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The Raytheon 9 Trial has begun
 international |
anti-war / imperialism |
news report
 Wednesday May 21, 2008 21:04 by Justin Morahan
a legal, moral and political duty to stop or delay war crimes
The Raytheon who admit that they occupied Raytheon in Derry in order to stop or delay war crimes are being tried in Belfast and would appreciate your support The trial of the Raytheon Nine is already under way in the new Laganside Court house in Belfast. It started on Tuesday 20th May. Before it began, a large crowd of supporters, many carrying placards, congregated outside the Court House to show their solidarity. This included a carload of IAWM activists from Dublin.
The official website of the Raytheon Nine http://www.raytheon9.org/ reports that the first day was taken up with legal arguments about the nature of the defence, witnesses etc. The defendants don’t deny that they occupied Raytheon or that they destroyed their computer system but say that they had a legal, moral and political duty to do so in order to stop or at least delay war crimes, in which Raytheon were involved, being carried out by the Israeli army in Lebanon.
The website also reports that the presiding Judge accepted defence arguments that he should not rule out this defence but that he would allow it first to be argued and then, having heard the evidence, he would decide how to instruct the jury on what they could, and could not, take into account in reaching their verdict.
On Wednesday, I was able to spend a little time in the court room and assess at close quarters the slow progress of the trial. Court room 14 on the fourth floor is a lonely place in which to sit. The glass rectangle mostly surrounding the defendants makes some of the proceedings hard to hear - even for them. The Judge appears to be a jovial enough fellow and, so far, fair to both sides. The jury of ten women and four men sit to the left hand side listening carefully. Two plain clothes officials sit inside the glass rectangle also. At the back, in the public gallery, are other members of the police or court services, a few of the Raytheon 9 supporters and, from time to time, a few who appear to be either Raytheon personnel or Raytheon sympathisers
Again on this second day there was some legal argument in the absence of the jury, and the Prosecution also opened its case about what happened on the morning of 27 March 2003 at the Raytheon plant in Derry. There was little that was new or exciting - it reminded me of the long drawn out presentation of State's evidence in the trials of Mary Kelly in Ennis and the Pitstop Ploughshares in Dublin where court time was spent showing maps of boundaries to the jury when the defendants had no quarrel at all about the fact that they had entered Shannon and decommissioned a US plane.
What is important from the point of view of the defendants in the Raytheon 9 trials is that they need support and solidarity to take them through what is going to be a long and arduous trial. Some of them told me how much they appreciate the support they get, especially within the court room itself. They really would appreciate more such support in these difficult days for them.
Laganside Court in Belfast is easy to get to, only two hundred yards from Central Station where the Dublin train comes in. If you travel, it will be worth your while. You will get a warm welcome from these brave people who have confronted Raytheon in Derry.
Tomorrow the trial resumes at 10.30 a.m. It is a historic trial that you can be a part of.
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Comments (12 of 12)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Many thanx for making your way up to Belfast and this report Justin.
Colim and I conducted a solidarity vigil, Wednesday, with the Raytheon 9 today at the Dublin GPO.
We had a large banner "End Irish Participation in the War!"
and the placard
"Disable the War Machine
Free the Raytheon 9
www.raytheon9.org
Many people who stopped were unaware that U.S. troops are still pasing through Shannon and that U.S arms companies are based in Ireland.
The defendants are risked their liberty in nonviolent solidarity with the vicitms of Raytheon and the bombing of Lebanon. They have been impressive in directing concern back to the victims - encouraging donations to a charity for Raytheon's Lebanese victims on their website. If this doesn't inspire people to offer solidarity as they stand trial, it's hard to know what will.
What the nine did in the offices of Raytheon was a very human act at a time when society seems to be obssessed with the subhman (downsizing ones life to role of consumer) and the superhuman (hi tech destruction in the wars that escalate and expand in the Middle East). The 9's very strong "No!" to high crimes of state and corporations offer hope that all is not left that the human spirit remains in a society and politics (left and right) of power and image with little substance.
I know from my own experiences of being a plowshares defendant that the more solidarity the resister experiences the easier the resistance, trial and punishment becomes.
