Nine Greenpeace activists today walked free from court after pleading guilty to conspiring to trespass on a military base, during a peaceful protest against the Star Wars missile defence programme last July.
All nine were given one year probation. No fines were imposed, and all are free to return home. Each of the defendants presented powerful statements to the court prior to sentence, outlining their moral and legal objections to the programme in Los Angeles this morning.
Seven other defendants, including two freelance journalists will be sentenced on April 15th, after the US Attorney's office announced it may demand jail time for some or all of those remaining.
"We are very pleased these nine activists are free to go home, but the US Attorney is needlessly persecuting the remaining activists and journalists," said Greenpeace International disarmament campaigner Mike Townsley. "All have pled guilty to the same charge, all should get the same sentence and go free. There was no need to push for felony charges right at the start of this case, those charges were dropped.(2) There is certainly no justification to single out some for jail time now." he added.
Notes to editors:
The US Attorney's Office dropped the felony charges against al the defendants. All those present in court pled guilty to a misdemeanour offence of conspiring to trespass. Greenpeace in the United States has been bound by a civil injunction preventing US staff from breaking the law at military bases in the US and Marshall Islands that support the Star Wars programme for the next five years.
Star Wars 17 defendants statements on sentencing:
Bill Nandris - UK
Your Honour, I am proud to be associated with Greenpeace and the many people who work so hard to achieve our common aims. We are strong, not only from within but because we have so much support around the world. It has been my privilege to witness this first hand through my involvement in this case and to see the support coming from far and wide. Greenpeace has in the past been ridiculed, subjected to intimidation and even state sponsored terrorist acts, only for its beliefs become enshrined in national and international law. Nuclear weapons tests in the Pacific and in the atmosphere, the dumping of nuclear waste at sea and indiscriminate drift net fishing are some examples that come to mind. It is my sincere wish that the Star Wars system and the National Missile Defence policy go the same way. This will happen because people instinctively know the difference between wrong and right. Encouraging a new nuclear arms race is wrong.
It is of great concern that jail time may be demanded for some of my fellow defendants, two of whom are freelance journalists. I would expect this kind of antic in Zimbabwe, or perhaps Indonesia, but never in the United States of America. Those calling for this forfeit should take a long hard look at their commitment to freedom of speech and the ideals of democracy.
I would like to thank the court for it's consideration in this case and in advance for coming to a sensible conclusion. Behaving peacefully and responsibly in matters of civil dissent is not just a requirement for those involved in protest but also for those charged with upholding the law and dispensing justice. The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental of democratic and civilised society to be treasured, not trampled. Stop Star Wars!
Stuart Lennox - Tasmania
Your Honour, I stand here in this courtroom for choosing to bear witness near Vandenberg Air Force Base to an illegal missile test conducted by the military for the United States Government. I am here not merely representing myself but the sentiments of many people from my home in Tasmania, my country Australia and from around the world who also want to live in a world free of nuclear weapons, nuclear energy and their associated problems.
In my observations of this country I find parallels with poorer so called third world countries that I have visited. Homeless people, poor people begging for money, education and health care shortfalls and I ponder the billions of tax payers dollars already wasted and still to be needlessly spent on the proposed Missile Defence Shield.
After spending a week in one of your prisons, I am positive that the money could be better spent on humanitarian aid to the under privileged of this country and around the world.
Greenpeace as a global organisation has over 30 years worked towards equality and quality of life for all and having been involved for 15 years, it is my belief that although I stand here guilty of trespass, the greater crime is committed by those who would trespass against our right to exercise civil disobedience. I shall stand proudly here today to accept the sentence that the court sees fit to hand out. Thank you.
Samir Nazareth - India
Your Honour, if those who seek peace through non-violent means face criminal charges then it is time the world housed only criminals.
I am dismayed at the government's attempt to jail some of us when we were all in the same boat and pleaded to the same non violent peaceful crime.
