Justice4Bolton Court Cases - Show your Solidarity
Last Updated on Sunday, 10 October 2010 16:32 Tuesday, 21 September 2010 16:36
Thousands of people protested in Bolton against the EDL on 20th March.
We now know of five anti-fascists who have been charged with offences and whose court cases will begin on 4th October at Bolton Magistrates Court.
We are calling upon every anti-racist and ant-fascist to send solidarity delegations, donations and/or messages of support to the people who are on trial on 4th – 5th October, 11th October, 20th October and 4th November. Messages can be sent from the Justice4Bolton website.
A model motion in pdf format on the Justice for Bolton campaign is attached to this article. It can be used to rally support for the cases in union branches. A show of solidarity is being organised by justice4bolton outside Bolton Magistrates' Court at 9.30 am on Monday, October 4. Further presences outside the court will take place on the days of the trials which are October 4th, October 5th, October 11th, October 20th and November 4th.
Leading UAF members Weyman Bennett and Rhetta Moran who protested against the Bolton EDL provocation have draconian conspiracy charges hanging over their heads--these were the same sort of trumped-up charges based on arcane laws that were used against the Shrewsbury 24 striking building workers in the 1970s--one of whom was actor Ricky Tomlinson.
What do Conspiracy Charges Mean?
Some of the anti-fascist activists who were arrested in Bolton face potential charges of conspiracy to incite violent disorder. Use of conspiracy laws is a highly unusual and very worrying step, which threatens both anti-racist activity and wider civil liberties. Here is a three-point guide that illustrates the danger of such charges.
Breadth of scope for the prosecution…
A conspiracy charge on the one hand is very narrow in that the prosecution only have to prove that there was an agreement, a plot to commit a crime. The plot is the criminal act itself. However in another way it is a very broad charge in that the agreement can be proved by inferences – that is circumstances from which it can presumed.
No need for actual disorder…
A conspiracy to commit violent disorder would be an agreement to commit violent disorder. The actual violent disorder need not have taken place, if the plot or agreement can be proved. That means the prosecution only have to prove a plot and can draw on what evidence they like that could infer there was a plot.
No need for alleged ‘conspirators’ to correspond…
A conspiracy can exist between persons who have neither seen nor corresponded with each other.