07/28/08
"Exorcism" charges dismissed
Brisbane peace activists cleared of all charges in Raytheon protest action
Jim Dowling of "Citizens Against All Terrorism" describes events at the trial:
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, itappears 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 ustalking 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, orany 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" for 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 appearin 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
Related Link: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87327
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, itappears 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 ustalking 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, orany 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" for 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 appearin 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
Related Link: http://www.indymedia.ie/article/87327
advertisement
advertisement