John Wills - UK
Your Honour, I conspired to enter Vandenberg Air Force Base without permission, because of my belief that the missile test taking place that day would break the Anti Ballistic Missile treaty and contribute to a new nuclear arms race. This treaty has been instrumental in ensuring a reduction in nuclear weapons world-wide; a breach will ensure a proliferation. So while I accept responsibility for my actions, my beliefs are no different today than they were before my arrest.
I have grave concerns about the number of nuclear weapons in the world at present, and even graver concern about a programme which threatens to increase this number.
The Greenpeace peaceful protest on July 14th was characteristic of some many others that have taken place throughout the world over the past 30 years for the protection of our natural environment. Without protests like these mankind will go on destroying the earth and when there is nothing left, we will be blaming each other for doing nothing about it.
Kelly Osborne - USA
Your Honour, with all due respect. I reckon the prosecution has got the wrong Texan.
Patrik Eriksson - Sweden
Your Honour, I stand here in front of you because I have broken a law in your country. I stand here today to take responsibility for this act. I do believe now as I did then that I had a duty to protest against the missile defence system. I will now explain to you why.
The missile defence system, also known as Star Wars will without doubt lead to a new nuclear arm race. It will clearly break the ongoing process of disarmament, it has indeed already lead to the United States withdrawing from the Anti Ballistic Missile treaty. I cannot and will not accept a future with more nuclear weapons. I believe we all have to work towards a world free from weapons of mass destruction, a world in peace. That is why I chose to break the law during the Greenpeace action to stop the test on the 14th of July 2001.
The consequences of implementing the Star Wars programme has for too long been ignored or misunderstood, both within the United States and around the world. It is a military system that has not been debated. Those consequences will have an effect on the whole planet, not just the United States, and that is why I believe I was right to come here to protest against the missile test in July last year.
This program has and will continue to cost tens of billion dollars. Instead of using this money to make the world more insecure it should be used to protect us from, for example global warming.
Civil disobedience is about standing up for your beliefs in order to make the world a better place. I stood up and said I will not accept a nuclear arms race. I will continue to do that. Civil disobedience is about taking responsibility for your action. I therefore stand here before you today, your honour, to take responsibility for mine.
Finally I just want to say, one can shoot the messenger but not the message.
Nic Clyde- Australia
Your Honour, the prosecution claim they are concerned about upholding the law. Greenpeace also has great respect for the law, which I share. I do not break the law lightly, and believe history will view my actions as closer to law enforcement than to law breaking. There are many examples of this throughout three decades of Greenpeace non-violent protests.
Take the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons at Amchitka or Moruroa, the dumping of nuclear waste at sea, the manufacture and use of CFCs, the clubbing of baby seals for the fur trade, or the slaughter of the great whales in our oceans. All of these activities were once regarded as legal. Society, people and laws change. Now those who would take such actions are the criminals, those of us who worked to stop such practises not only changed the law through our protest, but are now the guardians of it.
It is clear that 'conspiring to trespass' is illegal and therefore, I accept the court's right to judge my action and apply a penalty. In the same spirit of justice, there should be another defendant before this court today - The US government. The July 14 test used a Hawaii based radar system that is not covered by the Anti Ballistic Missile treaty of 1972. By this act the US Government breached both US and international law. I have pointed out that some laws are outdated and need to be changed - the ABM treaty is not among them - "if it ain't brokedon't fix it"!). But by that illegal act, and the subsequent decision to withdraw from the ABM The US is exposing itself and the rest of the planet to an increasing threat of nuclear war.
I am not alone in this belief. Over the last 6 months I have been absolutely amazed by the number of people in Australia - from all walks of life - who have supported our action. These people are not the radical fringethey range from Parliamentarians to school kids Almost without exception, people I have met since July 14, have been astounded that in the USA, the legal definition of peaceful protest is 'double felony'. Likewise, they fail to understand the motives of a system that makes jailbirds out of concerned citizens & millionaires out of weapons manufacturers.
To be fair, you would find Australian surfers who are sympathetic to the persecution of boogie boarders but I reckon even they would stop short of calling them felons.
