On Thursday I was found guilty of being a “sensible and well behaved protestor” at Fortnum and Mason on March 26th. My court case was meant to go on until November 30th. However, the prosecutor’s case collapsed on Monday. Thankfully the swift end of the case gives me a lot more time to take part in the mobilizations for November 23rd and November 30th.
Despite being found guilty I am incredibly grateful for an excellent defence by committed lawyers who were willing to work on the legal aid that was not granted to all defendants. They managed to cut up a weak prosecution in court. The trouble is in our immensely unjust and bias justice system. Most don’t get access to fair representation and a competent defence.
Perhaps it is true that judges can’t be pressured into convicting, but more often than not they don’t need to. “Hang em high” magistrate can be found all across the court system, convicting without evidence on prejudice. The magistrates’ system is a farce: in September a magistrate sent me to prison for ten days, without being found guilty of anything, before an appeal got me out. A guard in prison who had worked in the service all his life told me he could “weep with shame” the system was so bad. Fundamentally its existence is the ultimate breech of the right to be trailed by a jury of our peers. The system works, that one man and usually one white man often a volunteer with no legal training is handed the power to convict and sentence on his own prejudices (though in our case, we had a district judge).
At the same time as we have made system that has ample opportunity to create injustice, such the conviction of me and 9 others today. We have stripped away from most the chance of a successful defence. Legal aid has been basically destroyed, I earn £14,400 pounds per annum I have little savings, despite the fact that court costs add up to between £10,000 and £20,000 pounds I don’t qualify for the legal aid. Thankfully a good lawyer wanted to represent me anyway. In prison I met dozens of people who didn’t get a lawyer, who were not granted legal aid and were then sent down by a magistrate.
We are spending millions going after peaceful protestors like myself, the cost of the prosecution, arrest and trial of the Fortnum and Mason protestors will likely come out to be well over £100,000 pounds a similar figure to the costs spent pursuing the peaceful Brighton Ukuncut protestors. Even more is being spent on repressive “total policing”, 4000 officers in a ludicrous operation were on the streets of London for November 9th.
The government is not interested in stopping violent protests but, rather protests themselves. We must start to show more solidarity to all protestors who are being victimised by state authorities. Frank Fernie spent months in Jail for, in anger, throwing a balsa wood stick at a line of full armoured riot police hardly act that showed intent to harm. Did we do enough for him? He was singled out and sent down by a justice system that wants to smother our movement.
Getting a letter in prison from a stranger in solidarity reminds you, you have done nothing wrong that you are there for a reason. Send a letter now to prisoner you can find address here. Don’t get put off of taking direct action, it is after all the only thing that works. We must win and if we want to win we must take risks. Me and the other Fortnum and mason defendants, will see you on the streets and at the next Ukuncut actions
