CAAB

Tuesday 7 September 2004

Lindis Percy has been arrested over 12 times since May this year, during the weekly Tuesday night demonstrations at NSA/USAF Menwith Hill.

She has been charged four times (cases now in the courts) and the other times she has been immediately released from custody because the Custody Officer has refused to accept her detention. This was because of the spurious reasons for arrest, abuse of power and serious mistakes made by Ministry of Defence Police Agency (MDPA) officers.

This week, Lindis was arrrested by Chris Gage (PC) after about 20 minutes into the CAAB weekly demonstration for allegedly 'obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty' (ie allegedly 'obstructing' the view of the traffic MDPA officer directing traffic coming out of NSA/USAF Menwith Hill). Lindis absolutely denies this accusation.

She was taken to Harrogate Police Station. Chris Gage told the Custody Officer (Simon Smith - North Yorkshire Police) that he had arrested her because she had been warned several times that she was 'obstructing' the traffic officer. When asked by Simon Smith what powers the arresting officer had used to arrest Lindis, Chris Gage said 'section 25' (prompted by the Custody Officer - to which Lindis strongly objected) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 for 'failing to comply with directions given by a police officer'. The police however, have no powers under this Act to affect an arrest and Lindis was immediatly released (within 10 minutes of arriving at Harrogate Police Station). She returned straight away to Menwith Hill to join in the rest of the demonstration.

It was with deep concern that we noticed at the end of the demonstration that Barry Frost (Inspector MDPA) was also present at Menwith Hill during last Tuesday evening.

Barry Frost was the MDPA officer who made up a serious allegation that Lindis had assaulted him (at Fylingdales some years ago). Leeds Crown Court overturned the conviction.

Barry Frost assaulted Lindis at MHS Forest Moor in 1991 when he was a Sergeant at this base. The complaint she made against him was substantiated by the Police Complaints Authority. Barry Frost was then promoted to Inspector.

This officer is now apparently overall in charge of the Divisonal Support group (MDPA) in York who now regularly attend the Tuesday night demonstrations. It was abundantly clear who had instigated the arrest of Lindis last week.

Lindis will be adding this lastest unlawful arrest to the growing number of arrests she has been subjected to and which she is taking out a civil action against the Ministry of Defence Police Agency. A pending action is now in the hands of her solicitors.

PLEASE NOTE: We have struggled for over four and a half years to uphold the right to protest during the weekly CAAB organised demonstrations at Menwith Hill.

We ask that people come and support this struggle - the prime reason however, we are there every Tuesday evening is to convey to the people working on this American base that there are those of us who are deeply concerned as to the roles and functions of NSA/USAF Menwith Hill.

Anni Rainbow and Lindis Percy

Joint Co-ordinators

CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES (CAAB)

8 Park Row, Otley, West Yorkshire, LS21 1HQ, England, U.K.
Tel/fax no: +44 (0)1943 466405 0R +44 (0)1482 702033

email: anniandlindis@caab.org.uk or caab@btclick.com

Website: http://www.caab.org.uk

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed it's the only thing that ever does." Margaret Mead