A few people asked "Why did you do it? If you wanted to make a point you could have stood on the designated patch of grass outside the base with your banner!" Your honour, if this were an effective way to influence decision makers, you would see lobbyists for Boeing, Raytheon and TRW standing on the lawn outside the White House with little cardboard signs politely requesting that the Government buy more missiles. They wouldn't need to get their shareholders into government, and would have saved the USD$50,000,000 spent last year alone lobbying politicians.
If you offered USD$50,000,000 to the peace movement along with a handful of cabinet positions, you would find the need for direct action declining!
Finally your honour, I would also like to comment on the prosecution's request for jail time for some of my colleagues and the two freelance journalists. I am guilty of the same offence. I do not understand why a journalist covering the protest may be jailed, while an activist- who actually participated in the action - should go free.
Katie Flynn-Jambeck
Your Honour, the ultimate goal of my non violent action on July 14th was to prevent the development of the Star Wars missile programme, which, if allowed to develop, will lead to a new nuclear arms race. Working to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons is a goal I believe everyone of us should be working towards.
Jon Aguilar - US
During the last six months I've had the opportunity to participate in America's judicial system. This was my first arrest.
It's been an interesting experience - from being served breakfast in jail at three in the morning to watching the attempts to press a felony charge on me for a non-violent protest. I expected a misdemeanour charge and am prepared to accept a reasonable consequence for it, with the understanding that I have a wife, two stepchildren, a new baby and that I'm the only income provider right now. I participated in the action because I felt compelled to, since the Bush administration was and still is determined to spend billions of our dollars on an idea, that will never provide a true defence for America. Nevertheless, it's still being rammed down our throats without our permission.
Will I stop being an activist, No. But, because I have a family, I'll certainly choose my battles more carefully, since the current political climate in America appears to be one based on fear and ready to strike out blindly against those who don't play the flag-waving, God Bless America, keep-your-mouth-shut game.
This Star Wars protest was both my first action with Greenpeace and my first act of physical protest. I'm a new breed of activists - an educated, third party voting, meat eating, family man. I grew up in the Midwest. My dad was a Baptist preacher and everyone in my family, except me, votes Republican.
I served four years in the Marine Corps and two in the Army's 82nd Airborne. I was involved in military operations in Panama and Haiti, received numerous awards, citations and two honourable discharges. I studied politics of terrorism and nuclear arms issues in Israel and I'm keenly aware of most domestic and international current events. In other words, I intelligently formulate my own opinions and beliefs. And I assert my rights as a U.S. citizen.
After travelling or living in 15 countries, I've taken many long, hard looks at American foreign policies and actions abroad. I've seen plenty of major failures and then some moments of brilliance. The missile defence program, however, is and will be a major failure. It's a monster created by Cold War-era politicians, greedy defence contractors and misguided policy makers with plenty of university degrees but I'll bet little to no experience in the field - out among the world's citizenry. Imagine what would happen in American politics if policy makers listened to Serbian teenagers talk about growing up in the middle of a vicious civil war; looked at the stomachs of Palestinian youths scarred with bullet wounds; talked with an Israeli mother who's pregnant daughter-in-law narrowly escaped a suicide bomber; or watched an innocent Panamanian fisherman futilely beg a U.S. military officer to be allowed to close the freezer doors in his warehouse so his day's catch wouldn't rot. I'll bet, these policy makers would see a lot more grey in their black and white world. And just maybe, instead of wasting billions of bucks on their cool missile shield idea - because they can - they'd see the wisdom in offering up some economic incentives or opening up channels of dialogue rather than imposing either/or policies and solutions.
What I've really learned these six months is that in the end the only person I can change is myself, but that I must always be ready and willing to take action when I see the future of my children threatened by ignorance. Most importantly, though, I must show and teach my kids that they CAN step out into their world without fear, with their arms wide open, staying always curious to seek out answers to all their questions.
Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace UK press office on 020 7865 8255
