LIBERTY, the human rights group, has released a 13 page report focusing on the policing of anti-war demonstrators around USAF Fairford, Gloucestershire, during the concentrated bombing of Iraq earlier this year. The damning report details fundamental breaches of the European Convention on Human Rights in the extensive use of anti-terrorism laws to prevent citizens taking part in legitimate protest and to harrass them (by mid-april the campaign group Gloucestershire Weapons Inspectors alone had recorded 89 stop and searches under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000 carried out against just 26 people!), as well as the excessive use of various other public order legislation. At its most extreme an anti-terrorist order was served on an 11-year-old girl (her father is now seeking legal redress) and 3 coach loads of demonstrators were "kidnapped" by police (see indymedia feature), also the subject of a legal action (also see Fairford Coach Action).

Download full Liberty report: (pdf)
Corporate Media Coverage of Liberty report
War on Freedom and Democracy (10 page Statewatch pdf, Sept 02)

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25-06-2003 13:25 | 0 comment(s)

Oxford peace activists seem to be winning the legal battle

Coming out free...
Update: Charges of obstruction of the highway against Anna and David have been dropped. However, the case of another Oxford activist accused of causing 8,333 pounds worth of damage to the main gates of USAF Fairford has been transferred to Cirencester Magistrates Court.

Toby and Phil, the 'B-52 Two', were granted bail Friday the 20th and finally have their freedom! Charged with conspiracy to cause criminal damage when they tried to disarm a B52 warplane at RAF Fairford in March 2003, they pleaded not guilty as they acted lawfully to uphold international law. The Gloucester Crown Court will make a judgement on the legality of the war on 19 September.

Several other people with Fairford related cases had good news also. Two Oxford activists were offered bindovers in place of charges of aggravated trespass, a citizen from Oxford pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal damage and aggravated trespass - the case was adjourned, and two others had their charges of criminal damage to the main gate of Fairford completely dropped. Mysteriously the gate -related charge of another Oxford activist is still being pursued and was adjourned for the time being.

* The "B-52 Two" WEBSITE
* pictures of Phil and Tobi getting out of jail
* video of a vigil held by supporters of Phil and Tobi outside Gloucester Prison
* Prisoners for Peace website
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Oxford Iraq Feature Archive >>

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Image BAe confronted in Oxford
05-11-2010 22:09 | 1 comment(s)

Image Smash EDO visit Oxford
10-10-2010 11:50 | 0 comment(s)

Text War recruiters disrupted in Oxford
06-10-2010 16:39 | 1 comment(s)

Text Oxford Peace Plaque
15-09-2010 20:04 | 1 comment(s)

Text escape from Campsfield ends in recapture
06-09-2010 09:41 | 0 comment(s)

Image Election posters subverted in East Oxford
04-05-2010 23:59 | 2 comment(s)

Text map of arms dealers in Oxford - take action in the run up to DSEi
25-08-2009 16:41 | 0 comment(s)

Audio Iraq War Crime Cover-Up - Expert evidence the David Kelly inquest never heard
07-06-2009 23:18 | 0 comment(s)

Text Emergency Vigil for Syria
27-10-2008 21:31 | 1 comment(s)

Image Peace Action London- Thurs 25th September
18-09-2008 09:22 | 0 comment(s)

Text Campsfield detainees on hunger strike
12-08-2008 23:38 | 0 comment(s)

Image 'Squashed Princess DI'!
05-07-2008 22:20 | 0 comment(s)

Image Brian Haw, Peace Champion, to speak at Oxford Union
07-02-2008 12:35 | 0 comment(s)

Text Help Needed! NO Oxford date
04-02-2008 16:06 | 0 comment(s)

Text brian haw 'walk for peace' to speak at oxford union 'queen and country' debate
29-01-2008 00:31 | 1 comment(s)

Text Don't Attack Iran! Candlelight Protest
21-11-2007 13:08 | 5 comment(s)

Image 9/11 ... 07 : SIX YEARS OF MASS DECEPTION
11-09-2007 13:25 | 3 comment(s)

Text Its in the blood
12-08-2007 15:55 | 0 comment(s)

Text Assembly details for Gordon Brown Hustings Demonstration, June 10th
08-06-2007 13:53 | 12 comment(s)

Text Gordon Brown Husting in Oxford this Sunday (June 10)
07-06-2007 13:49 | 0 comment(s)

Text Gordon Brown....Hustings in Oxford June 10
03-06-2007 17:11 | 0 comment(s)

Text Protest Against New Labour!
29-05-2007 15:10 | 8 comment(s)

Text B52 Two NOT Guilty
23-05-2007 11:23 | 0 comment(s)

Text B52 Two not guilty!
23-05-2007 10:28 | 0 comment(s)

Text Oxford Students Stop the War Coalition Meeting - 10th May
09-05-2007 23:02 | 1 comment(s)

Text US War Crimes in Iraq on Trial in Bristol Crown Court, Monday 14 May 2007
09-05-2007 13:23 | 0 comment(s)

Image "Naming the Dead" ceremony in Reading, Berks.
21-03-2007 09:15 | 0 comment(s)

Text Oxford Anti War/No Trident march this Saturday 17th March
14-03-2007 15:53 | 1 comment(s)

Text East Oxford Stop the War Leafleting
07-02-2007 22:39 | 0 comment(s)

Text East Oxford Stop the War
27-01-2007 18:09 | 0 comment(s)

Text Peace Activist Jailed today
22-01-2007 15:48 | 6 comment(s)


Oxford Iraq Newswire Archive >>

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