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CAAB Report 152

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Thursday - 20 January 2005

It was the day that George W Bush was 'inaugurated' for the second term as President of the US in Washington. CAAB was at NSA Menwith Hill (MH) to demonstrate that many of us are deeply concerned about the danger pending in the next four years under the 'stewardship' of George W Bush. Since his 'election' he has put the world in crisis and the world is now a very dangerous place. The only positive thing we could think of was that he cannot have a third term.

Within 20 minutes of arriving at Menwith Hill, Lindis Percy was 'warned' that she was allegedly 'obstructing PC Stark (Ministry of Defence Police Agency - MDPA - 'traffic' officer) in the execution of his duty' and very soon afterwards, she was arrested by PC Hetherington (MDPA). Lindis was taken to Harrogate Police Station (HPS) and later charged with the above alleged offence by Jane Guymer (Sergeant North Yorkshire Police). Bail was denied by Jane Guymer and Lindis was detained overnight at HPS to appear at Harrogate Magistrates' Court the next morning.

In court, the CPS applied for more draconian bail conditions - an exclusion zone around MH of 50 metres. This would have meant that Lindis could not protest at MH (a human right and specifically because of the legal authority of Hirst and Agu v Chief Constable of West Yorkshire 1986). She would have been placed in the dark in a fenced off farmer's field opposite the Main entrance to MH.

Steve Barlow (Chief Inspector MDPA) and another MDPA officer were in court. The same legal observer for the US authorities from MH who was present at the abortive pre-trial hearing the day before (19 January 2005) was also sitting at the back of the court, with a colleague.

Richard Reed (Solicitor representing Lindis) told the Magistrates that 'this is a complete abuse of the process of the court'. He read out a letter that had been sent to the Custody Officers at HPS at the beginning of December 2004, after a lengthy previous hearing before Harrogate Magistrates (HMs), in which the Magistrates had made a decision to impose the same bail conditions on Lindis (the second time this issue had been canvassed before HMs (refer to CAAB Report 144). Richard Reed summarised a fraction of the chronology of the history of these cases and told the Magistrates that a District Judge had been appointed to hear how 20 cases now in the courts (Lindis - Anni has two cases) could be managed.

The Magistrates adjourned for a very short time before returning with their decision to impose the same bail conditions as before as these were 'proportionate' for the alleged offence. This case was adjourned for four weeks to HMC on 22 February 2005. Their decision means that Lindis can continue to uphold the right to protest at MH.

After Lindis had been arrested and detained, Anni continued with the demonstration on her own. It poured with rain at the end of the demonstration. Anni was left unable to drive her van (she has not got a licence to drive it on her own yet) and unable to find anyone with a licence who could accompany her home. The MDPA would not help but offered to ring for a taxi. She eventually parked the van inside the base and went home in a taxi, arriving just after 1 am. The 'Rapid Reponse Team' of two District Nurses had been summoned by the MDPA to meet her at home to help her to take off her wet clothes as she was so cold.

CAAB will be at NSA Menwith Hill next Tuesday for the weekly demonstration (6-8 pm).

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