This time of trial is an opportunity to contiue to expose the works of Raytheon and Irish complicity and profiteering from the war. Those who are seriously anti-war in Ireland should consider what solidarity they can offer with those before the courts here and those at the end of Raytheon's production line in targetted countries.
What you have done and are doing at the GPO is much appreciated by the Raytheon Nine who know about your solidarity actions in Dublin and your fantastic support for them as they sit and face trial.
They have to travel every morning from Derry to get to the court, a fact acknowledged by the Judge as he fixed starting time each morning at 10.30 a.m.
They have the unspoken support of many people in Ireland and beyond but now is the time to let them know of that solidarity and support. The long distance from Derry means that their own friends and fellow activists find it impossible because of work to make the long journey with them.
They are expecting a large crowd on Tuesday organised by the IAWM but I can't emphasise too much my own conviction that they need support also on the in-between days like today and tomorrow and beyond.
In the Summary above "The Raytheon" should read "The Raytheon Nine".
The date of the original action was 9 August 2006, not 27 March 2003. Link to Indymdia story:
Justin for that interesting report, its great to get an insider's account. Perhaps it would be helpful if the defendants Solicitor(s) could make the judge aware they cannot hear all he is saying and ask him to turn on his mic or speak up?
Unfortunately I am not free to travel and give support, however loads of solidarity, and all power to the 9 !
The anti-war movement in Wales are holding a protest on May 27th to co-incide with the Raytheon 9 protest.
Raytheon - Not in our backyard! Not in anybody's backyard! Not on planet earth!
Solidarity!
Day 4 of Raytheon 9 Trial in Belfast-checkout website for interview with defendant!
www.raytheon9.org
A Callout for Support for the Raytheon 9
from Damien Moran (Pitstop Ploughshares)
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2008/05/399460.html
The Raytheon 9 web site does not seem to work.
Every time I click on the link or put the address in my browser it can not find the page.
http://www.raytheon9.org/
http://gallery.mac.com/grow#100019
Radio National Background Briefing show this Sunday morning about Frank Carlucci’s Carlyle Group - humungous ($81 + billion) global private equity Corporation
Private spooks
The use of private military companies is now widespread, but now there are also private intelligence organisations working closely with government. Business is booming and the worlds biggest private equity company, Carlyle, has just bought part of the big intelligence company, Booz Allen Hamilton. They’re active in Australia, too. Reporter Stan Correy.
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/backgroundbriefing/
guess what Raytheon Oz makes $ from the US in their own words:
http://www.raytheon.com.au/Default.aspx?x=461
NOTE see Greg Combet the former ACTU “militant” Leader during the MUA dispute 10 years ago, since parachuted into the Newcastle electorate for the ALP machine last year, and ‘bumped into Parliament’ in the November Federal Election.
http://www.raytheon.com.au/Default.aspx?x=485
Fair play to the Raytheon Nine. They took action and were willing to face serious disruption to their lives while many were beginning the process of turning their back on the Middle East and finding other platforms from which to seek publicity for careerist/political/personal agendas.
My thoughts are with the defendants. It can be a roller coaster ride, going through the court system, and can also feel dehumanising at times at several levels, not just the court itself (though the joy of a job well done is always there, and the Raytheon action was truly a job well done). However, the Derry activist scene is healthier than most, and probably more used to providing support for legal trials, so I am sure morale will remain high.
I hope attention is paid to the follow-up to the trial too, whatever the outcome. That's when morale can dip seriously, stresses and strains finally take a toll, even and perhaps especially with a good outcome. In my own experience/observation, it's also when any residual hangers-on get the knife in if they get the chance. I'm probably not saying anything they don't already know in Derry, which is more disciplined and conscientious about such matters as follow-up than other places in Ireland, by virtue of experience. I just thought I'd mention it as I don't think people who do NVDA really talk about it that much, and like many things in Ireland, the darker side of activism is radically swept under the carpet.
Solidarity to the nine and their (trusted) supporters.
Raytheon's Pain Ray
Fry 'Em!
By MICHAEL DICKINSON
http://www.counterpunch.org/dickinson05282008.html